Roll-to-roll processing: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 12:55, 2 October 2025

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A typical industrial roll-to-roll process line.

In the field of electronic devices, roll-to-roll processing, also known as web processing,^[1] reel-to-reel processing or R2R,^[2] is the process of creating electronic devices on a roll of flexible plastic, metal foil, or flexible glass.^[3] In other fields predating this use, it can refer to any process of applying coating, printing, or performing other processes starting with a roll of a flexible material and re-reeling after the process to create an output roll. These processes, and others such as sheeting, can be grouped together under the general term converting. When the rolls of material have been coated, laminated or printed they can be subsequently slit to their finished size on a slitter rewinder.

In electronic devices

Large circuits made with thin-film transistors and other devices can be patterned onto these large substrates, which can be up to a few metres wide and Script error: No such module "convert". long.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Some of the devices can be patterned directly, much like an inkjet printer deposits ink. For most semiconductors, however, the devices must be patterned using photolithography techniques.

roll to roll processing

Roll-to-roll processing of large-area electronic devices reduces manufacturing cost.^[4]^[2] Most notable would be solar cells, which are still prohibitively expensive for most markets due to the high cost per unit area of traditional bulk (mono- or polycrystalline) silicon manufacturing. Other applications could arise which take advantage of the flexible nature of the substrates, such as electronics embedded into clothing, large-area flexible displays, and roll-up portable displays.

LED (Light Emitting Diode)

Inorganic LED - Flexible LED is commonly made into 25, 50, 100 m, or even longer strips using a roll-to-roll process. A long neon LED tube is using such a long flexible strip and encapsulated with PVC or silicone diffusing encapsulation.
Organic LED (OLED) - OLED for foldable phone screen is adopting roll-to-roll processing technology.

Thin-film cells

A crucial issue for a roll-to-roll thin-film cell production system is the deposition rate of the microcrystalline layer, and this can be tackled using four approaches:^[5]

very high frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (VHF-PECVD)
microwave (MW)-PECVD
hot wire chemical vapour deposition (hot-wire CVD)
the use of ultrasonic nozzles in an in-line process

In electrochemical devices

Roll-to-roll processing has been used in the manufacture of electrochemical devices such as batteries,^[6] supercapacitors,^[7] fuel cells,^[8]^[9] and water electrolyzers.^[10] Here, the roll-to-roll processing is utilized for electrode manufacturing and is the key to reducing manufacturing cost^[11] through stable production of electrodes on various film substrates such as metal foils, membranes, diffusion media, and separators.

References

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↑ <templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>Template:Citation/make link, Biswas, Kaushik; III, David Lee Wood & Grady, Kelsey M. et al., "Roll-to-roll slot die coating method to create interleaving multi-layered films with chemical slurry coatings", issued Script error: No such module "auto date formatter". Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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[6] <templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>Template:Citation/make link, Biswas, Kaushik; III, David Lee Wood & Grady, Kelsey M. et al., "Roll-to-roll slot die coating method to create interleaving multi-layered films with chemical slurry coatings", issued Script error: No such module "auto date formatter". Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

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 {{more citations needed|date=October 2010}}
 [[File:R2R line.jpg|thumb|A typical industrial roll-to-roll process line.]]
-In the field of electronic devices, '''roll-to-roll processing''', also known as '''web processing''',<ref name="web processing">{{cite web|title=Digital roll-to-roll web processing revolutionizes printed electronic production|url=https://www.controleng.com/single-article/digital-roll-to-roll-web-processing-revolutionizes-printed-electronic-production.html?print=1|website=Control Engineering|accessdate=February 1, 2018|date=March 12, 2013}}</ref> '''reel-to-reel processing''' or '''R2R''',<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Goswami|first1=Debkalpa|last2=Munera|first2=Juan C.|last3=Pal|first3=Aniket|last4=Sadri|first4=Behnam|last5=Scarpetti|first5=Caio Lui P. G.|last6=Martinez|first6=Ramses V.|date=2018-05-18|title=Roll-to-Roll Nanoforming of Metals Using Laser-Induced Superplasticity|journal=Nano Letters|language=en|volume=18|issue=6|pages=3616–3622|doi=10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b00714|pmid=29775318|bibcode=2018NanoL..18.3616G|issn=1530-6984}}</ref> is the process of creating electronic devices on a roll of [[flexible plastic]], metal [[Foil (chemistry)|foil]], or flexible glass.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260251815 |via=[[ResearchGate]]|doi=10.1016/j.surfcoat.2013.10.056 |title=Roll-to-roll sputter deposition on flexible glass substrates |year=2014 |last1=Tamagaki |first1=Hiroshi |last2=Ikari |first2=Yoshimitu |last3=Ohba |first3=Naoki |journal=Surface and Coatings Technology |volume=241 |pages=138–141 }}</ref> In other fields predating this use, it can refer to any process of applying coating, [[Roll-to-roll printing|printing]], or performing other processes starting with a roll of a flexible material and re-reeling after the process to create an output roll. These processes, and others such as sheeting, can be grouped together under the general term '''[[Converter (industry)|converting]]'''. When the rolls of material have been coated, laminated or printed they can be subsequently slit to their finished size on a [[slitter]] rewinder.
+In the field of electronic devices, '''roll-to-roll processing''', also known as '''web processing''',<ref name="web processing">{{cite web|title=Digital roll-to-roll web processing revolutionizes printed electronic production|url=https://www.controleng.com/single-article/digital-roll-to-roll-web-processing-revolutionizes-printed-electronic-production.html?print=1|website=Control Engineering|access-date=February 1, 2018|date=March 12, 2013}}</ref> '''reel-to-reel processing''' or '''R2R''',<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Goswami|first1=Debkalpa|last2=Munera|first2=Juan C.|last3=Pal|first3=Aniket|last4=Sadri|first4=Behnam|last5=Scarpetti|first5=Caio Lui P. G.|last6=Martinez|first6=Ramses V.|date=2018-05-18|title=Roll-to-Roll Nanoforming of Metals Using Laser-Induced Superplasticity|journal=Nano Letters|language=en|volume=18|issue=6|pages=3616–3622|doi=10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b00714|pmid=29775318|bibcode=2018NanoL..18.3616G|issn=1530-6984}}</ref> is the process of creating electronic devices on a roll of [[flexible plastic]], metal [[Foil (chemistry)|foil]], or flexible glass.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260251815 |via=[[ResearchGate]]|doi=10.1016/j.surfcoat.2013.10.056 |title=Roll-to-roll sputter deposition on flexible glass substrates |year=2014 |last1=Tamagaki |first1=Hiroshi |last2=Ikari |first2=Yoshimitu |last3=Ohba |first3=Naoki |journal=Surface and Coatings Technology |volume=241 |pages=138–141 }}</ref> In other fields predating this use, it can refer to any process of applying coating, [[Roll-to-roll printing|printing]], or performing other processes starting with a roll of a flexible material and re-reeling after the process to create an output roll. These processes, and others such as sheeting, can be grouped together under the general term '''[[Converter (industry)|converting]]'''. When the rolls of material have been coated, laminated or printed they can be subsequently slit to their finished size on a [[slitter]] rewinder.
 == In electronic devices ==
 Large [[Integrated circuit|circuit]]s made with [[thin-film transistor]]s and other devices can be [[pattern]]ed onto these large substrates, which can be up to a few metres wide and {{convert|50|km|abbr=on}} long.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}  Some of the devices can be patterned directly, much like an [[inkjet printer]] deposits ink.  For most [[semiconductor]]s, however, the devices must be patterned using [[photolithography]] techniques.
 [[File:Roll tol rol slitting processing.jpg|alt=roll to roll processing|thumb|roll to roll processing]]
-Roll-to-roll processing of large-area electronic devices reduces manufacturing cost.<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZiGjrlkSpOQC&q=%22web+processing%22+%22Roll+to+roll%22&pg=PA19|title=Flexible Electronics: Materials and Applications|chapter=Fabrication on Web by Roll-to-Roll Processing|page=19|editor1=Wong, William S. |editor2=Salleo, Alberto|publisher=Springer|place=New York, NY|year=2009|isbn=978-0387743639}}</ref><ref name=":0" />  Most notable would be [[solar cell]]s, which are still prohibitively expensive for most markets due to the high cost per unit area of traditional bulk ([[Monocrystalline silicon|mono-]] or [[Polycrystalline silicon|polycrystalline]]) silicon manufacturing.  Other applications could arise which take advantage of the flexible nature of the substrates, such as electronics embedded into clothing, large-area flexible displays, and [[rollable display|roll-up portable displays]].
+Roll-to-roll processing of large-area electronic devices reduces manufacturing cost.<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZiGjrlkSpOQC&q=%22web+processing%22+%22Roll+to+roll%22&pg=PA19|title=Flexible Electronics: Materials and Applications|chapter=Fabrication on Web by Roll-to-Roll Processing|page=19|editor1=Wong, William S. |editor2=Salleo, Alberto|publisher=Springer|place=New York, NY|year=2009|isbn=978-0-387-74363-9}}</ref><ref name=":0" />  Most notable would be [[solar cell]]s, which are still prohibitively expensive for most markets due to the high cost per unit area of traditional bulk ([[Monocrystalline silicon|mono-]] or [[Polycrystalline silicon|polycrystalline]]) silicon manufacturing.  Other applications could arise which take advantage of the flexible nature of the substrates, such as electronics embedded into clothing, large-area flexible displays, and [[rollable display|roll-up portable displays]].
 === LED (Light Emitting Diode) ===
@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 === Thin-film cells ===
-A crucial issue for a roll-to-roll thin-film cell production system is the [[Deposition (physics)|deposition]] rate of the [[microcrystalline]] layer, and this can be tackled using four approaches:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/nn/nn_rt/nn_rt_pv/article_1109_en.htm |title=PV projects in FP6 |accessdate=2008-11-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060618111512/http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/nn/nn_rt/nn_rt_pv/article_1109_en.htm|archivedate=June 18, 2006 }}</ref>
+A crucial issue for a roll-to-roll thin-film cell production system is the [[Deposition (physics)|deposition]] rate of the [[microcrystalline]] layer, and this can be tackled using four approaches:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/nn/nn_rt/nn_rt_pv/article_1109_en.htm |title=PV projects in FP6 |access-date=2008-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060618111512/http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/nn/nn_rt/nn_rt_pv/article_1109_en.htm|archive-date=June 18, 2006 }}</ref>
 *very high frequency  plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition ([[VHF]]-[[PECVD]])
 *microwave ([[Microwave|MW]])-PECVD
@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 == In electrochemical devices ==
-Roll-to-roll processing has been used in the manufacture of electrochemical devices such as batteries,<ref>{{Cite patent|number=US11446915B2|title=Roll-to-roll slot die coating method to create interleaving multi-layered films with chemical slurry coatings|gdate=2022-09-20|invent1=Biswas|invent2=III|invent3=Grady|invent4=Ghezawi|inventor1-first=Kaushik|inventor2-first=David Lee Wood|inventor3-first=Kelsey M.|inventor4-first=Natasha B.|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US11446915B2/en}}</ref> supercapacitors,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Yeo |first1=Junyeob |last2=Kim |first2=Geonwoong |last3=Hong |first3=Sukjoon |last4=Kim |first4=Min Su |last5=Kim |first5=Daewon |last6=Lee |first6=Jinhwan |last7=Lee |first7=Ha Beom |last8=Kwon |first8=Jinhyeong |last9=Suh |first9=Young Duk |last10=Kang |first10=Hyun Wook |last11=Sung |first11=Hyung Jin |last12=Choi |first12=Jun-Ho |last13=Hong |first13=Won-Hwa |last14=Ko |first14=Jang Myoun |last15=Lee |first15=Seung-Hyun |date=2014-01-15 |title=Flexible supercapacitor fabrication by room temperature rapid laser processing of roll-to-roll printed metal nanoparticle ink for wearable electronics application |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378775313013499 |journal=Journal of Power Sources |language=en |volume=246 |pages=562–568 |doi=10.1016/j.jpowsour.2013.08.012 |bibcode=2014JPS...246..562Y |s2cid=94203734 |issn=0378-7753|url-access=subscription }}</ref> fuel cells,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Steenberg |first1=Thomas |last2=Hjuler |first2=Hans Aage |last3=Terkelsen |first3=Carina |last4=Sánchez |first4=María T. R. |last5=Cleemann |first5=Lars N. |last6=Krebs |first6=Frederik C. |date=2012-03-01 |title=Roll-to-roll coated PBI membranes for high temperature PEM fuel cells |url=https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2012/ee/c2ee02936g |journal=Energy & Environmental Science |language=en |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=6076–6080 |doi=10.1039/C2EE02936G |s2cid=95139481 |issn=1754-5706|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mauger |first1=Scott A. |last2=Neyerlin |first2=K. C. |last3=Yang-Neyerlin |first3=Ami C. |last4=More |first4=Karren L. |last5=Ulsh |first5=Michael |date=2018-09-11 |title=Gravure Coating for Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing of Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cell Catalyst Layers |journal=Journal of the Electrochemical Society |language=en |volume=165 |issue=11 |pages=F1012 |doi=10.1149/2.0091813jes |s2cid=105303844 |issn=1945-7111|doi-access=free }}</ref> and water electrolyzers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Park |first1=Janghoon |last2=Kang |first2=Zhenye |last3=Bender |first3=Guido |last4=Ulsh |first4=Michael |last5=Mauger |first5=Scott A. |date=2020-12-15 |title=Roll-to-roll production of catalyst coated membranes for low-temperature electrolyzers |journal=Journal of Power Sources |language=en |volume=479 |pages=228819 |doi=10.1016/j.jpowsour.2020.228819 |bibcode=2020JPS...47928819P |s2cid=224915162 |issn=0378-7753|doi-access=free }}</ref> Here, the roll-to-roll processing is utilized for electrode manufacturing and is the key to reducing manufacturing cost<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mauler |first1=Lukas |last2=Duffner |first2=Fabian |last3=Leker |first3=Jens |date=2021-03-15 |title=Economies of scale in battery cell manufacturing: The impact of material and process innovations |journal=Applied Energy |language=en |volume=286 |pages=116499 |doi=10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116499 |s2cid=233658321 |issn=0306-2619|doi-access=free }}</ref> through stable production of electrodes on various film substrates such as metal foils, membranes, diffusion media, and separators.
+Roll-to-roll processing has been used in the manufacture of electrochemical devices such as batteries,<ref>{{Cite patent|number=US11446915B2|title=Roll-to-roll slot die coating method to create interleaving multi-layered films with chemical slurry coatings|gdate=2022-09-20|invent1=Biswas|invent2=III|invent3=Grady|invent4=Ghezawi|inventor1-first=Kaushik|inventor2-first=David Lee Wood|inventor3-first=Kelsey M.|inventor4-first=Natasha B.|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US11446915B2/en}}</ref> supercapacitors,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Yeo |first1=Junyeob |last2=Kim |first2=Geonwoong |last3=Hong |first3=Sukjoon |last4=Kim |first4=Min Su |last5=Kim |first5=Daewon |last6=Lee |first6=Jinhwan |last7=Lee |first7=Ha Beom |last8=Kwon |first8=Jinhyeong |last9=Suh |first9=Young Duk |last10=Kang |first10=Hyun Wook |last11=Sung |first11=Hyung Jin |last12=Choi |first12=Jun-Ho |last13=Hong |first13=Won-Hwa |last14=Ko |first14=Jang Myoun |last15=Lee |first15=Seung-Hyun |date=2014-01-15 |title=Flexible supercapacitor fabrication by room temperature rapid laser processing of roll-to-roll printed metal nanoparticle ink for wearable electronics application |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378775313013499 |journal=Journal of Power Sources |language=en |volume=246 |pages=562–568 |doi=10.1016/j.jpowsour.2013.08.012 |bibcode=2014JPS...246..562Y |s2cid=94203734 |issn=0378-7753|url-access=subscription }}</ref> fuel cells,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Steenberg |first1=Thomas |last2=Hjuler |first2=Hans Aage |last3=Terkelsen |first3=Carina |last4=Sánchez |first4=María T. R. |last5=Cleemann |first5=Lars N. |last6=Krebs |first6=Frederik C. |date=2012-03-01 |title=Roll-to-roll coated PBI membranes for high temperature PEM fuel cells |url=https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2012/ee/c2ee02936g |journal=Energy & Environmental Science |language=en |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=6076–6080 |doi=10.1039/C2EE02936G |s2cid=95139481 |issn=1754-5706|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mauger |first1=Scott A. |last2=Neyerlin |first2=K. C. |last3=Yang-Neyerlin |first3=Ami C. |last4=More |first4=Karren L. |last5=Ulsh |first5=Michael |date=2018-09-11 |title=Gravure Coating for Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing of Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cell Catalyst Layers |journal=Journal of the Electrochemical Society |language=en |volume=165 |issue=11 |pages=F1012 |doi=10.1149/2.0091813jes |s2cid=105303844 |issn=1945-7111|doi-access=free }}</ref> and water electrolyzers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Park |first1=Janghoon |last2=Kang |first2=Zhenye |last3=Bender |first3=Guido |last4=Ulsh |first4=Michael |last5=Mauger |first5=Scott A. |date=2020-12-15 |title=Roll-to-roll production of catalyst coated membranes for low-temperature electrolyzers |journal=Journal of Power Sources |language=en |volume=479 |article-number=228819 |doi=10.1016/j.jpowsour.2020.228819 |bibcode=2020JPS...47928819P |s2cid=224915162 |issn=0378-7753|doi-access=free }}</ref> Here, the roll-to-roll processing is utilized for electrode manufacturing and is the key to reducing manufacturing cost<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mauler |first1=Lukas |last2=Duffner |first2=Fabian |last3=Leker |first3=Jens |date=2021-03-15 |title=Economies of scale in battery cell manufacturing: The impact of material and process innovations |journal=Applied Energy |language=en |volume=286 |article-number=116499 |doi=10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116499 |s2cid=233658321 |issn=0306-2619|doi-access=free }}</ref> through stable production of electrodes on various film substrates such as metal foils, membranes, diffusion media, and separators.
 ==See also==

Roll-to-roll processing: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 12:55, 2 October 2025

Contents

In electronic devices

LED (Light Emitting Diode)

Thin-film cells

In electrochemical devices

See also

References

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Roll-to-roll processing: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 12:55, 2 October 2025

In electronic devices

LED (Light Emitting Diode)

Thin-film cells

In electrochemical devices

See also

References

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