David Savastano, Editor06.26.13
Research institutions are playing a major role in the field of printed electronics (PE). These organizations combine top-notch experienced research teams and state-of-the-art equipment to develop new products and processes for PE.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has become an important leader in the field of printed electronics. VTT is a state-owned technical research institute that is playing a major role in the technical research in Finland, transferring the results from basic research made at universities to the industry use.
“Since its establishment 70 years ago, VTT has become an important center of technological expertise and developer of new technologies,” said Mikko Paakkolanvaara, senior scientist, team leader at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. “The development path of Finland as a whole as well as the events and phenomena of each era are reflected in VTT’s history. It reveals one of the keys to VTT’s success: the organization has always been able to meet challenges by adapting to changes in its environment.”
Printed electronics offers the ability to manufacturing large quantities of functional electronics at low cost, and VTT has created its PrintoCent program to meet these needs. The PrintoCent industrial-scale roll-to-roll (R2R) printing line enables fast and efficient manufacture of mass-produced printed electronics for commercial production, making use of a variety printing processes, such as flexo and rotogravure, reverse gravure, screen and hot press printing.
Founded in 2009 by VTT, the University of Oulu, Oulu University of Applied Sciences and Business Oulu, PrintoCent has been a success, judging by the creation of approximately a dozen new businesses, including TactoTek Oy, which develops durable and formable optical touch panels.
“One great benefit of our organization is that we are all working under same institute,” Paakkolanvaara said. “This is one advantage which makes it very easy to use any expert from any other field to ones project for even one hour if such an expertise is needed.”
Paakkolanvaara noted that VTT has more than 10 years’ experience in PE printing, starting in the lab and moving to R2R pilot production.
“During the first years, things were made in laboratory scale, but we quite quickly realized that R2R pilot manufacturing line is needed for industrial scale research,” Paakkolanvaara said. “In 2003, the first R2R printing line was designed for printed electronics, or printed intelligence as we like to say it, as in addition to printable electronics, we also print applications where electricity is not needed, like indicators, detectors and microfluidics.”
In 2012, VTT added its fourth printing line for PE use, which was suitable for ramp-up production and small scale production. This has given VTT additional experience and capabilities for the PE field.
“During the past 10 years, VTT experts have learned a lot about what affects what when doing R2R piloting with different PE applications,” Paakkolanvaara said. “We have learned a lot about how it is possible to create the different kind of solutions our customers are requesting from us. As we now have facilities suitable for printing several kilometers of PE, we have offered our customers the possibility to test their application ideas in R2R processes to prove that it is possible to repeat in mass production what has been made in laboratory scale.”
This is a critical benefit, as customers can learn how their projects can be produced.
“This is beneficial for our customers as they can reduce their risks by not buying their own R2R printing line before testing that it can do what it needs,” Paakkolanvaara said. “Also, VTT is capable of helping our customers research their application as well as specifying what kind of R2R printing line would be needed for their specific needs.”
VTT has a wide range of equipment to produce printed electronics. Paakkolanvaara said that VTT has a total of four printing lines, including forward and reverse gravure, rotary silk screen, flexography and slot die coating. VTT also has one R2R testing line, one component assembly line (SMTs, chips and printed components), one injection molding device, one R2R evaporator, one reel to reel unit, one coating line and one R2R laser device.
“In addition to these, of course we have a large variety for different laboratory devices for screen printing, gravure printing, flexo printing, inkjet printing, hot embossing, dispensing, testing etc.,” Paakkolanvaara added.
With this equipment in place, VTT has invested strongly for the infrastructure to support other players interested in PE to develop their business, and has conducted research in different application fields, developing a wide range of demonstrators.
Among the demonstrators made at VTT are R2R-printed aluminum ink, R2R-processed OPV foil, R2R hot embossed microfluidistics, printed passive components, a wide area sensor matrix, opto-fluidic sensor with light source, seven-segment OLED display, OLED element, leaf shape flexible OPV module, active paper, printed low-cost indicators, biobatteries, printed memory (WORM), signage element with embedded LEDs and in-mould OLED elements.
Paakkolanvaara sees opportunities ahead for printed electronics, particularly through hybrid systems.
“In the coming years, the first products combining printed electronics with traditional silicon-based electronics will go to the market,” said Paakkolanvaara. “By printing, it is very difficult to make small scale products which would overrule traditional electronic components by price, size or level of functionality. VTT calls them hybrid systems, and by combining these two electronic techniques with the appropriate method to assemble/glue them together, more interesting and capable products can be made.
“VTT has also broad experience with interconnections between components,” Paakkolanvaara added. “Printed electronics are well suited for products that cover large areas like wallpaper, roof covers, and floors. Some products made with printed electronics will most likely hit to the markets in the coming years.”
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has become an important leader in the field of printed electronics. VTT is a state-owned technical research institute that is playing a major role in the technical research in Finland, transferring the results from basic research made at universities to the industry use.
“Since its establishment 70 years ago, VTT has become an important center of technological expertise and developer of new technologies,” said Mikko Paakkolanvaara, senior scientist, team leader at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. “The development path of Finland as a whole as well as the events and phenomena of each era are reflected in VTT’s history. It reveals one of the keys to VTT’s success: the organization has always been able to meet challenges by adapting to changes in its environment.”
Printed electronics offers the ability to manufacturing large quantities of functional electronics at low cost, and VTT has created its PrintoCent program to meet these needs. The PrintoCent industrial-scale roll-to-roll (R2R) printing line enables fast and efficient manufacture of mass-produced printed electronics for commercial production, making use of a variety printing processes, such as flexo and rotogravure, reverse gravure, screen and hot press printing.
Founded in 2009 by VTT, the University of Oulu, Oulu University of Applied Sciences and Business Oulu, PrintoCent has been a success, judging by the creation of approximately a dozen new businesses, including TactoTek Oy, which develops durable and formable optical touch panels.
“One great benefit of our organization is that we are all working under same institute,” Paakkolanvaara said. “This is one advantage which makes it very easy to use any expert from any other field to ones project for even one hour if such an expertise is needed.”
Paakkolanvaara noted that VTT has more than 10 years’ experience in PE printing, starting in the lab and moving to R2R pilot production.
“During the first years, things were made in laboratory scale, but we quite quickly realized that R2R pilot manufacturing line is needed for industrial scale research,” Paakkolanvaara said. “In 2003, the first R2R printing line was designed for printed electronics, or printed intelligence as we like to say it, as in addition to printable electronics, we also print applications where electricity is not needed, like indicators, detectors and microfluidics.”
In 2012, VTT added its fourth printing line for PE use, which was suitable for ramp-up production and small scale production. This has given VTT additional experience and capabilities for the PE field.
“During the past 10 years, VTT experts have learned a lot about what affects what when doing R2R piloting with different PE applications,” Paakkolanvaara said. “We have learned a lot about how it is possible to create the different kind of solutions our customers are requesting from us. As we now have facilities suitable for printing several kilometers of PE, we have offered our customers the possibility to test their application ideas in R2R processes to prove that it is possible to repeat in mass production what has been made in laboratory scale.”
This is a critical benefit, as customers can learn how their projects can be produced.
“This is beneficial for our customers as they can reduce their risks by not buying their own R2R printing line before testing that it can do what it needs,” Paakkolanvaara said. “Also, VTT is capable of helping our customers research their application as well as specifying what kind of R2R printing line would be needed for their specific needs.”
VTT has a wide range of equipment to produce printed electronics. Paakkolanvaara said that VTT has a total of four printing lines, including forward and reverse gravure, rotary silk screen, flexography and slot die coating. VTT also has one R2R testing line, one component assembly line (SMTs, chips and printed components), one injection molding device, one R2R evaporator, one reel to reel unit, one coating line and one R2R laser device.
“In addition to these, of course we have a large variety for different laboratory devices for screen printing, gravure printing, flexo printing, inkjet printing, hot embossing, dispensing, testing etc.,” Paakkolanvaara added.
With this equipment in place, VTT has invested strongly for the infrastructure to support other players interested in PE to develop their business, and has conducted research in different application fields, developing a wide range of demonstrators.
Among the demonstrators made at VTT are R2R-printed aluminum ink, R2R-processed OPV foil, R2R hot embossed microfluidistics, printed passive components, a wide area sensor matrix, opto-fluidic sensor with light source, seven-segment OLED display, OLED element, leaf shape flexible OPV module, active paper, printed low-cost indicators, biobatteries, printed memory (WORM), signage element with embedded LEDs and in-mould OLED elements.
Paakkolanvaara sees opportunities ahead for printed electronics, particularly through hybrid systems.
“In the coming years, the first products combining printed electronics with traditional silicon-based electronics will go to the market,” said Paakkolanvaara. “By printing, it is very difficult to make small scale products which would overrule traditional electronic components by price, size or level of functionality. VTT calls them hybrid systems, and by combining these two electronic techniques with the appropriate method to assemble/glue them together, more interesting and capable products can be made.
“VTT has also broad experience with interconnections between components,” Paakkolanvaara added. “Printed electronics are well suited for products that cover large areas like wallpaper, roof covers, and floors. Some products made with printed electronics will most likely hit to the markets in the coming years.”