Polymerelectronics: Next generation of production method

The overview of the IP describes the second production generation of polymer electronics. With this technology, it is possible to generate very small structures of conductive polymer as a basis for organic electronics with high performance, which is necessary for RFID-tags, e-paper, displays and low-cost-electronics.

Organization: IP BEWERTUNGS AG
Inventor: E. Becker, IP BEWERTUNGS AG
Primary Market: Electronics
Technology Contact: Ghesal Fahimi, IP BEWERTUNGS AG

IP Summary Courtesy of IP BEWERTUNGS AG

The state of the art technologies to produce polymer electronic are photolithographic technologies for high performance of the electronic. Since this technique is very slow and expensive, it is not suitable to produce "low-cost" electronic like RFID-tags, washable electronic in clothes, e-paper and flexible displays. Another method is the direct printing technology. This technique is not usable for electronics, because the performance of the produced electronic is too weak to utilise due to the poor resolution of the structures. Furthermore, this printing technique produces very rough surfaces, so that it is very hard to realise the further process steps. Due to the need to formulate printing ink from the conductive polymers and the limited layer thickness, the conductivity of such polymerelectronical structures are very poor.

Our IP is able to close these gaps, because this method has a high resolution and the process is very fast and cost-effective. Moreover, this technology can be integrated in a continuous process like a roll-to-roll production line. Additionally, this technique realises planar surfaces in the range of nanometres. Due to the fact that the conductive polymer has not been formulated as printing ink and that the layer thickness can be very thick, the conductivity of such structures is very high.

With these advantages the production of polymerelectronic can be made possible or revolutionised respectively. There is a wide range of interested companies. Starting from the chemical industry, which wants to sell the necessary chemicals and deliver the production technology, followed by the manufacturer of RFID-labels and the companies who deliver the Si-chips today. Display manufacturers can also use the technology as well as all players in the field of (very-)low-cost-electronics.

After the R&D project has been completed, a prototype of a production machine will be available. On the basis of this machine a production line can be designed. The future of this IP should be in a licensing or sale model to companies that are active in these application fields.

↑ Back to TechConnect News™

Annual Meeting

TechConnect World 2015