Flexible device and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The rollable device of the invention comprises a substrate of an insulating material with apertures extending from a first to a second side. On the first side switching elements are present, as well as interconnect lines and the like, covered by a coating of organic material. On the second side a functional layer is present. Examples of such functional layers include capacitors, antennas and particularly electro-optical layers. Thus, with a rollable display that may include an antenna and a driver circuit is obtained.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A flexible monolithic electronic device provided with
 a substrate of a semiconductor material in and on which substrate at least one switching element is defined, which element is provided with a first electrode in the active layer, the substrate being structured in an island-like shape;   an insulating layer of electrically insulating material having a first side and an upward second side, which layer is provided with a first aperture extending from the first to the second side, at which first side the substrate is present;   a flexible coating acting as a protective cover for the at least one switching element that is present at the second side of the insulating layer,   a functional layer being present on the first side of the insulating layer and being connected to the first electrode through the first aperture in the insulating layer.   
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (Canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (Canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A flexible electronic device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the functional layer is an electrically conductive layer in which an antenna is defined and a plurality of interconnected switching elements is provided so as to constitute an integrated circuit. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A label comprising a carrier and the flexible device according to  claim 2 , which is provided with a layer of glue whereby it is reversibly/removably attached to the carrier. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacturing a flexible monolithic electronic device comprising a plurality of switching elements, which method comprises the steps of:
 providing a substrate having a first side and an opposed second side, on which first side an active layer of a semiconductor material is present, in and on which active layer switching elements are provided, first electrodes of the switching elements being present in the active layer,   removing the active layer partially, such that a functional entity comprising a plurality of switching elements is present on at least one island;   applying a coating of a flexible material to the first side of the substrate, thus covering the at least one island, the coating being provided with protection areas on side faces of the coating;   temporarily attaching a carrier substrate to the first side of the substrate;   removing the substrate from the second side, including a wet-chemical etching step by an etchant whereby the coating is protected through the protection areas; and   providing a functional layer on the second side that is connected to at least one first electrode through an aperture in an insulating layer.   
     
     
         13 . A method as claimed in  claim 12 , characterized in that:
 the organic material is applied according to a desired pattern, such that it is absent at the protection areas and present at device areas,   the protection areas are given a treatment with adhesion means, and   the removal of the electronic device from the carrier substrate is substantially limited to the device areas.