Flexible Printed Circuit Board
More and more attention is being paid to the flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), which is a key electronic component for flexible smartphones and wearable computers.
An FPCB differs from existing PCBs in that it maintains durability even after repeated folding, and allows a three-dimensional wiring structure to be made. As such, it is essential in manufacturing wearable and flexible devices.
According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the number of FPCB-related patents applied for between 2009 and 2013 amounted to 383, divided into 60 in 2009, 55 in 2010, 72 in 2011, 86 in 2012, and 110 in 2013.
In particular, the number of applications of FPCB patents related to forming a circuit pattern by ejecting electrically-conductive ink significantly increased to 20 in 2013 alone. The number had remained at 26 during the four previous years.