Jul 8 2009
Despite the current economic downturn, consumers can expect an exciting array of new and innovative electronic devices in the near future, including smaller and more powerful computers, brighter flat-screen television displays, and flexible films for electronic paper. That's because manufacturers are continuing to make steady advances in new electronic materials, according to an article scheduled for the July 13 issue of Chemical + Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine.
C&EN senior correspondent Jean-François Tremblay notes in the magazine's cover story that a steep decline in demand for electronic chemicals — materials used to make electronic components — has lead to big declines in profits and production among electronics manufacturers during the past year. But the pace of new product development remains surprisingly steady, with some electronic materials suppliers preserving and even strengthening their research and development capabilities, the article notes.
This continued focus on research has produced advanced materials that are paving the way for new and improved electronic devices that are smaller, consume less power, and emit less heat. Semiconductor manufacturers, for example, are developing new materials that cram more memory into smaller computer chips. Manufacturers of flat screen displays are developing materials that allow flat-screen televisions and cell phones to show brighter images while using less power. One manufacturer is developing new films that could lead to breakthroughs in flexible displays, electronic paper, and solar cells. As a result of these and other innovations, better days are ahead for the electronics industry, the article suggests.