What Is Organic Electronics?

Organic electronics is a future-oriented green technology involving environment-friendly energy generation, economical energy utilization, and the manufacturing of electronic components in a way which saves resources while using conducting and semi-conducting plastics.

Printing as an Innovative Production Method

Organic electronic further promises high potential for innovation regarding the desired production process, i.e. the printing technology. These production methods are simple, cost-effective, and eco-friendly, thus allowing a production of electronic components by industry in a way, which is both ecologically and economically viable. When components are printed using organic materials, ink made from certain soluble polymers is used which can then be processed in large quantities using common printing processes such as screen- or inkjet printing. Organic polymers which perform an almost unlimited number of different functions, can be printed on a large scale on a variety of flexible substrates at relatively low temperatures and then be integrated into various consumer products.

Applications of Printed Organic Electronics

Our Business - Printed Organic Sensors

Until recently, companies have manufactured sensors using conventional semiconductor foundries, which rely on a nine-step process to fabricate each sensor. While well-established, this approach has several downsides: Design-to-production cycles are slow, iteration is costly — as is the per-sensor price — and choice of substrate is limited to rigid materials, for instance silicon, making such sensors unsuitable for many use cases.

In contrast, printing sensors using roll-to-roll printing methods provides greater choice in functional materials, substrates and deposition methods, offering flexibility of design to accommodate thousands of different applications.

The Main Advantages at a Glance

• A broad spectrum of materials, including organic semiconductors and nanomaterials, (transparent) conductive inks as well as pressure- and temperature-sensitive materialsallow customers to choose among rigid (e.g., glass, ITO-glass und silicon) and flexible substrates (e.g., PET, PEN, PI, TPU, flexible glass, and others).
• Printing sensors only requires a two-step process, saving time and resources - and significantly reducing bill of materials (BOM) costs.
• In contrast to conventional technologies, printed sensors can be easily applied to large areas.
• Sensors can be printed on flexible, even biodegradable materials, such as textiles - introducing new use cases such as foils of printed sensors that wrap around car batteries to monitor battery health in real-time as well as printed sensors in bandages that monitor the pressure on or moisture of a wound. Printed flexible sensors on food items can both track supply chain conditions like compliance with the cold chain.