Printed Electronics (I): First of all start from the book and lighting products.
Yinshua Electronics (Printed Electronics) "refers to the use of print technology to manufacture low-cost technology products. The product of the terminal from the e-books and organic EL lighting began in these two areas. Printing Electronics will be strong to create a unique product a powerful tool.
"Thin,glue stick light weight, resistance to fracture." Manufacturers to use printing technology features low-cost manufacturing of electronic products have these movements one after another.
Earlier in the conceptual phase of the printable electronics, has begun to extend to the display and photo products such as the actual product.glue gun Printable electronics is gradually turning into printed electronics.
U.S. Plastic Logic e-book market in early 2010, the terminal "QUE" is a typical case. QUE in the United States with E Ink's electronic paper company, although the size of 13.9 inches (8.5 × 11 inches), but the terminal thickness of less than 1 / 3 inch (about 8.5mm). At first glance, like a sheet of paper sizes (Letter Size) of the thick paper. QUE weight lighter than a magazine, and not easily broken, so it is suitable for busy business people to carry it into the bag in Note 1.)
Note 1) QUE via Wi-Fi or AT & T's 3G wireless communication function to download content.
The key is to achieve these characteristics in the plastic chassis manufactured by printing organic transistor technology (TFT) technology. As a glass substrate can be made without using electronic paper drive circuit, so you can achieve thin, light weight, resistance to fracture of the e-book terminal. In the future, it is possible to change most of the TFT manufacturing process technology from the printing, thus significantly reducing manufacturing costs. Previously have had organic TFT drive electronic paper prototype examples, but the actual product used is almost no precedent.
GE (General Electric, GE) will be launched in 2010 to 2011 roll to roll manufacturing process using the flexible organic EL lighting products. GE Global Research Center, the company's system of advanced electronic materials technology officer Anil R. Duggal said confidently, "Organic EL lighting to achieve the most critical factor is the popularity of low cost. In addition to using roll to roll manufacturing process, other methods are unlikely to reduce costs. " The company has successfully produced the test products, is addressing topics such as life extension.
Sony is committed to using the printing technology to produce flexible organic EL panel business. The company in June 2009 to change the organizational structure, will be distributed after the organic TFT in-house researchers pooled together to establish a flexible organic EL panel as soon as possible the business system. If you can achieve thin, light, flexible displays, "will be a fundamental change had already finalized the product design" (Sony core components of development based display components development department Flexible Display Development Commission, including ministers, chief research officer Nomoto and positive).
The use of printing technology in plastic bottom to form TFT, wiring, components, and by the light emitting device technology, known as the printed electronics. Previously, printed electronics technology is not yet out of the "expected" stage, so many are called printable electronics (Printable Electronics). Has recently been used in the actual product, so "like the floor is called the printing of printed circuit (Printed Circuit), as more and more technical staff to call it the printed electronics (Printed Electronics)".
Printed Electronics (II): the production of products not manufactured competitors.
Printed electronics is rapidly towards the practical reason is the urgent desire finished , that "I hope to produce other products that competitors can not achieve."
Who has now entered the LCD TV can easily create a digital home appliances such as age. The best example is the sale of low-cost LCD TVs of the U.S. VIZIO. The company uses the equipment entrusted to the level of large-scale manufacturers division of EMS business model to achieve the price destruction. In this case, many products Changshang forced into low-price competition, can not play their own unique advantages.
This situation may be printed electronics changed. Printing process by the use of materials and processing methods contains a lot of technical know-how, not any vendor can easily manufactured. Therefore, is expected to build a vertically integrated business system that is the core component of their production by manufacturers to create products with a difference. Can say that the reason why Sony is committed to developing the organic TFT were driven through the flexible organic EL displays, but also to achieve product differentiation.
An endless stream of new ideas.
In fact, the large product vendors have made a number of the printing technology is the prerequisite for innovative ideas (Figure 2). For example, Sony made through printing technology to manufacture a flexible display, folded into the concept of two laptop computers for use. In addition to bending the screen as a display after the half, the other half as the touch panel keyboard, but also envisaged to expand and became a big screen. In order to achieve this product, Sony is stepping up development of the organic TFT were driven by the flexible organic EL panel.
The way in continuous time ΔΣ-type AD converter, no analog inputs for sampling, the input is directly connected to the continuous signal processing loop filter (integrator) in the. (Click to enlarge)
Samsung mobile display (Samsung Mobile Display) proposed the concept is a portable product, you can display, incorporating only a pen-sized wound slender shell. In order to facilitate browsing Web sites with such a large screen display, while in turn inhibit the portable form factor to a lesser level, "must be able to incorporate the flexible roll up display" (Samsung Technology Center engineers Dongun Jin) . To this end, the company is committed to development using the flexible organic EL oxide semiconductor panel 2).
Note 2) is currently being formed by sputtering oxide semiconductor. Within the Samsung Group, also advancing through the oxide semiconductor printing technology to produce the research.
Printed electronics is also expected to lower production costs for the equipment to make greater contribution. For example, by printing the organic solar cell manufacturing is expected to not only thin, soft to the production, manufacturing costs can be reduced to $ 1 / W below the existing solar cells is only 1 / 2 to 1 / 4 (Figure 3 .) The reason is that you can significantly reduce equipment costs. If it is extensive use of amorphous silicon solar cell vacuum device, you need to power generation capacity of 1GW / year production line of about 2,000 billion yen investment in equipment. And if it is manufactured by printing organic solar cells, "investment in equipment can be reduced to 1 / 10" (OPV Business Promotion Office of Mitsubishi Chemical Minister Yamaoka Hiroaki omnibus).
Expected to achieve lower cost than other technologies is expected through the use of printing processes to low cost production of solar cells. Goal is to improve conversion efficiency, the module price to $ 1 / W or less. The information from Mitsubishi Chemical.