livMatS Colloquium | Prof. Niko Münzenrieder (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano) | Sustainable Flexible Electronics using Unconventional Materials

Abstract
Establishing seamless connections between the physical and digital worlds is essential for the development of smart societies, enabling circular industrial processes, and advancing personalized healthcare. Achieving this vision requires the integration of unobtrusive, autonomous sensor systems into both the environment and the human body. However, traditional bulky and rigid electronics are ill-suited for such applications, highlighting the need for lightweight, biocompatible, and adaptable alternatives. This talk explores the use of unconventional materials, particularly metal oxides, organic compounds, and natural resources to develop flexible electronics with distinctive electrical and mechanical properties. A central focus is on thin-film technologies and low-temperature Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide transistors, directly fabricated on flexible substrates. These devices exhibit excellent performance, remain functional when bent, and can be used to realize analog sensor conditioning circuits. Finally, the integration of thin-film electronics and sensors into everyday objects underscores their potential to enable environmentally sustainable, imperceptible, and wearable systems.

Short bio
Niko Münzenrieder received a diploma in physics from TU Munich and a PhD in electrical engineering, from ETH Zurich. In 2015 he joined the Sensor Technology Research Centre at the University of Sussex as a Lecturer, later becoming a Senior Lecturer. In 2019, he was appointed Associate Professor of Physics at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, where he leads the Flexible Electronics Laboratory. Since 2025 he has been a professor of electronics at the same university.