Fabrication technologies for the integration of thin-film electronics into smart textiles

Smart textiles are a key component for sensing physiological parameters close to the human body, supporting and assisting people in daily living. In addition, smart textiles offer potential in technical textiles: they comprise car and airplane interiors where lighting and emergency signaling are potential applications, in bandages for wound monitoring or automatically adjusting furniture in homes. The chapter starts with an introduction outlining the state-of-the-art smart-textile production. Then the processes for the fabrication of electronics on flexible plastic stripes, mechanical requirements due to the integration into woven textiles and the integration method of the flexible stripes into woven textiles are described. The feasibility of the technology is demonstrated with three prototypes: one prototype measures humidity and temperature, the second one has an integrated bus system and the last one is a textile integrated active matrix with light emitting diodes. At the end of the chapter, potentials of the technology are described to overcome issues related to smart textiles production, such as user acceptance, washability or large-scale production.