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TRANSCRIPT
D6.4 WP6
Compiled by: Jukka Hast (VTT) Name (organisation): VTT e-mail: [email protected]
Responsible partner
COLAE: Commercialization Clusters of OLAE
Summary of key future research and topics and key recommendations
© COLAE 2014
Project name: Commercialization Clusters of OLAE
Acronym: COLAE
Project type: Coordination and support action
Starting date: 1 September 2011
Duration: 36 months
Call: FP7-ICT-2011-7
Grant agreement number: 288881
Website: www.colae.eu
PUBLIC
Executive Summary COLAE project is a pan-European initiative to promote the commercial exploitation of organic and large area
electronics (OLAE). Project’s aim is to enhance the awareness of organic electronics and to highlight the
opportunities it offers key industries. The COLAE project also strive to harness the vast resources and know-how of
the project partners to benefit OLAE developers and to keep Europe's technology base at the leading edge.
Work package 6 (WP6) – New Wave Research - of COLAE is collecting and analysing information from workshops
with stakeholders in the OLAE field in order to generate key recommendations for each of the themes and finally to
disseminate the results. This deliverable (6.4) presents the report for 5th
COLAE workshop which was held in Oulu
26th
February 2014. Topic of the workshop was focused on identifying challenges and solutions related to OLAE
applications and products. Key findings from market, technical, value-chain, commercialization and business know-
how including funding perspectives are summarized.
Key recommendations for future research topics are discussed. Key findings from previous workshops are shortly
summarized. In addition, identified OLAE challenges and potential solutions from other work packages (WP1 –
Networking, WP3 – Feasibility Network, WP4 – Towards Virtual Foundry and WP5 – Open Innovation Model) are
presented. Summarized key recommendations for future research topics are:
SME companies should supported more. Focused shorter term industrial driven demonstrator projects and
pilot actions parallel with longer term research projects are needed. Technology transfer from lab to fab
should be faster. Existing and new pilot production facilities could be utilized more to accelerate
technology ramp-up.
Longer term research projects are still needed to develop new materials and increase performance and
lifetime of OLAE components. Actions to strengthen development of modelling and design tools are
needed.
Hybrid integration (combining OLAE technologies with microelectronics) is an important opportunity to
utilize OLAE technologies in electronics manufacturing chain and bring commercial application to
markets. In order to achieve success, modelling and design tools should be developed further so that
materials and processes for integration with existing electronics design flow. This also requires stronger
standardization activities. Internet-of-things offers huge market potential for OLAE technologies together
with concentional electronics.
Novel business models to commercialize OLAE technologies need to be developed. Service type of
business is future. In addition more business developers who understand the OLAE field are needed.
Awareness of OLAE field should be still increased. Dissemination activities of research projects should be
aimed more towards end users.
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Content
1. Report of 5th
workshop on Challenges in OLAE systems and applications ............................................................. 5
1.1Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Organization and attendees ........................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Group work ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
1.4 Key findings .................................................................................................................................................... 6
1.4.1 Market aspects ......................................................................................................................................... 6
1.4.2 Technical aspects ...................................................................................................................................... 7
1.4.3 Value chain aspects ................................................................................................................................... 7
1.4.4 Business and commercialization know-how .............................................................................................. 7
1.4.5 Funding aspects ....................................................................................................................................... 8
2. Key recommendations for future ......................................................................................................................... 9
2.1 Current status in Europe ................................................................................................................................. 9
2.2 Forecasts and emerging opportunities for OLAE ........................................................................................... 10
2.3 Key findings from previous workshops ........................................................................................................... 12
2.4 Recognized challenges and solutions from other COLAE work packages ....................................................... 15
2.4.1 WP1 – Networking .................................................................................................................................. 15
2.4.2 WP3 – Feasibility Network ......................................................................................................................16
2.4.3 WP4 – Towards Virtual Foundry .............................................................................................................. 17
2.3.4 WP5 – Open Innovation Model ............................................................................................................... 20
2.4 Recommendations for future research ......................................................................................................... 20
2.4.1 Collaboration actions – projects ............................................................................................................. 20
2.4.2 Technology developments..................................................................................................................... 20
2.4.3 Business development ............................................................................................................................ 21
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2.4.4 Awareness and dissemination ................................................................................................................. 21
Appendix 1. ............................................................................................................................................................ 22
Appendix 2............................................................................................................................................................. 25
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1. Report of 5th workshop on Challenges in OLAE systems and applications
1.1Introduction
The 5th
COLAE workshop was part of COLAE task 6.6 committed to organize a workshop on challenges in OLAE
systems and applications. The responsible partner to arrange this workshop was VTT with supporting partners
UCAM, il, AUTH, CETEMMSA, ACREO, CEA and FhG.
1.2 Organization and attendees
The workshop was organized at afternoon 26th of February and co-located with the Prinse2014 Seminar at VTT
Oulu, Finland. An internet page was dedicated to the workshop which was linked to the Prinse2014 www-page at
http://www.printocent.net/prinse14.html. To promote the event a relevant mailing list was established with the help
of COLAE partners and networks consolidating contacts from PrintoCent partners and previous COLAE workshops.
99 people participated to the workshop of which 76 came from the industry including consultants, market analytics
and regional development people as well as EC representative. Number of academic partners was 23. From COLAE
partners Acreo, InnovationLab, UCAM, CeNTI and VTT were present. The participant list is presented in appendix 1.
The agenda of the workshop (appendix 2) was structured in three main parts:
1) Introduction of the workshop and COLAE project by Ilkka Kaisto and Jukka Hast
2) Talks from the Industry and European Commission as well as free talks from the audience:
Jani-Mikael Kuusisto, Ynvisible
Pekka Makkonen, Flexibright Oy
Valtteri Halla, Leia Media Oy
Philippe Reynaert, EC
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Peter Visser, Brabant regional development agency
Markku Heino, Spinverse Oy
3) Group work along the OLAE value chain, presentation of results and summary discussion.
1.3 Group work
The group work was focusing to identification of challenges and solution along the COLAE value chain shown in the
Figure 1. The group work leaders were:
Materials – Dr. Tapio Fabritius, University of Oulu
Equipment/process – Dr. Kimmo Solehmainen, VTT
Components – Dr. Ralf Mauer, Innovation Lab
Systems/Integrators/Vendors – Dr. Kari Rönkä, VTT
Application development – Jani-Mikael Kuusisto, Ynvisible
For each value chain part identification of challenges in market -, technical -, value chain-, commercialization and
business know-how – and funding aspects, both public and private, were carried out. Respectively each group
evaluated potential solutions for each aspect.
Figure 1.COLAE value chain.
1.4 Key findings
1.4.1 Market aspects
As stated in previous COLAE workshops and other events, OLAE field is still strongly in technology push phase.
“Chicken & egg” problem exists and there are no “real” markets, except display industry using today OLED small
molecule materials, and there are not enough end users to pull OLAE Technologies. In addition material costs are
high which correlates with the low demand of OLAE products. More competition and players on the field would
reduce those. OLAE markets, which are existing today, are on niche applications which require flexibility in
production. This way ecosystem of other components depends on other manufacturers. In addition limited
acceptance of products was seen to be reason from lack of standardization and certification. Big European
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companies do not invest at this moment due to market risks. SME companies should be supported more in their
product development and piloting activities. In addition more awareness and local working conferences with
different players were proposed. Wikipedia of printed electronics should be established to increase dissemination
level of the OLAE field.
1.4.2 Technical aspects
Functionality of OLAE components is rather low and price high due to high material costs. This sets in-balance
between price and functionality. Many times materials have to be formulated (when using solution processing) to
desired deposition/printing technique and additives, solvents etc. which affects the material’s functionality and
compatibility between each deposited layer. Stronger link should be found between material synthesis and
deposition processes development simultaneously. Lifetime of the components is a big issues and new solutions for
barrier materials and encapsulation techniques must be developed. This requires still strong and intensive research
work and resources. Large area applications like OPV, electrochromic displays etc. should take more advantage of
innovative design aspects enabled by these technologies. For example OPV has good potential to differ from other
thin film PV technologies by offering different colors, shapes and form factor. Benefits of digital manufacturing were
emphasized. Component and system design was also seen as a big issue. Understanding of maturity, cost and
scalability should be increased. Some kind of design handbook should be available for designers and product
developers who are interested using OLAE technologies.
1.4.3 Value chain aspects
Along the value chain there is a lack of standards was identified and efforts in TC119 should be activated more. It
was also seen that no solid value chains exist due to lack of applications. System integrators are missing. A “winning”
case could activate the OLAE field. Single supply and/or SME as a supplier for big brand owners is challenging.
1.4.4 Business and commercialization know-how
Development of novel materials take long time and resources. There is lot of material innovations but not that
many actions to commercialize (lack of end apps.). Open access facilities could provide faster way for production, in
case of SMEs as well as for big enterprises who are not interested to invest pilot lines. Novel business models needs
to be developed and especially people who understand the OLAE field are needed in business development.
Scenarios of Internet-of-things (IoT) provide a great opportunity for OLAE technologies. However, IoT is strongly
service business and this is why new tools to commercialize OLAE products are needed. In commercialization also
sales persons should speak same “language” as end users do. Failures should not be feared but used as learning
opportunities.
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1.4.5 Funding aspects
Material development requires long term support. High risk funding (like Darpa) should be available more. Funding
should be allocated also for prototyping and making larger close-to-market demonstrations. Open access facilities
could fasten the product development but they need also continuous support for maintenance and technical
development and other required improvements. Other EC programs got also positive feedback and generally in
Europe level national programs are positive (except Finland). SME tool in H2020 got very positive feedback.
Competition on that is tight and SME’s should be supported more. Private early stage financing for
commercialization is an issue. Awareness of crowd funding tools as vehicles to fund start-ups should be increased.
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2. Key recommendations for future
2.1 Current status in Europe
During summer 2013 EC, Organic Electronics Association (OE-A), Photonics21 working group 4 and COLAE project
prepared together a vision paper for “A European strategy for Organic and Large Area Electronics” 1. This vision
paper was serving as input to the Horizon2020 priority settings in first calls. According to this Europe’s strength relies
on
1. Europe has strong research in OLAE with world leading research organizations, many companies and
national and regional innovation clusters. The European stakeholders are organized around the
Photonics21 European Technology Platform and the OE-A.
2. The market for OLAE based products is fragmented; it is mainly driven by technology advances rather
than by applications and needs more products providing solutions to end-users. Europe has market leaders
in materials and equipment. With very few exceptions, there is a need for a stronger engagement from the
large European materials companies and stronger links with applications, end-user industries and system
integrators.
3. The technology is mature enough for OTFT based backplanes and in general for OLED displays. The
success of OLED displays will stimulate the introduction of OLED lighting. Moreover, some sensors are
already manufactured at large volume by printing companies. The efficiency of OPV technology has
improved a lot in the last year and hero cells in the research labs are now above 10% conversion efficiency.
Several (more than 3) years of research are needed for raising the performance of organic transistors and
the complexity of circuits based on these transistors and their interconnections with sensors to a suitable
level for applications. Thin-film oxide transistors, also solution processable, are providing interesting
application perspectives.
4. Production pilots: OSRAM (Regensburg), Philips (Aachen), Plastic Logic and Heliatek (Dresden) have
recently made significant investments (in the order of tens to hundreds of million Euros) for manufacturing
plants of OLEDs, electronic paper displays and OPV solar cells. Others are already manufacturing Flexible
Printed Circuits and membrane switches, meanwhile integrating new printed functionalities. Several
1 OLAE vision report:
http://www.photonics21.org/download/Brochures/AEuropeanStrategyonOrganicandLargeAreaElectronicsOLAE_2013-06-2622.pdf
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leading research centers in the OLAE domain have a pilot production line and are attracting customers to
build further excellence in certain applications.
This one year old situation is pretty much still valid.
2.2 Forecasts and emerging opportunities for OLAE
Several market analytics (IdTechEx, Nanomarkets, Frost & Sullivan etc.) are evaluating printed electronics and
OLAE markets. Huge market potential is still projected for this technology field as presented in the Figure 2 by
IdTechEx. Clear winner is OLED display which is estimated to grow the most. In other components growth is
expected to be slower which clearly is due to lack of systems and applications which use these components. New
application areas or processes and technologies how to integrate these components together with traditional
electronics are needed.
Figure 2. IdTechEx’s market forecast 2013-2023 in US $ billion for printed and potentially printed electronics including
organic, inorganic and composites.2
Society is digitizing rapidly. Today people are connected to the internet via smart phones, tablet computers and
other personal digital assistants (PDA). With some 2.5 billion users world-wide, today’s Internet is an established part
2 IdTechEx ”Printed, Organic & Flexible Elecgtronics Forecasts, Player, Opportunities 2013 – 2023.
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of our lives3. New cyber physical systems are entering to markets and now for example wearable monitoring devices
are becoming more and more popular. Electronics packaging into design and good looking products with
connectivity and web based services grows rapidly. Big companies like General Electric, Cisco Systems, are
emphasizing the importance of these cyber physical systems (Internet-of-Things, Internet-of-Everywhere…). In
future objects around us will have digital identity and connectivity to the internet.
In future service business via these systems will dominate markets. Figure 3 presents IBM’s view how value earning
from agriculture to goods production and further towards services production has changed.4 Today traditional
separation between manufacturing and service industry is progressively fading away and this trend most likely goes
forward in future. In area of OLAE s good example of service based business is UK based Eight19 company who
established Azuro solar charger concept to African markets. Not selling devices but selling energy and this way
reduce device related risks for the consumer.
Figure 3. Estimation of changes in value earning according to IBM.
Figure 4 presents Business Insider’s forecast for internet connected devices. IoT based devices are seen very
remarkable area among wearable devices, smart TV’s, tablets, smart phones and PCs. IoT devices and new other
cyber physical systems will play big role in future and interest to make living environment more connected is great.
Example of this is Google’s acquisition of Nest Labs (2,34 bln $) who manufactures indoor thermostats which are
rapidly thinking relatively far away from Googles core business.
3 Digital Agenda for Europe, http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/
4 IBM … source TBD
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IoT field is great opportunity for OLAE. There will be need for novel type of sensors and actuators, user interfaces,
energy harvesting and storage components and subsystems. Flexibility and transparency are important features as
well as thin and high form factors to enable integration in different objects. Large area solutions will be needed to
cover increased demand for production. IoT field means also stronger integration with connectivity techniques and
services.
Figure 4. Business Insider’s forecast for IoT5
2.3 Key findings from previous workshops
The first work shop was arranged 15th
March 2012 in Oulu and its topics were focusing to OLAE systems and
applications. Key findings from this workshop were:
1. Integration. Commercialization of OLAE needs more activities on integration the components to the functional
products, less activities on device/component level basic research. The poor availability of materials – price,
volume, specification – is not helping the testing of larger volumes.
5 http://www.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-everything-2014-slide-deck-sai-2014-2?op=1
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2. Design competence to companies. The design competence of OLAE products has to be developed into
companies, which at the moment look after design rules, standardization, design tools and risk taking end
customers to fund the application development
3. Hunting of end customers broadly. The potential end customers were listed resulting to a very broad area of
businesses. The recommendation for COLAE is to go bravely to new areas, not to limit to those which we
regarded the topical areas in the application phase of COLAE project.
4. Hybrid manufacturing pilot lines. The hybrid products with printed and traditional electronics will be the first at
the market, so the availability of industrial hybrid manufacturing scale is in crucial role in creating the first
success stories.
5. Potential fast European products. The products fitting to European research results and to companies have
been analyzed, recommendation is the KISS principle (keep it simple stupid). Focus in commercialization
activities to get experience on large scale manufacturing (100000 pcs) and short ramp-up phases with no
research.
6. Services. The services of research institutes with both machinery and personnel have to be available for SMEs
and LSEs in this still early industrialization phase. Otherwise the potential business cases will not have the help
and backing for the fund rising, which is anyway challenging.
The second work shop was arranged 9th
October 2012 in Dresden and its topics were focusing on different OLAE
devices. Key findings from this workshop were:
1. Diversification Organic and Large Area Electronics enable a broad application range by diversification in the
»More than Moore« area. It should be differed between large-area devices that really need a large substrate
size, like ePaper, TV displays or solar panels, and small area devices whose large-area needs originate from
the large volumes that are to be manufactured (disposable devices, test stripes, RFID).
2. Miniaturisation is the driving force in electronics integration (»More Moore«). Although device shrinkage is
not necessarily needed in functional integration, in most cases the main trend evolves towards
miniaturisation in the »More than Moore« area. Evaluation of business cases result in most cases in favour for
miniaturized systems.
3. Devices and Systems Devices should not be discussed independent from systems. Integration issues may
largely impact cost and marketability. Backbone of most systems is a core electronics to which peripheral
devices (display, energy harvesting, energy storage, sensor, memory,…) are added.
4. Silicon vs. Organic Electronics Silicon chips and ultrathin flexible silicon chips are in many cases the
preferable alternative to realize the core electronics in flexible electronics. Major advantages are better
performance, maturity and integration density, disadvantage is the assembly process, which makes it
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difficult to interconnect and hampers very large volume manufacturing. However silicon should be an
integral part in heterogeneous integration.
5. Costs Silicon circuits are very cheap, organic integrated circuits offer no cost advantage with the exception of
being an assembly-free integration method. Costs are not the major driver for organic electronics. Therefore
most benefit from organic electronics can be gained if there are other physical constraints in favour for
organics.
6. Manufacturing Low cost per area and less sensitivity to air exposure are key requirements for manufacturing
of a successful OLAE device. Printing is strongly recommendable as process for organic materials that are in
most cases very precious materials and should not be wasted. On the other hand use of solvents should be
minimized, since solvent handling is a challenge for safety and environmental issues.
7. Standardisation is strongly needed for organic devices.
8. OLAE device properties and opportunities for design A relation to innovative designers can help to inspire
end-users for OLAE technologies
9. Device areas that are promising for the future and not yet adequately taken into account:
a. Large area sensors (ISORGs photo detector system as good example) and sensor arrays. These
applications benefit from the ability in OLAE to distribute and integrate functional devices large
areas
b. Biochemical transducers should be added to the OE roadmap. In recent investigations organic
materials turned out to be much better suited in electrically interfacing biological systems.
c. Low-cost reflective elements as cheap displays for signage. This should close the gap between
high resolution pixel display and very simple and cheap color indicators
d. Devices for energy harvesting and energy storage. Energy supply is in many applications one of
the major barriers for integration. Often the challenge is a trade-off between life time and cost.
The third work shop was arranged 11th
June 2013 in Munich and it’s topics were focusing on different OLAE
processing and manufacturing. Key findings from this workshop were:
1. From a technical standpoint, processing and manufacturing of OLAE devices are facing several challenges
with variable criticality at different steps of the process flow. Individually, each single challenge may be
differently addressed and specific solutions should be found from existing approaches or arising from novel
concepts. However, which makes the situation particularly difficult for OLAE commercialization is the sum of
a relatively large set of scattered issues with sometimes interdependencies. For instance, ink jet process
improvements require not only better ink materials and better performing inkjet heads but also the co-
development of these two in conjunction with the substrate, which substrate depends on each given device
and application. However, gathering a material supplier with a component/equipment developer together
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with the device/product manufacturer is unlikely unless a very strong market opportunity arises. In this way,
an important role the OLAE community is gathering companies from differente areas and getting them to
work together.
2. It appears that a general approach starting from materials, components and/or equipment knowledge to
propose a flexible toolkit for producing any kind of OLAE products is simply not realistic (or too early) as the
OLAE industry is not mature yet. This technology-push approach would not guarantee product performance,
reliability and cost requirements regardless of the case of application but would rather deliver variable and
hardly predictable performance, reliability and cost.
3. Intrinsically, organic based products are also bound to experience fast ageing which jeopardizes any
commercialization unless appropriate maturity and ageing resistance is provided and demonstrated. So
practically, market-pull seems to be the only viable approach which will set cases of commercially worthy
applications from which partnership will naturally emerge and consolidate to develop and deliver robust
solutions for processing and manufacturing.
4. Creating early market opportunities is a critical issue for the OLAE industry. Along these opportunities,
creating and unifying strong EU industrial clusters with focused OLAE products as a target benefiting from
the support of relevant public-private partnership & infrastructure will be the driving force to success.
2.4 Recognized challenges and solutions from other COLAE work packages
During the COLAE project evaluation of OLAE challenges and potential solution were evaluated also in other work
packages including WP1 – Networking (company interviews), WP3 – Feasibility network, WP4 – Towards Virtual
Foundry and WP5 – Open Innovation Model. Here recognized challenges and potential solutions to these are
described.
2.4.1 WP1 – Networking
Identified challenges:
In WP1 when doing company interviews it was often expressed that if OLAE-based products and their technologies
are to progress at a sufficiently rapid pace through their learning curve to overtake the incumbent technologies,
which also experience learning and ensuing cost reduction. So, we are witnessing the battle between the learning
curves of different technological options. Fast progress in performance improvements and cost reductions will
determine choices of decision makers.
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Generally, companies are still taking a waiting position for adopting OLAE technologies until different components
have reached a minimum level of maturity (in terms of costs and performance) to be applied in their products. Most
of the companies are not willing to invest heavily in developing applications of OLAE.
Compliancy with variety of standards will be key in the market introduction of OLAE based products.
Solutions to overcome the challenges:
In general, the perspective of the end-user industry (end-user industry companies defined here as downstream
actors in the value chain of OLAE) in relation to the status of industrialization of OLAE was that it is still in early
phases as there are only a few design and manufacturing services available. Exactly due to this reason most of the
interviewed companies emphasised the importance of the role that pilot infrastructures in research institutes could
play in further advancing of the field and the companies appreciated the availability of related services that were
offered during the interviews. Many interviewees need to work and learn with demonstrators/prototypes (of
integrated systems) to be able to promote the unique features of OLAE technologies in a realistic and tangible
manner to product designers and higher management internally in the companies and to the customers in various
sectors to make them more attentive to possibilities of this field. Companies are eager to identify partners with
whom they can innovate their existing or new product portfolios.
2.4.2 WP3 – Feasibility Network
Identified challenges:
In the feasibility studies we tend to start from industrializable processes. That means we try to advise processes and
solutions that are out of the research phase. The biggest challenge in getting OLAE technology in the market is the
availability of integrators. The reply to the question of many of the companies: “who is going to provide me with the
components and who is going to integrate these for me” often is replied with “we don’t know”!
Companies that can print circuits in simple electronic components are out there (membrane switch manufacturers
for example), however the typical feature sizes that they feel confident with are still not what is needed for hybrid
and completely printed solutions. Integration companies are also there but lack experience with printed circuits on
polyester substrates. Especially reliability is the major issue to be solved. One stop shops (printing and integration =
integrators) are simply not there (except for a few).
Solutions to overcome the challenges:
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The demand is too low for manufacturing and integration companies to develop new processes: therefore develop
the demand and provide (financial) help to companies that want to engage in OLAE technology.
Another major issue is reliability (those companies that do try, experience this). So to overcome the challenges a
market needs to be created on which the technology can be brought to a higher TRL level.
Research focusses on the development of new technologies, important, but to get the first products on the market,
the dull task of development (no glory) of reliable processes beyond the state of the art and ramp up should be
engaged. If not OLAE technology stays where it is (many of the major initiatives in OLAE have sooner or later
stranded on this issue)
2.4.3 WP4 – Towards Virtual Foundry
On 13th
May 2014 WP4 organized a workshop to identify the progress made in the area of design rules for printed
logic and printed circuits. Here are some conclusions from this workshops with regards to future research topics.
Identified challenges:
1. Material challenges for design rules:
a. Batch to batch variations in material production: Material properties can change from batch to
batch without notice from the material manufacturer. This is critical for design of logic and
circuits, because design rules can only be fulfilled with high reproducibility, if all material
parameters are fixed.
b. General performance: For the design, especially of functional logic circuits, general material
performance parameters must be improved: Most notable are the charge carrier mobility, life-
time, multilayer processability and permeation properties of barrier materials.
c. Environmental issues: Disposability, recyclability, biodegradability and the connected legislative
barriers have not been sufficiently investigated for (single-use) printed electronics products.
2. Equipment/ process challenges for design rules:
a. File formats: Currently, design software tools cannot produce files that are compatible with file
formats that are used for tooling in the printing industry (e.g. for manufacturing printing
cylinders). As a first step, format converting tools need to be developed that also take specific
process requirements into account (e.g. distortion compensation). In the long run design tools
should be able to export suitable file formats (some converters, e.g. for inkjet printing, already
exist as open source software).
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b. Large volume printing: Due to high material prices only limited experience exists in Europe for
very large volume print runs. This knowledge is however very important for understanding the
process stability and the yield in real production scenarios.
3. Component challenges for design rules:
a. Libraries: Vast component libraries for all combinations of component type and manufacturing
process have to be developed and integrated into design software tools. In many cases this
requires an agreement on the underlying physical model for the theoretical description of a
component.
b. Reliability, stability, yield and cost of components needs to be improved for a faster market
uptake.
c. The access to components currently available is fractured and an overview of the state of industry
is difficult to obtain and keep updated.
4. System integration challenges for design rules:
Standardisation: System integration of printed logic and circuits requires interoperability of post-press
machinery (e.g. laminating, folding, cutting etc.). Therefore, standardisation is a relatively critical
topic for system integration: For a wide range of topics from functional inks over connectors (e.g. foil
to foil or OLAE to conventional electronics) to rolls of substrate materials (e.g. size, transport
procedures or registration marks) standardization is required
Solutions to overcome the challenge:
1. Material challenges:
a. Batch to batch variations:
i. Involve material manufacturers stronger in product development if possible (today 3 – 4
years long EC projects take too much resources from them)
ii. Buy from manufacturers who already serve large markets (e.g. buy silver pastes from
companies who sell to automotive industry). Such companies should have optimized
their production for stability and reproducibility.
iii. Join “buying consortia” with centralized procurement. Such consortia can negotiate
larger buying quantities and have therefore more power to demand specific solutions
from material manufacturers.
iv. Standardisation of material data sheets quoting suitable parameters determined by
specific measurement techniques could at least help to easily identify such variations and
maybe to demand compensation if actual material properties deviate from datasheets.
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b. Performance: The only possible solution is more research in material science.
c. Research into materials science with specific focus on environmental issues.
2. Equipment/process
a. File formats: Financial support for development of open source tools for file conversion, maybe in
cooperation of electronics design software vendors.
b. Large volume printing: Financial support for running large scale test print runs with obligation to
publish results.
3. Components:
a. Libraries: Financial support for developing open access libraries
b. Reliability: Financial support for increase of TRL level of manufacturing techniques. Potentially to
be combined with large volume printing (see 2b).
c. Start an online marketplace for components. This seems to have been a successful model in the
electronics industry.
4. System integration: Standardization is the solution.
In the OLAE community the use of design tools is not very commonplace (mostly because such tools did not exist
so far). Introduction of such tools will require thorough training for people involved in OLAE circuit design. As a
combined result of the challenges and solutions observed during our workshop we recommend setting up a large
scale demonstration project aiming at increasing the TRL of the technology.
List of consolidated results:
Key work topics / Design rules
o Libraries of frozen processes
o Market place
o Standardization (support especially for SMEs)
o Gate array
Actors
o Suppliers of frozen process/materials
o Europractice (alliance?)
Outcomes
o Learning curve about the control of repeatability
o important for TRL improvement
Type
o Demonstration project (large scale)
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2.3.4 WP5 – Open Innovation Model
The lifetime of the OLAE products seems to be too short for the companies to be integrated in their products.
Silicon has a much longer lifetime whether we’re talking about shelf lifetime of operational lifetime. The lifetime of
OLAE products should be improved to facilitate the user acceptance.
The OLAE batteries don’t last long enough compared to the lifetimes of the products in which the OLAE system
will be integrated. We should then try to make better batteries but also less energy consuming OLAE systems.
For the moment, pilot lines for OLAE printing are available and accessible for average companies. The problem is
the integration process and the integration cost (for example switching from ordinary labeling to in-mold labeling).
An option is to make integration shared platforms or to find solutions for easier integration.
Many companies don’t know the potential of the OLAE technology. Some work should be done on the
dissemination.
2.4 Recommendations for future research
2.4.1 Collaboration actions – projects
Generally different types of research projects which EC offers are seen successful. Especially SME instrument was
highlighted even though there is high competition. More funding could be allocated this this. Big companies were
criticized long research projects (FP7 streps/ IP) since those tie resources for long time. Importance of focused
technology demonstrator and pilot action were emphasized as well. New industrial driven project types could be
developed which are shorter in time and more focused to certain technology and piloting.
2.4.2 Technology developments
In all workshops major technical limitations of organic and large area components were discussed. These are
limited performance of organic (and inorganic solution processed) semiconductors, short lifetimes and lack of
efficient gas barriers on plastic substrates. In Europe material research and development is on very high level in
universities and research institutes as well as in European material companies who are active in this field. Material
developments need still more time to develop and long term research actions are needed. Material development
projects should emphasize more value chain aspects so that closer collaboration between material synthesis and
deposition process/equipment developers work more closely.
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OLAE technologies are still strongly in technology push phase. It is hard to make business with low performance
materials and components as well as missing systems. Hybrid integration (combining OLAE technologies with
microelectronics) was seen in many workshops as an important opportunity to utilize OLAE technologies in
electronics manufacturing chain and bring commercial application to markets. During COLAE project’s feasibility
studies (WP3) hybrid integration could bring a solution almost to all analyzed user cases. IoT applications are
emerging on markets and via hybrid integration TOLAE technologies could bring remarkable and unique features,
eg. 3D rigid electronic components as well as flexible-, (semi)transparent-, lightweight, eco-friendly, cost savings
etc., to these devices. In order to achieve success modelling and desing tools should be developed further so that
materials and processes fir to existing electronics design flow. This also requires stronger standardization activities in
testing rules and methods, production and products as well as in compatibility and environmental issues.
2.4.3 Business development
Today service business is biggest value earning principle and in OLAE field we should think how this can be realized
(example Eight19’s Azuro case).To be successful here novel business models are needed to be developed. There is
lack of business development people who understand the OLAE field’s technologies and can same time speak similar
“language” as potential end users do. This is important when discussing with big brand owners.
2.4.4 Awareness and dissemination
In the workshops and interviews of WP1 awareness of TOLAE technologies among the end user companies is on
low level. There are many new letters (OE-A, Printed Electronics Now, etc…) delivering TOLAE information as well as
all research projects have public web pages but still it looks like that the followers are mainly OLAE technology
developers. Not the end users. The dissemination activities should be aimed more towards potential end users and
their view points. This is probably difficult since most likely communication and media professionals should be used.
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Appendix 1.
COLAE Workshop 26.2.2014 PARTICIPANTS Fname Lname Organization
Martin Albers BioNavis OY
Mark Allen Nokia Corporation
Antti Backman Delektre Oy
Wouter Brok Roth & Rau B.V.
David Brown Canatu
Jordi Carrabina Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Raghu Das IDTechEx
Paolo Debandi Saati
André Dion Printability and Graphic Communication Institute
Thomas Ducellier National Research Council
Matthias Eberhardt omtsys (M-U-T GmbH)
Tapio Fabritius University of Oulu
Norihide Fujimoto Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Admir Hadzic Optitune Oy
Valtteri Halla Leia
Jukka Hast VTT
Nancy Hecker-Denschlag omtsys (M-U-T GmbH)
Markku Heino Spinverse Ltd.
Cc Hsiao Polyera Corporation
Olli-Heikki Huttunen VTT
Juha Häkkinen University of Oulu
Panu Jalas
Pavel Janko Avery Dennison
Andreas Kaiser Lenzing Technik Mechatronics
Ilkka Kaisto VTT
Christos Kapnopoulos Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Timo Kemppainen Mepromation
Antti Kemppainen VTT
Christos Koidis ORGANIC ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGIES P.C.
Thomas Kolbusch Coatema Coating Machinery GmbH
Dmitry Krakhin Flexbright Oy
Johana Kuncova-Kallio BioNavis Ltd
Jani-Mikael Kuusisto Ynvisible
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Markku Känsäkoski MK Fluidics Oy
Mika Laitinen Magnasense Technologies Oy
Kimmo Leppänen University of Oulu
Carmine Lucignano SAATI
Tatu Luuk Lasimestarin Ikkuna Oy
Himadri Majumdar VTT
Pekka Makkonen Flexbright Oy
Surama Malik Nokia
Asko Marttila VTT - marttilaConsulting
Ralf Mauer InnovationLab GmbH
Nico Meyer Coatema Coating Machinery GmbH
Tero Mustonen BASF
Manu Myry Clothing+
Mikko Mäkinen MoniDrops
Teemu Mäkiniemi Goodwiller
Markku Mäntylä Metso Automation Oy
Harri Määttä Oulu University of Applied Sciences
Kaori Nakamura TOYO INK SC HOLDINGS CO.,LTD. Technology innovation HQ
Karri Niemelä FocalSpec
Luigi Occhipinti STMicroelectronics
Juho Paavola Elcoflex Oy
Franz Padinger Botest Printed Sensors GmbH
Johnny Pehkonen Optitune
Turo Piila Neficon Finland Oy
Carlos Pinheiro Ynvisible
Juha Rantala Inkron Oy
Philippe Reynaert European Commission DG Connect
Miguel Ribeiro CeNTI
Naoki Rikita MMC RYOTEC CORPORATION
Riku Rikkola VTT
Tommi Rintala Delektre Oy
Jarkko Ruottinen
Kari Rönkä VTT
Sergey Schedrov Flexbright Oy
Horst Scheiber Durst DIT GmbH
Marc Schnieper CSEM Muttenz
Peter Schobesberger kb-endlos
Simo Siitonen Stora Enso Oyj
Samuli Siitonen Nanocomp Oy Ltd
Kimmo Solehmainen VTT
Henna Sundqvist VTT
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Magnus Svensson Acreo Swedish ICT AB
Antti Takaluoma Offcode
Toshihisa Takeda Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Anja Talo Enfucell Oy
Tsuneharu Tanaka Asahi KASEI
Timo Tarvainen Elcoflex Oy
Antti Tauriainen Screentec Oy
Markku Tauriainen Taurisol Oy
Yiping Ting Polyera Corporation
Marc Torrent Poch Cetemmsa
Timo Vainio OAMK
Daniel Valencia Onyx Solar
Peter Walshe Toyo Ink Europe
Ville Vatanen JOT Automation
Piotr Wierzchowiec Merck Chemicals
Richard Wilson Cambridge Display Technology
Timo Wirkkala
Peter Visser BOM (Brabant regional development agency)
David Wolin CSEM Brasil
Daniel Nilsen Wright SINTEF ICT
Thomas Q Wu Kinordia Med AB
Koji Yoshida Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Ronald Österbacka Åbo Akademi
Andrea Bernardi ENI spa
Riccardo Po ENI spa
Jacopo Tonziello ENI spa