The increasing functionalization of everyday objects requires a transformation of the electronics packaging. This development has become particularly evident over recent years through the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT). Among the visible trends is the use of flexible substrates, which has been established as state of the art for decades. The resulting bendable systems are collectively referred to as flexible electronics.
In addition, higher packaging levels of interconnection are also becoming flexible. A prominent example of technology development is printed electronics, where functional layers are deposited additively using a variety of printing techniques (e.g., screen printing or inkjet printing). At the same time, conventional processes such as soldering, adhesive bonding, and wire bonding continue to be used, often in combination with partially flexible or miniaturized electronic components.
A further evolution of flexible electronics is stretchable electronics. For bending applications, an optimized conventional design is often sufficient to reduce the resulting mechanical stresses. However, this approach is generally inadequate for stretchable systems. In particular, metallic conductor structures exhibit only very limited stretchability (typically less than 1%). Consequently, the realization of stretchable electronic systems requires sophisticated design concepts and the use of special materials, which must ultimately be processed using innovative or adapted manufacturing technologies.
Particular attention is also given to reliability assessment methods, which are only partially standardized for such systems and therefore often need to be developed specifically for the respective application.
Accordingly, this research area addresses the following topics:
 

• Design of flexible and stretchable electronic systems
• Application and development of innovative manufacturing technologies
• Adaptation of conventional assembly and interconnection technologies
• Use of alternative materials for targeted applications
• Optimal integration of different technologies and materials
• Quality assurance and reliability assessment of flexible and stretchable electronics