1. What do you think is distinctive about Cambridge Elements in Flexible and Large-Area Electronics?

A distinctive feature of our Cambridge Elements series is that it allows both experts, as well as newcomers in the field to have access to exhaustive, self-contained and up-to-date information about topics that are highly relevant to the growing field of flexible and large-area electronics. Each Element is written by highly-reputed authors and world-leading scientists.

The performance and cost-structures offered by flexible and large-area electronics means that the field is rapidly evolving worldwide. Therefore having the most up-to-date information is important for everybody who is, or who wishes to be, part of the value chain.

2. What are some of the challenges facing the field today?

With new materials, large-area manufacturing technologies, and applications enabled by the new form factors, flexible electronics is one of the most rapidly growing fields today.
This rapid growth comes with challenges, often at the interface of sub-topics that are being explored. These include challenges related to the integration of functional devices made from diverse materials on the same substrates, or to the uniformity of printed/coated materials on large areas and hence the uniformity of device response over large areas. Maintaining the reliable device operation under various bending conditions is another challenge.

3. In what new directions might the field go?

The electronics industry roadmap predicts the merge of print and electronic technologies, and we are already witnessing a variety of printed sensors and devices during this technological evolution. In the future we will see more complex electronics being printed over large areas and flexible substrates.

This evolution will enable new fields not conventionally covered by other electronics technologies, such as implantable bioelectronics, disposable biosensors and systems, paper electronics and smart packaging, large-area sensors and energy harvesting, etc.

4. What attracted you to the field of Large-Area Electronics?

Many aspects, such as the possibility to build devices from a broad range of materials and processes that are not used in conventional microelectronics, and subsequently using them to bring step changes in a range of existing applications (e.g. large-area tactile skin in robotics) as well as opening up new application avenues (e.g. wearable systems, health monitoring).

5. Why should authors publish in this series?

Authors will benefit from becoming an active part of this growing community and can help others to quickly learn how to engage with, and develop, research tasks beyond state of the art. Ultimately they will contribute to the growth of both academic and industrial interest in the field.