Events Calendar

Alfred E.Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering - Seminar series

Speaker: Ana Claudia Arias, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California Berkeley

Talk Title: Towards Wireless Flexible Printed Electronics

Abstract: Flexible electronics enable large area, lightweight, thin functional devices that are conformal to the human body. These electronic devices are important in Internet of Things applications as they enable interfacing electronics with complex physical objects. Flexible sensors are being developed in industries including automotive, packaging, and structural health monitoring. Wearable medical technology has seen considerable advancement in recent years in both consumer health monitoring products such as smart watches and research of clinical grade sensors. Sensors including temperature, heart rate, blood oxygenation, and various metabolites present in sweat have been demonstrated. In all cases, to be truly "wearable" a device should be comfortable: conformal, lightweight, thin, and cable-less. A functional wearable device must include not only a sensor, but also a power source and communication capability. The power and communication systems should meet the same comfort criteria as the sensors. While printed electronic components have the advantages of being flexible, lightweight, thin, and large area, conventional rigid silicon electronics are capable of fast, efficient computation, data processing and storage in a small footprint at low power. Flexible hybrid electronic (FHE) systems take advantage of these complementary strengths by integrating conventional components and printed components together. In this talk, I will cover the fundamental building blocks for an FHE system - including printed sensors and circuits, printed antennas for wireless power and communication, printed energy harvesting and storage. I will discuss recent progress, fabrication, applications and opportunities in flexible hybrid electronics. 

Biography: Ana Claudia Arias's research focuses on the use of electronic materials processed from solution in flexible electronic systems. Insights from such investigations have enabled the development of printing techniques that fabricate flexible large-area electronic devices and sensors. To this end, Dr. Arias directs the Flexible Electronic Devices and Systems Laboratory, which develops such systems for energy-related and medical applications. Prior to arriving at Berkeley, Arias managed the Printed Electronic Devices area and served as a member of the research staff at the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), a Xerox Company. Arias is the recipient of multiple awards acknowledging her achievements in the field of electronic materials including receiving the NAE Gilbreth Lectureship, the FLEXI R&D Achievements Award, and being selected Bakar Fellow. She has a PhD in Physics from Cambridge University. 

Host: Maral Mousavi

Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 109

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Carla Stanard