• ETRI Journal
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.259-269
• /
• 2007

The ubiquitous flexible operating system (UbiFOS) is a real-time operating system designed for cost-conscious, low-power, small to medium-sized embedded systems such as cellular phones, MP3 players, and wearable computers. It offers efficient real-time operating system services like multi-task scheduling, memory management, inter-task communication and synchronization, and timers while keeping the kernel size to just a few to tens of kilobytes. For flexibility, UbiFOS uses various task scheduling policies such as cyclic time-slice (round-robin), priority-based preemption with round-robin, priority-based preemptive, and bitmap. When there are less than 64 tasks, bitmap scheduling is the best policy. The scheduling overhead is under 9 ${\mu}s$ on the ARM926EJ processor. UbiFOS also provides the flexibility for user to select from several inter-task communication techniques according to their applications. We ported UbiFOS on the ARM9-based DVD player (20 kB), the Calm16-based MP3 player (under 7 kB), and the ATmega128-based ubiquitous sensor node (under 6 kB). Also, we adopted the dynamic power management (DPM) scheme. Comparative experimental results show that UbiFOS could save energy up to 30% using DPM.

• Vacuum Magazine
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.15-23
• /
• 2017

This article reviews technical trend in research of stretchable electrodes for wearable devices, bio-integrated devices, and stretchable electronics. Stretchable electronics is new emerging class of electronics following flexible electronics. One of the most difficult challenges in the development of stretchable electronic is to realize high performance stretchable electrodes with a low resistivity and high strain failure and stretchability against severe strain of the substrate. For this reason, there are many reports on the promising stretchable electrodes including CNT, graphene, Ag nanowire, and composite materials. We outline the recent research for stretchable substrate and stretchable electrode materials to realize highly stretchable electrodes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.63-71
• /
• 2020

Recently, to improve convenience, flexible electronics are quickly being developed for a number of application areas. Flexible electronic devices comprise characters such as being bendable, stretchable, foldable, and wearable. Effectively manufacturing flexible electronic devices requires high efficiency, low costs, and simple processes for manufacturing technology. Through this study, we enabled the rapid production of multifunctional flexible bending sensors using a simple, low-cost Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printer. Furthermore, we demonstrated the possibility of the rapid production of a range of functional flexible bending sensors using a simple, low-cost FDM 3D printer. Accurate and reproducible functional materials made by FDM 3D printers are an effective tool for the fabrication of flexible sensor electronic devices. The 3D-printed flexible bending sensor consisted of polyurethane and a conductive filament. Two patterns of electrodes (straight and Hilbert curve) for the 3D printing flexible sensor were fabricated and analyzed for the characteristics of bending displacement. The experimental results showed that the straight curve electrode sensor sensing ability was superior to the Hilbert curve electrode sensor, and the electrical conductivity of the Hilbert curve electrode sensor is better than the straight curve electrode sensor. The results of this study will be very useful for the fabrication of various 3D-printed flexible sensor devices with multiple degrees of freedom that are not limited by size and shape.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2022

Recently, semiconductor devices have been used in many fields owing to various applications of mobile electronics, wearable and flexible devices and substrates. During the semiconductor chip bonding process, the mismatch of coefficient of therm al expansion (CTE) between the substrate and the solder, and the excessive heat applied to the entire substrate and components affect the performance and reliability of the device. These problems can cause warpage and deterioration of long-term reliability of the electronic packages. In order to improve these issues, many studies on low-melting temperature solders, which is capable of performing a low-temperature process, have been actively conducted. Among the various low-melting temperature solders, such as Sn-Bi and Sn-In, Sn-58Bi solder is attracting attention as a promising low-temperature solder because of its advantages such as high yield strength, moderate mechanical property, and low cost. However, due to the high brittleness of Bi, improvement of the Sn-Bi solder is needed. In this review paper, recent research trends to improve the mechanical properties of Sn-Bi solder by adding trace elements or particles were introduced and compared.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.43-49
• /
• 2024

In recent years, the flexible organic synaptic transistor (FOST) has garnered attention for its flexibility, biocompatibility, ease of processability, and reduced complexity, which arise from using organic semiconductors as channel layers. These transistors can emulate the plasticity of the human brain with a simpler structure and lower fabrication costs compared to conventional inorganic synaptic devices. This makes them suitable for applications in next-generation wearable devices and soft robotics technologies. In FOST, the organic substrate is sensitive to the device preparation temperature; high-temperature treatment processes can cause thermal deformation of the organic substrate. Therefore, low-temperature solution-based processing techniques are essential for fabricating high-performance devices. This review summarizes the current research status of low-temperature solution-based FOST devices and presents the problems and challenges that need to be addressed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2014.02a
• /
• pp.104-104
• /
• 2014

미래형 전자소자는 높은 성능과 더불어 소형화, 박막화를 거쳐 휘어질 수 있고(flexible), 착용이 가능하며(wearable), 접을 수 있거나(foldable) 늘어날 수 있는(stretchable) 방향으로 발전해 가고 있다. 실리콘, 갈륨비소 등 무기소재를 기반으로 하는 전자소자의 경우 그 성능은 우수하나 딱딱하고 휘어질 수 없는 반면, 유기소재를 기반으로 하는 경우 보다 유연한 구조를 가질 수 있지만 성능이나 신뢰성면에서 아직 개선할 점이 많이 남아있다. 최근에는 성능이 우수한 무기소재를 초박막 형태로 구성하여 이를 휘거나 늘어날 수 있는 기판에 부착하는 형태의 소자들이 많이 개발되고 있으며 이를 통해 박막트랜지스터, LED, CMOS 회로, 태양 전지 및 각종 센서 등이 휘거나 심하게 변형될 수 있는 형태로 진화하였으며, 기존에 구현하기 어려웠던 피부에 부착이 가능한 전자소자, 반구형 구조를 갖는 이미지 센서 등의 구현이 가능하게 되었다. 무기소재 박막을 플렉서블 기판에 부착시키는 데에는 전사 프린팅(transfer printing) 방법이 핵심기술로서 주로 이용된다. 본 튜토리얼은 플렉서블/스트레쳐블 전자소자의 구현을 위한 전사 프린팅 방법을 소개하고, 구체적인 공정 방법과 이를 이용한 독특한 형태 전자소자의 개발에 대해 다루고자 한다.

• ETRI Journal
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.452-464
• /
• 2019

The use of wireless body area networks (WBANs) in healthcare applications has made it convenient to monitor both health personnel and patient status continuously in real time through wearable wireless sensor nodes. However, the heterogeneous and complex network structure of WBANs has some disadvantages in terms of control and management. The software-defined network (SDN) approach is a promising technology that defines a new design and management approach for network communications. In order to create more flexible and dynamic network structures in WBANs, this study uses the SDN approach. For this, a WBAN architecture based on the SDN approach with a new energy-aware routing algorithm for healthcare architecture is proposed. To develop a more flexible architecture, a controller that manages all HUBs is designed. The proposed architecture is modeled using the Riverbed Modeler software for performance analysis. The simulation results show that the SDN-based structure meets the service quality requirements and shows superior performance in terms of energy consumption, throughput, successful transmission rate, and delay parameters according to the traditional routing approach.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.203-214
• /
• 2022

Thermoelectric (TE) heating and cooling devices, which are able to directly convert thermal energy into electrical energy and vice versa, are effective and have exhibited a potential for energy harvesting. With the increasing consumer demands for various wearable electronics, organic-based TE composite materials offer a promise for the TE devices applications. Conductive polymers are widely used as flexible TE materials replacing inorganic materials due to their flexibility, low thermal conductivity, mechanical flexibility, ease of processing, and low cost. In this review, we briefly introduce the latest research trends in the flexible TE technology and provide a comprehensive summary of specific conductive polymer-based TE material fabrication technologies. We also summarize the manufacture for high-efficiency TE composites through the complexation of a conductive polymer matrix/inorganic TE filler. We believe that this review will inspire further research to improve the TE performance of conductive polymers.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.477-481
• /
• 2014

Flexible electronics have been to the fore because it is believed that flexibility can add incredible value such as light weight and mobility into the existing electronic devices and create new markets of large-area and low-cost electronics such as wearable eletronics in near future. Offset printing processes are regarded as major candidates for manufacturing the flexible electronics because they can provide the patterning resolution of micron-size effectively in large-area. In view of mechanics, the most important viewpoint in offset printing is how to achieve the synchronized movement of two contact surfaces in order to prevent slip between two contact surfaces and distortion of the blanket surface during ink transfer so that the high-resolution and good-overlay patterns can be printed. In this paper, a novel low-cost measurement method of the synchronization error using the motor control output signals is proposed and the compensation method is presented to minimize the synchronization error.

• Journal of IKEEE
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.607-612
• /
• 2021

This paper presents a novel CPW-fed UWB monopole paper antenna made by paper and copper tape. Through the simulation, the optimized antenna design parameters were obtained, and an antenna having an omni-directional radiation pattern and a gain of 2.2 dBi or more in the UWB frequency band of 3.1-10.6 GHz was designed. The antenna was manufactured using general A4 paper and copper tape, and the measurement result satisfies the return loss of -10dB or less in the UWB frequency band and confirm that the return loss characteristic was maintained even when the antenna plane was bent by 3 mm in the longitudinal direction. The proposed antenna is a wearable device that can provide services in the UWB band, and can be manufactured inexpensively by printing it with a conductive print on paper. So it can be used as a wearable antenna for UWB communication in various application fields such as logistics and disposable terminals.