Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, BASF SE and TU Darmstadt are happy with the first phase results of the joint research project "Nanostructuring and plastic electronics print platform" (NanoPEP) and are determined that they will go on with their combined work. Participating researchers have been working on functional materials based on nanotechnology and related novel printing techniques for processing of these from the summer of 2009.
This project covering several sectors is a key project led by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF)-promoted Leading-Edge Cluster "Forum Organic Electronics", headquartered in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. This cluster is connected with other cluster members active in areas like PCBs, OLEDs and solar cells.
In the first project phase, initial functional elements were produced under laboratory conditions in the clean room of the cluster with modified printing methods. The key purpose of the NanoPEP2 follow-up project started in 2012 is to transfer these processes to the industrial scale over the coming two years. Along with development of the nanostructured materials and related printing methods, demonstrations will be shown to prove the functionality. These can take the form of solar cells or flexible OLEDs produced in the joint clean room of the cluster.
In order to transfer these complicated printing processes to a production scale, it is important to understand the processes happening in a printing unit. Hence the Institute for Printing Presses and Printing Methods (IDD) at TU Darmstadt is designing a model that will help define the major production parameters. The particular physical mechanisms that can result in inhomogenities in the dielectric layers and printed organic semiconductor as well as failure of the product are also being studied.
BASF researchers are dependent on novel hybrid materials comprising organic and inorganic components, enabling ideal electronic functionality in the printed film.
Source; http://www.tu-darmstadt.de