Printed electronics revolutionize traditional manufacturing processes by using printing techniques to fabricate electronic devices, including innovative solar cells like perovskite and organic variants. Perovskite solar cells are crafted using a special class of materials called perovskites, which possess excellent light-absorbing properties. These cells can be created through printing methods like inkjet printing or slot-die coating, allowing for the deposition of perovskite materials onto flexible or rigid substrates in a cost-effective manner. Perovskite solar cells offer high efficiency and potential for low-cost production, making them promising candidates for next-generation solar technology due to their ability to convert sunlight into electricity efficiently.
Organic solar cells utilize organic (carbon-based) materials to generate electricity from sunlight. They are fabricated through printing techniques like roll-to-roll printing or screen printing, enabling the deposition of organic semiconductors onto flexible substrates. Organic solar cells are lightweight, flexible, and semi-transparent, allowing for applications in various settings, including building-integrated photovoltaics and wearable electronics. While currently less efficient than traditional silicon solar cells, ongoing research aims to enhance their performance and stability, promoting their use as a sustainable and versatile energy solution.
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1. Robust Full‐Surface Bonding of Substrate and Electrode for Ultra‐Flexible Sensor Integration
Published: 2025 | Advanced Materials, 37(49), 2417590 (cover article e71335)
Authors: Masahito Takakuwa, Daishi Inoue, Lulu Sun, Michitaka Yamamoto, Shinjiro Umezu, Daisuke Hashizume, Toshihiro Itoh, Kenjiro Fukuda, Takao Someya, Tomoyuki Yokota
Develops a full-surface bonding process joining substrate and electrode across their entire contact area rather than at discrete points, improving mechanical robustness and electrical reliability for ultra-flexible sensor integration — extending the group’s earlier direct gold/silver conductive-bonding work toward more durable flexible electronic assemblies.
2. Direct Conductive Bonding of Silver Electrodes on Ultrathin Polymer Films
Published: 2024 | ACS Applied Electronic Materials, 6(10), 7261-7267
Authors: Tatsuma Miyake, Masahito Takakuwa, Daishi Inoue, Daisuke Hashizume, Tomoyuki Yokota, Shinjiro Umezu, Kenjiro Fukuda, Takao Someya
Demonstrates direct conductive bonding of silver electrodes onto ultrathin polymer films without an intermediate adhesive layer, achieving reliable electrical contact while preserving the film’s flexibility — a lower-cost silver-based counterpart to the group’s earlier gold-bonding technique.
3. Unleashing the Potential of Industry Viable Roll-to-Roll Compatible Technologies for Perovskite Solar Cells: Challenges and Prospects
Published: 2024 | Materials Today, 78, 112-141
Authors: Marc Josep Montagut Marques, Weiye Lin, Tetsuya Taima, Shinjiro Umezu, Md. Shahiduzzaman
Review examining roll-to-roll compatible manufacturing technologies for perovskite solar cells, assessing which fabrication techniques are scalable for industrial, continuous-process production and identifying the key technical challenges standing between lab-scale perovskite photovoltaics and mass manufacturing.
4. Direct Gold Bonding for Flexible Integrated Electronics
Published: 2021 | Science Advances, 7(52), eabl6228
Authors: Masahito Takakuwa, Kenjiro Fukuda, Tomoyuki Yokota, Daishi Inoue, Daisuke Hashizume, Shinjiro Umezu, Takao Someya
Establishes a direct gold-to-gold conductive bonding technique for joining flexible electronic components without solder or adhesive, enabling robust, low-resistance electrical interconnects between ultrathin flexible circuit elements — a foundational bonding method later extended to silver and full-surface bonding approaches in the group’s subsequent work.
5. An Efficient Ultra‐Flexible Photo‐Charging System Integrating Organic Photovoltaics and Supercapacitors
Published: 2020 | Advanced Energy Materials, 10(20), 1 (cover article)
Authors: Rui Liu, Masahito Takakuwa, Ao Li, Daishi Inoue, Daisuke Hashizume, Kilho Yu, Shinjiro Umezu, and co-authors
Integrates ultra-flexible organic photovoltaic cells with supercapacitors into a single self-charging power system, demonstrating a lightweight, flexible energy-harvesting-and-storage module suitable for wearable and skin-conformal electronics.