Manufacturing of electronic devices using electronic foil pieces

Abstract

In an electronic device (100), and method of manufacturing, a first electronics foil piece (10) comprises a flexible foil piece (11), a local circuit (12) arranged on the flexible foil piece (11), and an electronic component (13), electrically connected to the local circuit (12). The first electronics foil piece (10) is adhered to a carrier substrate (51), wherein the electronic component (13) is electrically connected, via the local circuit (12), to an interconnect circuit (52) arranged on the carrier substrate (51). A second electronics foil piece (20) may be adhered to the carrier substrate (51). An electronic component (23) of the second electronics foil piece (20) may be electrically connected to the interconnect circuit (51) via the second local circuit (22), and electrically connected to the electronic component (13) of the first electronics foil piece (10) via the interconnect circuit (51).

Description

[0001] Title: MANUFACTURING OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES USING

[0002] ELECTRONIC FOIL PIECES

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND

[0004] The present disclosure relates to methods of manufacturing electronic devices, in particular using electronic foil pieces, and devices resulting from these methods.

[0005] Electronic devices have become an integral part of daily life, powering everything from smartphones and laptops to home appliances and automotive systems. Surface Mounted Technology (SMT) has revolutionized electronics manufacturing by allowing for the compact, efficient, and automated assembly of electronic components. For example, in a pick-and- place procedure, components may be taken from a reel (also known as a tape or tape and reel) of components and placed onto a substrate (usually a printed circuit board or PCB). With SMT, electronic components, both passive and active, may be soldered directly to the PCB's surface.

[0006] Pick-and-place operations are typically not a part of roll-to-roll (R2R) or roll-to-sheet (R2S) processing due to the fundamental differences in the nature of these manufacturing techniques. Roll-to-roll processing is designed for continuous and high-speed production of materials, while pick- and-place is a discrete component placement method used in electronics assembly. Furthermore there may be limitations or incompatibilities between, on the one hand, the materials and speed used for processing a continuous foil; and, on the other hand, techniques such as etching, which are desired to form various parts of a circuit including surface mounted components.

[0007] There is a need to alleviate limitations of known manufacturing techniques while maintaining at least some of their advantages, in particular in the formation of circuits with electronic components, such as surface mounted devices (SMD), in combination with foil based continuous processing. SUMMARY

[0008] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to electronic devices and the manufacturing thereof. As described herein, the inventors disclose the concept of using electronics foil pieces as building blocks which can be placed on a carrier substrate forming part of a larger circuit. Each electronics foil piece comprises a flexible foil piece, a local circuit arranged on the flexible foil piece, and at least one electronic component, electrically connected to the local circuit. During manufacturing, one or more electronics foil pieces are adhered to the carrier substrate. The carrier substrate is provided with an interconnect circuit. Each electronic component is electrically connected, via the local circuit, to the interconnect circuit arranged on the carrier substrate. Multiple electronics foil pieces may be adhered to the carrier substrate at various locations. Electronic components housed on different foil pieces may be electrically interconnected via their respective local circuits and the interconnect circuit of the carrier substrate.

[0009] By manufacturing electronics foil pieces with respective electronic components already formed on a local circuit, before placing this onto a carrier substrate, limitations of continuous processing may be alleviated. For example, the electronics foil pieces with components and local circuitry may be manufactured beforehand and / or in parallel with the manufacturing of more complete electronics devices. Accordingly, the electronics foil pieces may be quickly placed without substantially delaying the continuous processing. Furthermore, the use of separate electronics foil pieces, may allow different foil pieces to be formed using different manufacturing techniques and / or materials, even techniques and / or materials which may otherwise be incompatible with the final carrier substrate onto which they are placed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the apparatus, systems and methods of the present disclosure will become better understood from the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawing wherein:

[0011] FIGs 1A and IB illustrate connecting an electronics foil piece via top side connections of a local circuit;

[0012] FIGs 2A and 2B illustrate connecting an electronics foil piece via bottom side connections of a local circuit;

[0013] FIGs 3A and 3B illustrate connecting an electronics foil piece with an electronic component facing into the carrier substrate;

[0014] FIGs 4A and 4B illustrate an electronic component facing into the carrier substrate being electrically connected via the top side;

[0015] FIGs 5A and 5B illustrate connecting an electronics foil piece with electronic component and local circuits on both sides;

[0016] FIGs 6A and 6B illustrate adhering a further electronics foil piece to the carrier substrate;

[0017] FIGs 7 A - 7D illustrate manufacturing electronics foil pieces;

[0018] FIGs 8A and 8B illustrate supplying electronics foil pieces;

[0019] FIGs 9A - 90 illustrate various ways of transferring an electronics foil piece to a carrier substrate;

[0020] FIG 10A illustrates a supply reel with a plurality of electronics foil pieces;

[0021] FIGs 10B and IOC illustrate a respective top view of a continuous foil for forming different electronics foil pieces.

[0022] DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Terminology used for describing particular embodiments is not intended to be limiting to the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features. It will be further understood that when a particular step of a method is referred to as subsequent to another step, it can directly follow said other step or one or more intermediate steps may be carried out before carrying out the particular step, unless specified otherwise. Likewise it will be understood that when a connection between structures or components is described, this connection may be established directly or through intermediate structures or components unless specified otherwise.

[0024] The invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. In the drawings, the absolute and relative sizes of systems, components, layers, and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. Embodiments may be described with reference to schematic and / or crosssection illustrations of possibly idealized embodiments and intermediate structures of the invention. In the description and drawings, like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Relative terms as well as derivatives thereof should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as illustrated in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the system be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless stated otherwise.

[0025] FIGs 1 - 5 illustrate various methods of adhering a respective electronics foil piece 10 to a carrier substrate 51. FIGs 1A and IB illustrate connecting an electronics foil piece 10 via top side connections of a local circuit 12. FIGs 2 A and 2B illustrate connecting an electronics foil piece 10 via bottom side connections 12b of the local circuit 12. FIGs 3A and 3B illustrate connecting an electronics foil piece 10 with an electronic component 13 facing into the carrier substrate 51 with electrical connections 53 there between. FIGs 4A and 4B illustrate connecting an electronics foil piece 10 with an electronic component 13 facing into the carrier substrate 51 with electrical connections 54 from the other side of the foil piece. FIGs 5A and 5B illustrate connecting an electronics foil piece 10 with electronic component 13 and local circuits 12t,12b on both sides.

[0026] In some embodiments, the electronics foil piece 10 comprises a foil piece 11. In one embodiment, a local circuit 12 is arranged on the foil piece 11. In another or further embodiment, an electronic component 13 is electrically connected to the local circuit 12. In one embodiment, the electronics foil piece 10 is adhered to a carrier substrate 51. In another or further embodiment, the electronic component 13 is electrically connected to an interconnect circuit 52 arranged on the carrier substrate 51. Preferably, a least part of the electronic component 13 is electrically connected to the interconnect circuit 52 via the local circuit 12.

[0027] Preferably, the foil piece 11 is relatively flexible. For example, the flexible foil piece 11 (with or without the local circuit 12 and / or electronic component 13) is capable of bending without breaking and / or losing structural integrity. For example, the electronics foil piece 10, or at least the flexible foil piece 11, is capable of bending over a radius of curvature less than ten centimeter, less than five centimeter, or less than one centimeter, or even less than half a centimeter without any of its parts breaking and / or losing structural integrity. In some embodiments, the flexible foil piece 11 may be stretchable, e.g. capable of stretching along one or more dimension by at least a factor 1.01, a factor 1.05, 1.1, e.g. up to a factor 1.5, or more. In one embodiment, the foil piece 11 is relatively thin, e.g. having a thickness less than five millimeter, preferably less than one millimeter, more preferably less than half a millimeter, e.g. down to one hundred micrometer, or less. In another or further embodiment, the local circuit 12 may also be relatively flexible and / or formed comprising relatively small circuit lines, e.g. having a width and / or height less than two millimeter, preferably less than one millimeter, more preferably less than half a millimeter, e.g. between one and hundred micrometer, or less. In another or further embodiment, the electronic component 13 is relatively small, e.g. having a maximum cross-section dimension less than five millimeter, preferably less than two millimeter, e.g. down to one millimeter, or less. By keeping the electronic component(s) on a respective electronics foil piece 10 relatively small, the overall flexibility of the respective may be foil piece 10 may be relatively unaffected, even if the electronic component(s) are relatively rigid. The local circuit 12, e.g. electrical tracks, may be formed on the flexible foil piece 11 using various methods including printing and / or etching, preferably using flexible and / or bendable materials and / or structures. For example, electrical tracks forming at least part of the local circuit 12 may be printed using a conductive ink, which may remain relatively flexible after curing. In this way, the electronics foil piece 10 may be easily manufactured and / or processed using techniques such as roll-to-roll (R2R) and / or roll-to-sheet (R2S) processing. In some cases, printed tracks may be less favorable for soldering, while etching is more suited, e.g. along with electroless plating of the circuitry. In a preferred embodiment, a seed layer or structure is applied to the foil piece, e.g. by printing, wherein the seed layer or structure is subjected to chemical plating, e.g. auto-catalytic plating and / or electroless plating, for creating an electrically conductive local circuit. This may yield similarly solderable circuit structures as etching, but additive. This may be more sustainable and / or waste less material.

[0028] In some embodiments, the carrier substrate 51 and / or interconnect circuit 52 may be relatively flexible. For example, the carrier substrate 51 (with or without the interconnect circuit 52 and / or electronics foil piece 10) is capable of bending without breaking and / or losing structural integrity. For example, foil based electronic device 100, or at least the carrier substrate 51, is capable of bending over a radius of curvature less than ten centimeter, less than five centimeter, less than one centimeter, or even less than half a centimeter without any of its parts breaking and / or losing structural integrity. In a preferred embodiment, the carrier substrate 51 comprises a flexible foil, preferably a continuous flexible foil. The carrier substrate 51 may have the same or similar thickness as the flexible foil piece 11, or preferably higher thickness, e.g. at least one hundred micrometer, at least half a millimeter, at least one millimeter, up to five millimeter, or more. In this way, the carrier substrate 51, or the entire electronic device 100, may be easily manufactured and / or processed using techniques such as roll-to-roll (R2R) and / or roll-to-sheet (R2S) processing. In some embodiments, the carrier substrate 51 may also be stretchable, e.g. capable of stretching along one or more dimension by at least a factor 1.01, a factor 1.05, 1.1, e.g. up to a factor 1.5, or more.

[0029] In principle, the carrier substrate 51 may be formed of the same material as the flexible foil piece 11. However, it may be of benefit, at least for some embodiments, that the carrier substrate 51 is formed of a different material than the flexible foil piece 11. By using different materials, methods of applying the local circuit 12 and / or electronic component 13 onto the flexible foil piece 11 need not be limited by the material and / or other properties of the carrier substrate 51. For example, the one or more material of the flexible foil piece 11 and / or carrier substrate 51 may comprise polymer materials, preferably selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyimide (PI), polyamide (PA), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyether sulfone (PES), poly etherimide (PEI), polyarylate (PAR), polysulfone (PS), amorphous polyolefin (PO), polyamide-imide (PAI), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), modified polyphenylene ether (PPE), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polycarbonate (PC), and polyether ether ketone (PEEK). Also other materials can be used Preferably, the local circuit 12 is electrically connected to the interconnect circuit 52 by a respective set of electrical connections 53 there between. Typically, each local circuit 12 is connected to the interconnect circuit 52 by at least two electrical connections 53, e.g. having different polarities. Of course also more than two electrical connections may be formed, e.g. three, four, five, ten, or more. Typically, the electronic component 13 may be connected to one or more circuit lines or electrical tracks carrying power and / or electrical signals to, or from, the electronic component 13. For example, the electrical signals may include control signals, readout signals, or any other signals.

[0030] In some embodiments, e.g. as illustrated in FIG IB or 4B, the electrical connections 53 are formed by an electrically conductive material deposited at least partially on top of the electronics foil piece 10 for contacting a respective part of the local circuit 12, e.g. a respective terminal and / or contact pad of the local circuit 12. For example, the electrically conductive material may be deposited after placing the electronics foil piece 10 onto the carrier substrate 51. In other or further embodiments, the electrically conductive material is deposited at least partially on top of the carrier substrate 51 for contacting a respective part of the interconnect circuit 52, e.g. a respective terminal and / or contact pad of the interconnect circuit 52. In this way the electrically conductive material may form at least one bridging electrical connection 53 between a respective circuit lane of the local circuit 12 and a respective circuit lane of the interconnect circuit 52. For example, each of the electrical connections 53 may be printed, or otherwise deposited, on top of the electronics foil piece 10 and carrier substrate 51, extending between a respective circuit lane of the local circuit 12 and a respective circuit lane of the carrier substrate 51. In a preferred embodiment, an electrically conductive ink and / or paste is used to realize the connections. For example, the ink / paste may flex with the electronics foil and / or allow stretching, if necessary. In one embodiment, e.g. as illustrated in FIG IB, the electrical connections 53 are formed on the same side of the flexible foil piece 11 as the electronic component 13. e.g. both on the top side. In another or further embodiment, e.g. as illustrated in FIG 4B, the electrical connection 53 are formed on the opposite side of the flexible foil piece 11, e.g. with the electronic component 13 facing into the carrier substrate 51 and the electrical connections 53 on the top side.

[0031] In other or further embodiments, e.g. as illustrated in any of FIGs2B, 3B, and 5B, one or more electrical connections 53 are formed by an electrically conductive material between the electronics foil piece 10 and the carrier substrate 51, e.g. between a respective circuit lane, contact pad, or other terminal, of the local circuit 12 and a respective circuit lane, contact pad, or other terminal, of the interconnect circuit 52. For example, the electrically conductive material may be printed, or otherwise deposited, before placing the electronics foil piece 10 onto the carrier substrate 51; or the electrically conductive material may be part of the electronics foil piece 10, e.g. before it is placed onto the carrier substrate 51. In some embodiments (not shown), one or more electrical connections 53 can be formed by directly contacting a respective circuit lane, contact pad, or other terminal, of the local circuit 12 with a respective circuit lane, contact pad, or other terminal, of the interconnect circuit 52 when the electronics foil piece 10 is adhered to a carrier substrate 51, e.g. without requiring a separate electrically conductive material there between. Alternatively, or in addition, a respective contact pad may itself be formed of a conductive and / or adhesive material which may be solidified and / or cured after contacting.

[0032] In some embodiments, e.g. as illustrated in FIGs IB, 3B, and 4B the electronics foil piece 10 is at least partially adhered to the carrier substrate 51 by an adhesive material Ila there between. Of course, the adhesive material 1 la could also be included in any of the other embodiments, e.g. FIGs 2B and 5B. In one embodiment, the adhesive material Ila is a non-conductive adhesive. The adhesive may be formed of the same as a material forming the flexible foil piece 11 and / or carrier substrate 51, or a different material. In a preferred embodiment, e.g. as shown in FIG 4A the adhesive material Ila is applied to the carrier substrate 51 before applying the foil piece 11. Alternatively, or additionally adhesive material could be applied to the foil piece 11, and / or applied afterwards in between the foil piece 11 and carrier substrate 51. Alternatively, or in addition to adding adhesive material Ila, the flexible foil piece 11 may also be adhered by partially melting, heating, curing, or otherwise treating an interface of the flexible foil piece 11 and / or carrier substrate 51 to promote adhesion. Each of these options for applying adhesive material Ila and / or otherwise adhering the foil piece 11 to the carrier substrate 51 could be used for any of the embodiments described herein.

[0033] In some embodiments, e.g. as illustrated in any of FIGs 1 - 5, the electronics foil piece 10 is at least partially adhered to the carrier substrate 51 via an electrically conductive material. In one embodiment, e.g. as illustrated in FIG IB and 4B, one or more electrical connections 53 are formed by the conductive material being deposited over an edge of the electronics foil piece 10. For example, the conductive material may help to hold the electronics foil piece 10 in place alternatively, or (preferably) in addition to, the adhesive material Ila. In other or further embodiments, e.g. as illustrated in any of FIGs 2B, 3B, 5B, the electronics foil piece 10 is at least partially adhered to the carrier substrate 51 by conductive material forming one or more electrical connections 53 between the electronics foil piece 10 and the carrier substrate 51. For example, one or more, of the electrical connections 53 are formed by one or more of a solder material (e.g. a SAC solder, or preferably a low temperature solder), isotropic conductive adhesive (ICA), anisotropic conductive adhesive, et cetera. Also combinations of top side and bottom side electrical connections may be used. In a preferred embodiment, one or more of the (non-conductive and / or conductive) materials, used to adhere the electronics foil piece 10 to the carrier substrate 51, are reversibly adhesive. In other words, the adhesion strength may be at least partially negated and / or the adhesion may be released. For example, the adhesion of one or more foil pieces may be selectively and / or controllably released by one or more of irradiating or heating the electronic device and / or specific regions, e.g. corresponding to a selected electronics foil piece 10. Most preferably, a reversible non- conductive adhesive material is used, e.g. to form the adhesive material Ila as shown in FIG IB, 3B, 4B. In one embodiment, a reversible Diels-Alder reaction may be used to adhere the electronics foil piece 10 to the carrier substrate 51, and / or release the adhesion. Also other or further mechanisms may be used to release the adhesion. By allowing one or more electronics foil pieces to be released from the carrier substrate 51, the present methods and systems can be used to improve recyclability, reusability and repairability. For example, an electronic component 13 may be removed and / or replaced by releasing its electronics foil piece 10 from the carrier substrate 51.

[0034] In some embodiments, removing, replacing, and / or repairing of an electronic device 100 (as described herein) comprises determining a faulty electronic component, removing the respective electronics foil piece onto which the faulty electronic component is placed from the carrier substrate; and optionally replacing with another electronics foil piece including a new electronic component. Preferably, removing of the respective electronics foil piece comprises at least partially negating or releasing the adhesion, e.g. as described before. Most preferably, at least some of the reversible adhesive is reused for reattaching another electronics foil piece. It will be understood that the same or similar procedure of removing one or more electronics foil pieces from a carrier substrate 51 may be used for recycling (parts of) the electronic device 100. In a preferred embodiment, most, or even all, of the electronic components of an electronic device 100 are connected to the carrier substrate 51 using a respective electronics foil piece, most preferably using a reversible adhesive. In this way, the electronic components may be easily removed, replaced, and / or repaired.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, the electronic component 13 is a Surface Mounted Device (SMD), i.e. an electronic component or device designed for surface mount technology (SMT) assembly on a substrate, in this case a flexible foil piece. SMDs typically have leads or terminals that may be electrically connected to the surface of the substrate, typically on top of a set of electrical terminals or contact pads. Typically, SMDs do not have long lead wires or pins protruding from their bodies, making them well- suited for automated assembly processes like pick-and-place. SMDs may be connected to the substrate, e.g. flexible foil piece, in various ways, including, soldering (e.g. reflow soldering, wave soldering, or vapor phase soldering), curing (e.g. of a conductive adhesive), et cetera. In some embodiments, e.g. as shown e.g. as illustrated in any of FI s 1 - 5, an electrically conductive material 14, such as solder or conductive adhesive, is provided between a respective electrode of the electronic component 13 and a respective electrode of the local circuit 12. Typical SMDs may include passive components like resistors, inductors, diodes, and capacitors; active components like light emitting devices, acoustic devices, sensors, transistors, et cetera; or more complex devices like integrated circuits (ICs) and / or microcontrollers. SMDs typically have a relatively flat and / or compact design.

[0036] In some embodiments, one or more, or even all, of the electronics foil pieces, placed on a carrier substrate 51 have a single electronic component 13, e.g. SMD. In other or further embodiments (not shown), one or more of the electronics foil pieces, may each have two or more electronic components. For example, the electronics foil piece may form a local circuit having multiple SMDs. Together, the one or more electronic components on the same electronics foil piece 10 may form a single functional component. For example, a single electronics foil piece 10 may comprise a combination of one or more passive components, active components, and / or more complex devices, interconnected by the local circuit 12.

[0037] In some embodiments, e.g. as illustrated in FIGs 2, 4, 5, the electronics foil piece 10 comprises at least one electrical via connection 12v extending through the flexible foil piece 11. In one embodiment, e.g. as illustrated in FIGs 2A and 2B, the electronics foil piece 10 comprises a set of contact pads formed by a bottom part 12b of the local circuit 12 on a bottom side of the electronics foil piece 10, opposite the electronic component 13 which may be on a top side of the electronics foil piece 10. For example, the contact pads may be electrically connected to the electronic component 13 via the at least one electrical via connection 12v. In another or further embodiment, e.g. as illustrated in FIG 4B, the electrical connections 53 may be formed to directly contact the electrical via connection 12v. In another or further embodiment, e.g. as illustrated in FIGs 5A and 5B, the electronics foil piece 10 comprises a top side electronic component 13t on a top side of the adhesive material Ila, and a bottom side electronic component 13b on a bottom side of the flexible foil piece 11, opposite the top side. The top and bottom sides components 13t, 13b may be the same or different type; and also the top and bottom side circuits 12t, 12bmay be the same or different type. For example, the top side electronic component 13t is electrically connected to a top part 12t of the local circuit 12, and the bottom side electronic component 13b is electrically connected to a bottom part 12b of the local circuit 12. In one embodiment, the top part 12t of the local circuit 12, and the bottom part 12b of the local circuit 12 are interconnected, e.g. via the electrical via connection 12v. Also the top side electronic component 13t may be interconnected to the bottom side electronic component 13b via the electrical via connection 12v. It can also be envisaged that each of the top part 12t of the local circuit 12 and the bottom part 12b of the local circuit 12 are separately connected to the interconnect circuit 52. For example, the top part 12t of the local circuit 12 may be connected to a respective one or more electrodes of the carrier substrate 51 via an electrical via connection 12v, or via a top side electrical connections 53 as illustrated in FIG IB. In the latter case, the electrical via connection 12v may be omitted. In another or further embodiment, the bottom side electronic component 13b is connected to the top part of the local circuit by one or more vias, wherein the electrical connections 53 to the interconnect circuit 52 may be accomplished similarly as shown in FI s IB and 4B. In this case, all external connections may be realized from the top

[0038] In some embodiments, e.g. as illustrated in FIGs 2, 4, 5, the electronics foil piece 10 is adhered to the carrier substrate 51, with the (or at least one) electronic component 13 facing into the carrier substrate 51. In one embodiment, the (at least one) electronic component 13 facing into the carrier substrate 51 is at least partially disposed inside a hole 51h formed in the carrier substrate 51. For example, the hole 51h may formed fully through the carrier substrate 51 as shown, or the hole may be a blind hole (not fully through the carrier substrate 51. In some embodiments, one or more blind holes and / or through holes 5 Ih in the carrier substrate 51 are created by a laser beam, or by physical cutting, before applying the electronics foil piece 10. As will be appreciated, the hole 51h may be used to accommodate also a relatively tall (high) electronic component 13. In some embodiments (not shown), the electronic component 13 may even protrude through the hole 51h.

[0039] While the present embodiments illustrate the hole being formed into a material of the carrier substrate 51 itself, e.g. into a foil forming the carrier substrate 51, it can also be envisaged that a blind hole is formed by surrounding structures deposited onto the carrier substrate 51. It can also be envisaged to adhere the electronics foil piece 10 to the carrier substrate 51, with the (at least one) electronic component 13 facing into the carrier substrate 51, without requiring a hole. For example, the electronic component 13 may be relatively thin and / or the surrounding parts of the flexible foil piece 11 may be folded down onto the interconnect circuit 52.

[0040] With or without the hole 51h, the flexible foil piece 11 and the carrier substrate 51 may form a pocket shielding the electronic component 13 there between. Especially with the electronic component 13 disposed at least partially inside the hole 51h, but also using only a pocket, the carrier substrate 51 may be more easily handled, e.g. in a R2R, R2S, or sheet-to- sheet process. Furthermore, a fully submerged component (inside the hole) may enable a seamless re-winding of the foil after R2R processing, as there is no local height differences. This may also protects the component during the re-winding process, which typically exerts local compressive stresses due to the need for tight winding. In another or further embodiment, an encapsulating layer or material is printed or otherwise deposited to cover the component inside the hole. For example, at least a surround space of the hole around the electronic component 13 may be filled. This may provide mechanical stability and / or additional functionality such as heat transfer, light diffusion, moisture protection, et cetera.

[0041] Another or further advantage of the electronic component 13 facing into the carrier substrate 51 may be, that the electronic component 13 can fulfil a function on the other side of the carrier substrate 51. In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 has a front side and a backside. For example, the front side of the electronic device 100 is intended to be shown to a user. For example, the front side of the electronic device 100 forms a display and / or user interface. The backside may be facing away and / or hidden from the user. In a preferred embodiment, one or more, or even all, of the electronics foil pieces is / are arranged on a side of the carrier substrate 51 which forms the backside of the electronic device 100 to be manufactured. In this way the electronic electronics foil piece(s) may be invisible to the user. Also some, or all of the interconnect circuit 52 may be arranged on the backside of the carrier substrate 51. Alternatively, at least some of the electronics foil piece(s) and / or interconnect circuit 52 may be arranged on what will be the front side of the electronic device 100, optionally covered by further layers and / or foils.

[0042] In the present figures, the electronics foil piece 10 is shown to be deposited from the top side onto the carrier substrate 51, which may be preferred. For example, the top side of the carrier substrate 51 as shown, may form the backside of the electronic device 100. In one embodiment, the electronic component 13 comprises a light emitting device configured to shine through the hole 51h and / or through a (transparent) part of the carrier substrate 51 and / or through a transparent material deposited in the hole 51h after placing the electronic component 13. For example, the one or more light sources may be visible from the front side of the electronic device 100. In another or further embodiment, the electronic component 13 comprises a transducer, or other sensor, configured to operate on the other side of the carrier substrate 51, e.g. the front side of the electronic device 100. Also other or further electronic components can be envisaged.

[0043] Typically, an electronics foil piece 10 with at least one component facing into the carrier substrate 51 has at least a (bottom) part of the local circuit 12 also facing into the carrier substrate 51. In some embodiments, e.g. as shown in FIGs 3B and 5B, a set of electrical connections 53 is formed between the local circuit 12 (on a bottom side of the flexible foil piece 11 facing into the carrier substrate 51) and the interconnect circuit 52 on the carrier substrate 51. In other or further embodiments (not shown), a set of electrical connections 53 can also formed on a top side of the flexible foil piece 11 (facing away from the carrier substrate 51). In one embodiment, the electronics foil piece 10 has top side electronic component 13t, e.g. as shown in FIG 5B, which may be connected on the top side, similarly as illustrated embodiment in FIG IB. In another or further embodiment, e.g. as illustrated in FIG 4B, the electronics foil piece 10 has one or more electrical via connections 12v extending through the flexible foil piece 11. These may allow connecting an electronic component 13 facing into the carrier substrate 51 with electrical connections connecting to a top part of the local circuit 12 (on a top side of the flexible foil piece 11 facing away from carrier substrate 51). So, it will be understood that many variations and combination of aspects of the presently disclosed embodiments may be envisaged.

[0044] Aspects of the disclosure may also be embodied as an electronic device 100 manufactured according to the methods described herein. In some embodiments, electronic device 100 comprises an electronics foil piece 10 adhered to a carrier substrate 51. The electronics foil piece 10 comprises a foil piece 11, a local circuit 12 arranged on the foil piece 11, and an electronic component 13, electrically connected to the local circuit 12. The electronic component 13 is electrically connected, via the local circuit 12, to an interconnect circuit 52 arranged on the carrier substrate 51.

[0045] FIGs 6A and 6B illustrate adhering a further electronics foil piece 20 to the carrier substrate 51. In some embodiments, the electronics foil piece 10 as described herein is one of a plurality of foil pieces adhered to the same carrier substrate. In one embodiment, a first electronics foil piece 10 comprises a first foil piece 11, a first local circuit 12 arranged on the first foil piece 11, and a first electronic component 13, electrically connected to the first local circuit 12. In another or further embodiment, a second electronics foil piece 20 (separate from the first electronics foil piece 10) comprises a second foil piece 21, a second local circuit 22 arranged on the second foil piece 21, and a second electrical and / or electronic component 23, electrically connected to the second local circuit 22. Preferably, the first and second foil pieces 11,21 are both flexible foil pieces, as described before.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first electronics foil piece 10 and the second electronics foil piece 20 are both adhered to the same carrier substrate 51. In one embodiment, the second electronic component 23 is electrically connected to the interconnect circuit 51 via the second local circuit 22. In another or further embodiment, the second electronic component 23 is electrically connected to the electronic component 13 of the first electronics foil piece 10 via the interconnect circuit 51. While the present figures illustrate a first electronics foil piece 10 and a second electronics foil piece 20 being connected to a carrier substrate 51, e.g. similar as the embodiment of FIGs 1A and IB, it will be understood that the methods of interconnecting different foil pieces via a carrier substrate 51, as described herein, may be used for any of the electronics foil pieces as described herein. For example, either one or both of the first electronics foil piece 10 and second electronics foil piece 20 may be an electronics foil piece as illustrated in any of FIGs 1 - 5.

[0047] In general, it will be appreciated that the first electronics foil piece 10 and the second electronics foil piece 20, as described herein, may be the same type of electronics foil piece, or a different type of electronics foil piece. Of course also more than two electronics foil pieces 10,20 may be connected to the same carrier substrate 51. So, some of the electronics foil pieces may be the same type, and some may be different types. In principle, any combination of the same and / or different components, techniques and / or materials may be used to form each of the respective flexible foil pieces 11,21, carrier substrate 51, local circuits 12,22, the interconnect circuit 52, and / or electronic components 13,23. As will be appreciated, the possibility of using different materials and techniques can alleviate many restrictions compared to conventional processing on a single substrate.

[0048] In some embodiments, the different electronics foil pieces 10,20 have different electronic components 13,23. For example, the different electronic components 13,23 may have one or more of a different function, type, size, and / or shape. Alternatively, or in addition, the different electronics foil pieces 10,20, may have a different number of electronic components. In other or further embodiments, the different electronics foil pieces 10,20 have different local circuits 12,22. For example, the different local circuits 12,22 may have a different layout (including possible variations of top and / or bottom side layouts), be formed of different materials, and / or be formed using different techniques. For example, one local circuit may be formed by printing, and another local circuit may be formed by etching. It may also be envisaged that both local circuits 12,22 are formed using a technique and / or material that is mutually the same, but different from that of the interconnect circuit 52; or one of the local circuits may use the same technique and / or material as the interconnect circuit 52; and the other local circuit may use a different technique and / or material .

[0049] In other or further embodiments, the different electronics foil pieces 10,20 have different flexible foil pieces 11,21. For example, the different flexible foil pieces 11,21 may have a different size, thickness, and / or shape. Alternatively, or in addition, the different flexible foil pieces 11,21 may be formed of mutually different materials, and / or one or more of the electronics foil pieces 10,20 may be formed of a different materials than the carrier substrate 51. It can also be envisaged that one of the foil pieces is more rigid or flexible than the other.

[0050] In some embodiments (not shown), the carrier substrate 51 has a first interconnect circuit on a first side of the carrier substrate 51; and a second interconnect circuit on a second side of the carrier substrate 51, opposite the first side. For example, first electronics foil piece 10 may be adhered to the first side of the carrier substrate 51 and the second electronics foil piece 20 may be adhered to the second side of the carrier substrate 51. In principle, first electronics foil piece 10 may be of a different type and / or be adhered in a different way than the second electronics foil piece 20, e.g. any combination selected from the foil pieces as illustrated in FIGs 1 - 5, or otherwise. For example, first electronics foil piece 10 may be one of the embodiments of FIGs 1 or 2; and the second electronics foil piece 20 may be one of the embodiments of FIGs 3, 4, or 5, wherein one or more electronic components on the first side of the carrier substrate 51 are facing away from the carrier substrate 51, and one or more electronic components on the second side of the carrier substrate 51 are facing into and / or through the carrier substrate 51.

[0051] In some embodiments (not shown), at least one electrical via connection is formed through the carrier substrate 51 for electrically connecting the first and second interconnect circuits. In other or further embodiments, an electrical interconnection is formed through an electronic component 13 facing into the carrier substrate 51 and / or a hole 51h through the carrier substrate 51, e.g. as shown in FIGs 3, 4, and 5. For example, the electronic component 13 may comprise electrical connections on both its top and bottom sides. Alternatively, the first and second interconnect circuits may be independent, e.g. without electrical interconnection through the carrier substrate 51. Also combinations may be envisaged, wherein some parts on opposite sides of the carrier substrate 51 may be interconnected, and other parts may be independent.

[0052] FIGs 7 A - 7D illustrate a method of manufacturing electronics foil pieces 10. For example, the electronics foil pieces 10 may be manufactured prior to adhering a respective electronics foil piece 10 to the carrier substrate 51, as described before.

[0053] In some embodiments, e.g. as illustrated in FIG 7 A, electronics foil piece(s) 10 is / are manufactured by a process comprising providing (P) a continuous foil 11c with a set of circuit parts 12p. In other or further embodiments, e.g. as illustrated in FIG 7B, the process comprises mounting (M) a set of electronic components 13 onto the continuous flexible foil 11c. As illustrated, e.g., in FIG 7C, each electronic component 13 may be electrically connected to a respective local circuit 12 formed by a respective subset of the set of circuit parts 12p. In other or further embodiments, e.g. as illustrated in FIG 7D, the process comprises cutting (C) the continuous foil 11c into a plurality of electronics foil pieces 10, each electronics foil piece 10 comprising a flexible foil piece 11, a local circuit 12 arranged on the flexible foil piece 11, and an electronic component 13, electrically connected to the local circuit 12.

[0054] Methods for providing (P) the set of circuit parts 12p onto the continuous foil 11c may include printing or other deposition, etching, electroless plating, transfer (e.g. LIFT), et cetera, of electrical tracks and / or other parts. Besides electrical tracks, the circuit parts 12p may also include passive electrical components and / or structures that can be printed, deposited, etched, or transferred. Method for mounting M the set of electronic components 13, e.g. SMDs, onto the continuous flexible foil 11c, may include pick and place, LIFT, et cetera. Method for mounting a set of electronic components 13, e.g. SMDs, onto the continuous flexible foil 11c may include, soldering (e.g. reflow soldering, wave soldering, or vapor phase soldering), curing (e.g. of a conductive adhesive), et cetera. For example, an electrically conductive material 14, such as solder or conductive adhesive, may be provided between respective circuit parts 12p and electronic components 13, e.g. by depositing S the electrically conductive material 14 on top of the circuit parts 12p (as shown in FIG 7B), or providing the electrically conductive material 14 below the electronic component 13 (not shown). After the electronic component 13 is mounted, the electrically conductive material 14 may be cured and / or hardened to form both an electrical and adhesive connection; and / or a separate adhesive connection may be formed. It can also be envisaged to add an underfill and / or globtopping for further securing the electronic component 13 to the continuous foil 11c and / or flexible foil piece 11. Methods for cutting C the continuous foil 11c into a plurality of electronics foil pieces 10, may include laser cutting, physical cutting, et cetera. FIGs 8A and 8B illustrate how electronics foil pieces 10 may be supplied from a supply foil 10s, in accordance with some embodiments. In one embodiment, e.g. as shown, a plurality of electronics foil pieces 10 is provided pre-cut onto a continuous supply foil 10s. For example, the plurality of electronics foil pieces 10 as manufactured according to FIG 7D are arranged onto the supply foil 10s before or after cutting. In another or further embodiment (not shown), the continuous foil 11c as illustrated in FIG 7C is provided onto the supply foil 10s. For example, the continuous foil 11c may be cut each time a next electronics foil piece 10 is needed for adhering to the carrier substrate 51. It can also be envisaged that the supply foil 10s is omitted, e.g. wherein the electronics foil pieces 10 are provided in the form of the continuous foil 11c, which is cut into pieces each time a next electronics foil piece 10 is needed for adhering to the carrier substrate 51. It can also be envisaged that the continuous foil 11c is partially pre-cut during manufacturing, so that the electronics foil pieces 10 can be easily torn from the continuous foil 11c without requiring further cutting equipment. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of electronics foil pieces 10, as used herein, is supplied from a roll of foil pieces. For example, a roll of foil pieces may be manufactured by gathering the supply foil 10s and / or continuous foil 11c onto a roll.

[0055] FIGs 9A - 9C illustrate various ways of transferring an electronics foil piece 10 to a carrier substrate 51. In some embodiments, the electronics foil piece 10 is placed onto the carrier substrate 51 while the carrier substrate 51 is stationary. For example, in a R2R, R2S, or S2S process, movement of a least a part the carrier substrate 51 may be temporarily halted, e.g. on top of a vacuum table. For example, one or more buffer stations can be arranged in a path of a continuous foil based carrier substrate 51 to locally halt or slow down the movement of the carrier substrate 51 while one or more electronics foil pieces 10 are placed. In one embodiment, e.g. as shown in FIG 9A, the carrier substrate 51 is held stationary by a vacuum table (Vac), e.g. to allow more controlled placement. In another or further embodiment (not shown), the supply foil 10s is held stationary by a vacuum table, e.g. to allow more controlled pickup. The vacuum table (V ac) shown in FIG 9A below the carrier substrate 51 can be similarly applied below the embodiment of FIG 9B, or even FIG 90 (e.g. the vacuum is sufficient to maintain the vacuum despite the hole, or the carrier substrate is held at one or more positions adjacent the hole). A vacuum table or other holding means may also be used in the manufacturing of electronics foil pieces 10 as shown in FIGs 7 A - 7D. Alternatively to halting the movement of the supply foil 10s and / or carrier substrate 51, one or more electronics foil piece 10 may also be supplied while one or both of the supply foil 10s and the carrier substrate 51 are moving.

[0056] In some embodiments, e.g. as shown in FIG 9A, the electronics foil piece 10 is transferred to the carrier substrate 51 by a pick and place apparatus PnP. For example, the electronics foil piece 10 is picked up by physically grabbing the electronics foil piece 10 and / or picked up by a vacuum suction tool configured to temporarily adhere the electronics foil piece 10, by suction, to the tool. In one embodiment, the electronics foil piece 10 is picked from the supply foil 10s and placed on the carrier substrate 51. For example, the carrier substrate 51 may be held stationary, or slowed down, while the electronics foil piece 10 is placed; or the pick and place apparatus PnP is configured to place the electronics foil piece 10 while the carrier substrate 51 is moving.

[0057] In some embodiments, e.g. as shown in FIG 9B, the electronics foil piece 10 is transferred by laminating the electronics foil piece 10 onto the carrier substrate 51. For example, a respective electronics foil piece 10 carried by a respective part the supply foil 10s is brought in contact with the carrier substrate 51. In some embodiments, the supply foil 10s and carrier substrate 51 may be moving in the same direction and / or velocity, at least while a respective electronics foil piece 10 is transferred. For example, a respective electronics foil piece 10 on the supply foil 10s may be brought temporarily in contact with the carrier substrate 51, while both are moving in the same direction. The contact may be released and the movement of the supply foil 10s halted while parts of the carrier substrate 51 which do not require an electronics foil piece 10 continue to move underneath. The supply foil 10s may also move according to a reciprocating motion, back and forth with or against the direction of the continuously moving carrier substrate 51.

[0058] In other or further embodiments, e.g. as shown in FIG 9B, the electronics foil piece 10 is cut and / or torn from a continuous foil 11c. For example, the electronics foil piece 10 is cut by a laser or physical cutting means, e.g. knife. Alternatively, or additionally, the continuous foil 11c may be at least partially pre-cut. In one embodiment, the continuous foil 11c is brought into proximity with the carrier substrate 51 before the electronics foil piece 10 is cut and / or torn. In some embodiments, a set of rollers (not shown) is configured to bring the continuous foil 11c and / or supply foil 10s in proximity and / or contact with the carrier substrate 51. In other or further embodiments, a pushing tool (not shown) may be used to push together a respective part of the continuous foil 11c and / or supply foil 10s with the carrier substrate 51 such that the respective electronics foil piece 10 contacts the carrier substrate 51.

[0059] In some embodiments, e.g. as shown in FIG 9C, the electronics foil piece 10 is transferred to the carrier substrate 51 by contactless transfer, e.g. light induced forward transfer (LIFT). In one embodiment, a beam of light L is directed onto a supply foil 10s, e.g. a part of the supply foil 10s holding a respective electronics foil piece 10 which may be aligned with a destination location on the carrier substrate 51 there below. The light L may be absorbed by the part of the supply foil 10s, and / or by the flexible foil piece of the respective electronics foil piece 10, and / or by an adhesive layer there between (not shown). In one embodiment, the supply foil 10s is transparent, allowing most the light beam L to be absorbed in the respective electronics foil piece 10, preferably in the an adhesive layer there between. The absorbed light may causes a localized heating and / or disintegration of the supply foil 10s, the flexible foil piece 11, and / or adhesive layer there between. In this way the light beam L may cause a respective electronics foil piece 10 to be released from the supply foil 10s and / or transferred to the carrier substrate 51.

[0060] In some embodiments, the carrier substrate 51 comprises at least one alignment structure configured to facilitate alignment of a respective electronics foil piece 10 onto the carrier substrate 51, e.g. with respect to the interconnect circuit 52. In one embodiment, e.g. as illustrated in FIG 9C, the carrier substrate 51 comprises a hole 5 Ih into which an electronic component 13 of a respective electronics foil piece 10 may be at least partially accommodated. In other words, the electronic component 13 may fit into the hole 51h. Preferably, the hole 51h has a diameter, which is larger than a diameter of the top side electronic component 13t, e.g. larger by a factor between 1.01 and 1.5, preferably between 1.1 and 1.3. In this way the electronic component 13 may on the one hand be easily fitted inside the hole 5 Ih and on the other side provide sufficient alignment of the electronics foil piece 10. Also other or further alignment structures may be used, alternative or in addition to the electronic component 13. In one embodiment (not shown), at least one protrusion is provided on one of the electronics foil piece 10 or carrier substrate 51 and a corresponding at least one indentation or hole on the other of the electronics foil piece 10 or carrier substrate 51. The protrusion may fit into the corresponding indentation or hole for mutually aligning the electronics foil piece 10 with respect to the carrier substrate 51. Preferably, each electronics foil piece 10 comprises at least two separate alignment structures, or an elongated alignment structure, so that also a rotation of the electronics foil piece 10 with respect to the carrier substrate 51 may be aligned. As will be appreciated, the provision of alignment structures may be especially beneficial for aligning an electronics foil piece 10 which is contactlessly transferred to the carrier substrate 51. Also the other methods of transfer, e.g. pick and place, may benefit from easy alignment.

[0061] Also other or further combinations and variations of the embodiments, as shown, can be envisaged. For example, cutting of the continuous foil 11c may also occur while the continuous foil 11c is already on a supply foil 10s, e.g. just prior to the placement, or before. For example, light induced transfer, e.g. as shown in FIG 9C, may also be used to transfer an electronics foil piece 10 with an electronic component on the top side (facing away from the carrier substrate 51). For example, the electronics foil piece 10 may be held to the supply foil 10s via the electronic component, or by adjacent parts of the flexible foil piece (e.g. similar as shown in FIG 9B). Light induced transfer can also be used in combination with the embodiment of FIG 9C. For example, light may induce a respective electronics foil piece 10 to be released from the supply foil 10s while it contacts the carrier substrate 51.

[0062] FIG 10A illustrates a roll lOr comprising a supply foil 10s with a plurality of electronics foil pieces 10. FIGs 10B and 10C illustrate a respective top view of a continuous foil 11c for forming different electronics foil pieces 10a, 10b, 10c. In one embodiment, e.g. as illustrated in FIG 10A, the electronics foil pieces as described herein, are retrieved from a roll (or reel) with a plurality of the same electronics foil pieces 10. In another or further embodiment, e.g. as shown in FIG 10B, a supply foil 10s and / or continuous foil 11c may be used comprising or forming different electronics foil pieces 10a, 10b, 10c. In another or further embodiment, e.g. as illustrated in FIG 10C, the same or different electronics foil pieces 10a, 10b, 10c may be manufactured on one continuous foil 11c, which may be cut into different strokes to form respective rolls of foil pieces. It can also be envisaged that a roll comprised multiple rows of foil pieces which may be all the same or different.

[0063] In some embodiments, (not shown) a set of multiple foil pieces, housed on one roll, are used together to form a combined circuit of an electronic device. For example, the multiple foil pieces may house different electronic components which may be placed onto a carrier substrate 51 according to a specific arrangement. An arrangement of the multiple foil pieces on the carrier substrate 51 may have a specific and / or predetermined spatial relation with respect to their arrangement on the supply foil 10s. In this way, the foil pieces may be easily placed according to the known relative arrangement.

[0064] In interpreting the appended claims, it should be understood that the word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or acts than those listed in a given claim; the word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements; any reference signs in the claims do not limit their scope; several "means" may be represented by the same or different item(s) or implemented structure or function; any of the disclosed devices or portions thereof may be combined together or separated into further portions unless specifically stated otherwise. Where one claim refers to another claim, this may indicate synergetic advantage achieved by the combination of their respective features. But the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot also be used to advantage. The present embodiments may thus include all working combinations of the claims wherein each claim can in principle refer to any preceding claim unless clearly excluded by context.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method of manufacturing an electronic device (100), the method comprising providing an electronics foil piece (10) comprising a flexible foil piece (11), a local circuit (12) arranged on the flexible foil piece (11), and an electronic component (13), electrically connected to the local circuit (12); and adhering the electronics foil piece (10) to a carrier substrate (51), wherein the electronic component (13) is electrically connected, via the local circuit (12), to an interconnect circuit (52) arranged on the carrier substrate (51).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronics foil piece (10) is a first electronics foil piece, the method further comprising providing a second electronics foil piece (20) comprising a second flexible foil piece (21), a second local circuit (22) arranged on the second flexible foil piece (21), and a second electronic component (23), electrically connected to the second local circuit (22); and adhering the second electronics foil piece (20) to the carrier substrate (51), wherein the second electronic component (23) is electrically connected to the interconnect circuit (51) via the second local circuit (22), and electrically connected to the electronic component (13) of the first electronics foil piece (10) via the interconnect circuit (51).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second flexible foil piece (21) is formed of a different material than the flexible foil piece (11) of the first electronics foil piece (10).

4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier substrate (51) is formed of a different material than the flexible foil piece (11).

5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electronics foil piece (10), or at least the flexible foil piece (11), is capable of bending over a radius of curvature less than ten centimeter without breaking and / or losing structural integrity.

6. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier substrate (51) comprises a continuous flexible foil; and the electronic device (100) is manufactured in a roll-to-roll or roll-to-sheet process.

7. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the flexible foil piece (11) is adhered with its bottom side to the carrier substrate (51), wherein at least part of the local circuit (12) is arranged on a top side of the flexible foil piece (11), opposite the bottom side, wherein the local circuit (12) is electrically connected to the interconnect circuit (52) by a respective set of electrical connections (53) there between, wherein the electrical connections (53) are formed by an electrically conductive material deposited at least partially on the top side of the electronics foil piece (10) and at least partially on top of the carrier substrate (51).

8. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electronics foil piece (10) is adhered to the carrier substrate (51) by a non- conductive adhesive material (Ila) there between,9. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electronics foil piece (10) is adhered to the carrier substrate (51) by a reversible adhesive material for controllably releasing the electronics foilpiece (10) with the electronic component (13) from the carrier substrate (51) in a repair or recycling process.

10. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic component (13) is a Surface Mounted Device (SMD) electrically connected by soldering and / or conductive adhesive on top of the local circuit (12).

11. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electronics foil piece (10) comprises at least one electrical via connection (12v) extending through the flexible foil piece (11).

12. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electronics foil piece (10) is adhered to the carrier substrate (51), with at least one electronic component (13) facing into the carrier substrate (51), wherein the at least one electronic component (13) facing into the carrier substrate (51) is at least partially disposed inside a hole (15h) formed in the carrier substrate (51).

13. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electronics foil piece (10) is manufactured by a process comprising providing (P) a continuous foil (11c) with a set of circuit parts (12p); mounting (M) a set of electronic components (13) onto the continuous flexible foil (11c), wherein each electronic component (13) is electrically connected to a respective local circuit (12) formed by a respective subset of the set of circuit parts (12p); and cutting (C) the continuous foil (11c) into a plurality of electronics foil pieces (10), each electronics foil piece (10) comprising a flexible foil piece (11), a local circuit (12) arranged on the flexible foil piece (11),and an electronic component (13), electrically connected to the local circuit (12).

14. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electronics foil piece (10) is transferred to the carrier substrate (51) from continuous supply foil (10s) comprising plurality of electronics foil pieces.

15. An electronic device (100) comprising at least one electronics foil piece (10) adhered to a carrier substrate (51), wherein the electronics foil piece (10) comprises a flexible foil piece (11), a local circuit (12) arranged on the flexible foil piece (11), and an electronic component (13), electrically connected to the local circuit (12), wherein the electronic component (13) is electrically connected, via the local circuit (12), to an interconnect circuit (52) arranged on the carrier substrate (51).

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