The fabrication of substrates and superstrates prepared by scalable roll-to-roll methods is reviewed. The substrates and superstrates that act as the flexible carrier for the processing of functional organic electronic devices are an essential component, and proposals are made about how the general availability of various forms of these materials is needed to accelerate the development of the field of organic electronics. The initial development of the replacement of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) for the flexible carrier materials is described and a description of how roll-to-roll processing development led to simplification from an initially complex make-up to higher performing materials through a more simple process is also presented. This process intensification through process simplification is viewed as a central strategy for upscaling, increasing throughput, performance, and cost reduction.
Keywords: ITO‐free materials; flexible materials; organic solar cells; printed electronics; substrates; superstrates.