Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - 1D-Neon (1D Nanofibre Electro-Optic Networks)

Teaser

1D-NEON is an Innovation Action project of the H2020 programme, funded by the European Commission under the NMP-22 2015 call topic. The vision of the 1D-NEON project is to create added value for the textile manufacturing industry. This will be developing fibre-based smart...

Summary

1D-NEON is an Innovation Action project of the H2020 programme, funded by the European Commission under the NMP-22 2015 call topic. The vision of the 1D-NEON project is to create added value for the textile manufacturing industry. This will be developing fibre-based smart materials along with an integrated technology platform for the manufacturing in Europe of new products enabling applications in sensing, lighting, energy and electronics, shifting component manufacturing from 2D to 1D fibres.

1D-NEON will enable manufacturing in Europe of new products for multi-sectorial applications. Our unique approach addressed both technical performance and cost-effectiveness of selected applications that could be integrated safely into everyday objects.

1D-NEON explores ground breaking concepts that provide cutting edge design, sustainable manufacturing, testing and integration into multi-functional devices.

The overall objective of 1D-NEON is to build a modular platform for manufacturing fibre-based industrial products in multiple market sectors. Nanomaterials will be assembled into five basic fibre components (1.Fibre Stretchable Electrode, 2.Fibre Transistor, 3.Fibre Light Emitting, 4.Fibre Energy, and 5.Fibre Sensor devices) along with manufacturing processes for integration into smart products, to impact three industrially viable textile applications (1. Wall display/curtain lighting e-textiles, 2. eco-friendly energy textiles, 3. e-skin for soft robotics).

Work performed

In the first 18 months, 1D-NEON progressed in designing, developing and demonstrating fibre-based electronic components and integrated devices and systems through textile manufacturing technologies. These components form the basis of further application demonstrators that will be developed and matured to higher TRL during the next periods.

At the materials level (SUB-OBJECTIVE I), the project focused on exploitation of fibre-based functional nano-materials and process technologies.

The component technology platform (SUB-OBJECTIVE II) considers the integration of these nanostructured material elements into 1D-NEON, supported by multi-scaled modelling and simulation in materials, components, circuits and systems.

Fibre processing and weaving/knitting integration (SUB-OBJECTIVE III) focused on implementing process technologies and integration schemes for fabricating arrays of interconnected devices using functional fibre materials, using a scalable manufacturing strategy.

The product application platform (SUB-OBJECTIVE IV) aims to bring the engineered fibre-based materials onto smart functional textiles for multi-sector industries. Several feasibility analysis done.

Multi-scale, multi-domain modelling and simulation (SUB-OBJECTIVE V). This work package was to reinforce the development and study of new materials, components and systems, including analysis of environmental impact, through modelling/simulation and characterization, at these various levels all the way to product integration.

Integral to the activities on safety and standardization (OBJECTIVE VI), project beneficiaries engaged with other EU projects and working groups supporting Standardisation for Smart Textiles.

In terms of dissemination, exploitation and business plan (SUB-OBJECTIVE VII), 1D-NEON’s IPR strategy has been agreed and established in line with the Consortium Agreement. Also, dissemination and communication activities of the project have been initiated. Building blocks for the 1D-NEON Demo Kit are now available to help kick-start development of applications and further engagement. A successful thematic workshop on e-fibres and e-textiles has been organised in Feb. 2017 at the Wellcome Genome Campus in Cambridge co-located with the annual event innoLAE (innovations in Large-Area Electronics) and included an industrial panel discussion, also organised by the 1D-NEON consortium.

Final results

At the materials level, progress beyond state of the art in the first 18 months included:
• High-performance polymer composite materials.
• Conducting, dielectric and semiconducting materials into new fibre-based transistor structures, assisted by computation routes.
• Electroluminescent fibres multi-layered light emitting device structures.
• Through experimental characterization and parameter extraction, development of physically-based compact models to predict strain-dependant percolation.
• Materials for piezoelectric fibres with higher performances and extrusion of hybrid piezo-polymer structures. Unique poling technology.
• Conductive or non-conductive adhesive and encapsulation materials.

At the component level, progress beyond state of the art in the first 18 months also included:
• PVDF homopolymer and VDF-TrFE compolyer-based F-Stretch and Fibre-Sensor applications.
• Fibre quantum dot light emitting diodes with stable emission properties.
• F-Energy devices, including all solid-state, flexible twisted fibre-supercapacitors, stably assembled by weaving.
• Fibre-FET test structures for model verification, simulation and parameters extraction as needed for fibre system design.

In terms of integration of e-fibre components into e-textiles:
• Integration of fibre-based symmetric supercapacitors (F-Energy) on the textile by weaving
• Integration of emissive composite filament for F-LED devices on textile by weaving/knitting
• F-FET on textile by weaving adapting a textile machinery
• F-QLED on textile
• Strip fibre transistors for micro LED driving and active matrix for displays.

Progress beyond state of the art in the application domain:
• A weave architecture for the transistor mesh and preliminary industrial weaving trial.
• Industrially-designed prototype of a woven textile in series of 7 LEDs.
• Industrial feasibility analysis to assess the smart energy textile.  

Main achievement enabled by modelling and simulation include:
• Architectures of fibre stretchable electrodes (F-SE) using FEA.
• Analysis of percolation threshold under strain for composite F-SEs.
• F-FET coaxial test structures prototyped, with good performance obtained using all-solution process.
• Parameters extraction for simulation using compact models developed in-house.
• Simple fibre test charge amplifiers designed

In terms of evaluation of materials and processes used in 1D-NEON partners:
• Collection of materials data sheet (MSDS) for F-SE, F-LED, F-FET, F-Energy, F-Sensor
• Evaluation of risk from the data collected (e.g. adherence to RoHS)
• Comparison of necessary safety regulations with safety precautions from partners

Dissemination and exploitation:
• First “Thematic Workshop on e-fibres/e-textiles” organised by UCAM at innoLAE 2017, with invited presentations and industrial panel discussion.
• Appointment of 1D-NEON External Advisory Board, and organisation of a full day review meeting and brainstorming session.
• Development of a project business plan and knowledge base register and appointment of an Exploitation task force, to promote wider impact.
• Development of the project dissemination and communication plan, to reach out the wider audience of industrial, scientific and technical communities, as well as to create societal awareness.
• At month 18 a full set of demonstrator prototypes constituting the 1D-NEON Demonstration Kit has been made available, to engage with broader communities of designers and to showcase the capabilities to both industrial stakeholders and to the general audience.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.1d-neon.eu/.