Description

This Microelectronics TOE profiles advancements in smart lighting, data storage, wireless charging, and printed electronics. Innovations profiled include smart street light poles for accessing internet, magnetic wave-based flexible wireless charging, software-defined solution that makes data storage scalable, surface mounted device (SMD) LED modules for membrane switches, and aerosol jet printing-based printed electronics.

The Microelectronics TechVision Opportunity Engine (TOE) captures global electronics-related innovations and developments on a weekly basis. Developments are centred on electronics attributed by low power and cost, smaller size, better viewing, display and interface facilities, wireless connectivity, higher memory capacity, flexibility and wearables. Research focus themes include small footprint lightweight devices (CNTs, graphene), smart monitoring and control (touch and haptics), energy efficiency (LEDs, OLEDs, power and thermal management, energy harvesting), and high speed and improved conductivity devices (SiC, GaN, GaAs).

Miniaturization, a move toward lower power consumption, and the need for enhanced features are driving innovations in the electronics sector. Technology focus areas include semiconductor manufacturing and design, flexible electronics, 3D integration/IC, MEMS and NEMS, solid state lighting, advanced displays, nanoelectronics, wearable electronics, brain computer interface, advanced displays, near field communication, and next generation data storage or memory.

Keywords: Smart lighting, data storage, wireless charging, printed electronics, flexible electronics, surface mounted device (SMD)