July 19, 2012 — FlexTech Alliance, focused on developing the electronic display and flexible, printed electronics industry supply chains, completed a project with Polyera Corporation to develop printable n-type organic semiconductors. FlexTech Alliance provided $300 thousand in funding.
Polyera’s aim was to develop printable materials that worked on flexible, lightweight substrates, enabling the manufacture of electronics with novel form factors such as roll-up displays and flexible solar panels.
Historically, only p-type organic semiconductors have been viable when deposited on flexible substrates. With Polyera’s advances in n-type organic semiconductors, CMOS devices from displays to RFID tags can be printed.
These new organic materials function similarly to traditional inorganic materials, but can be dissolved into solution, like ink. CMOS circuits are therefore manufactured via ink-jet, rotogravure, and other roll-to-roll printing processes.
“There is a growing list of novel applications previously impractical due to the limitations of traditional materials,” said Brendan Florez, Assistant General Manger, Polyera. “During the project we have developed and optimized several new n-channel organic semiconductors for printed thin film transistors demonstrating unprecedented performance. These environmentally friendly formulations are now available to customers."
“In addition to achieving targeted performance metrics, Polyera has successfully printed functional thin film transistors, CMOS inverters, and complementary ring oscillators — basic building blocks for consumer devices, displays and photovoltaics,” said Nick Colaneri, Director of Flexible Display Center, Arizona State University.
The FlexTech Alliance is devoted to fostering the growth, profitability and success of the electronic display and the flexible, printed electronics supply chain. FlexTech Alliance offers expanded collaboration between and among industry, academia, government, and research organizations for advancing displays and flexible, printed electronics from R&D to commercialization. To this end, the FlexTech Alliance, based in San Jose, Calif., fosters development of the supply chain required to support a world-class, manufacturing capability for displays and flexible, printed electronics. More information about the FlexTech Alliance can be found at www.flextech.org.