a future for printed and flexible electronics

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A Future for Printed and Flexible Electronics:SEMICON West 2011

July 14, 2011

© 2011, NanoMarkets, LC


NanoMarkets

About NanoMarkets, LC

• NanoMarkets provides industry analysis of emerging markets in energy and electronics enabled by new developments in materials science. We have been providing insight into products and strategies printed and flexible electronics and photovoltaics markets for more than six years

• Our work includes market, company, and technology analysis, market forecasting and due diligence. NanoMarkets provides regular reports on printed/flexible electronics markets with forecasts and breakouts by application and type of materials used

• Offerings include reports, custom consulting, seminars/webinars and in-house training. NanoMarkets is based in the U.S., with extensive contacts all over the world. See www.nanomarkets.net for details on our reports


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http://www.nanomarkets.net/


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Recent/Forthcoming NanoMarkets Reports on Flexible and Printed Electronics

• Functional Inkjet Inks for Digital Fabrication Applications 2011

• Printed Battery Markets 2011

• Materials, Applications and Opportunities within Organic Photovoltaics 2011

• Smart Coatings for Photovoltaics

• Transparent Conductors for Displays: Market Opportunities 2011

• Encapsulation and Flexible Substrates for Organic and Dye-Sensitized Photovoltaics

• Silver inks and Pastes Markets 2011

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Today we will talk about . . .

• Thick film electronics – the original printed electronics revolution

• Why did it succeed?

• Why did the second printed electronics revolution fail?

• How to make money from flexibility

• Printing – who needs it?

• What will the next printed/flexible electronics revolution look like?

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NanoMarkets © 2011, NanoMarkets, LC

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Why did the thick-film revolution succeed?

• Megatrends: In tune with growth of consumerism

• Immediate market demand: Met in the automotive and appliance markets

• Technical: Practical – screen printing

• $$: Large investments long-term perspective possible


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Why did the second printed electronic revolution fail?

• Out of sync with megatrends

– Technical megatrends still not realized: Disposable electronics, ubiquitous computing, embedded energy devices, personal diagnostics, etc.

• Immediate market demand

– Lower prices: recession demanded it, but not achieved/achievable

• Technical

– Solution processing ideology not as successful as hoped. OLEDs are a good example here. Printing is not easy

• $$

– Capital rationing and short-term investment did not match stated goals and timeframes


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How to make money from flexibility . . .

• R2R, conformability or intrinsic flexibility?

• Conformable lighting and BIPV

– Achievable now and driven by aesthetics and building requirements

• Roll-up/foldable mobile displays

– Alternative paradigm to iPad. Consistent with e-paper meme

– Smart card displays; displays with an economic justification

– Hard to make. Is a bet against Apple, etc. a good idea?

• Roll-up televisions in the future? UHDTV

• Short-term opportunity may be in enabling technologies (idea from the telecom boom)

– Flexible glass

– Low-cost encapsulation technologies

– Conductive nanomaterials


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Some Flexible Forecasts


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• Times change!

• Nanotechnology is real now

• Two-year hype, seven year reality


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Printing: Who really needs it?

• Integration with existing printing infrastructure (RFID, smart cards and packaging)

• For commoditized products (OLED lighting) where price is everything

• Challenges and opportunities

– Low performance of inks (are nanomaterials the solution?)

– Low throughput, especially inkjet

– Printing is hard to do for printers; even harder for EEs! (Can take much longer than expected. GE has learned this)


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A summing up: What will the next printed/flexible electronics revolution look like

• Focus on cost/price reduction. This is the major megatrend of today. Addressing this issue with printed/flexible electronics affords the most immediate opportunity

• Components and materials produce earlier revenues than systems offerings. Nanomaterials offer good prospects.

• At the systems levels the short-to-medium opportunities seem to be:

– Solution processed OLED lighting

– Flexible mobile displays

– Powered smart cards

• At the manufacturing level

– Improved inks and faster printing equipment


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Contact Information

• NanoMarkets website: www.NanoMarkets.net

• NanoMarkets on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nanomarkets

• NanoMarkets Email: [email protected]

• NanoMarkets Telephone: 804-360-2967

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