Polymer film in flexible printed electronics, the forgotten component!
- khashayar Ghaffarzadeh
- Oct 15
- 4 min read
We shine the spotlight on a relatively unknown yet vital component in the printed electronics sector: the substrate. Interview with Christophe Geffray, CEO of Normandy Coating, a company based in Dieppe on the Normandy coast in France.
Christophe, you are the CEO of a company specialising in polymer film surface treatment. Could you briefly describe your know-how?
Christophe: We have two production units, in Arques-La-Bataille near Dieppe: one .has been specialising in the chemical coating and heat stabilisation of polyester films for over 50 years. We also have a Plasma coating unit (NORCOP) which enables us to offer nanometric molecular coating on a wider range of substrates from PET, PEI, PEN, PI and PC to paper, etc.
To put it simply, we give naturally inert films or paper the properties requested by our customers:
Adhesion
Printability
Transfer/release
“Barrier” effects
Thermal stability
Most importantly though, we are recognised for our ability to provide surface treatments tailored to the specific needs of our customers. If you need finely tuned adhesion, an instant release effect or a water-repellent film which can still be printed on, we are there!
In your opinion, why is the substrate and its surface treatment so important in the printed electronics sector?
Christophe: Often we make the mistake of focusing on the conductive ink and trying to select this ink according to a standard film available on the market.
And yet there is everything to be gained by using the opposite approach! Thanks to chemical and molecular coating technologies, it is the properties of the substrate that will be adapted to the requirements of the printer and the ink used, not the other way around. This is often the way we get the best results.
Can you give us some examples?
Christophe: Yes, of course. Some customers ask us for rock-solid adhesion for Plastronic type thermoformed applications or flexible flat cables. We then perform a TCA type surface treatment which will give optimum and long-lasting adhesion properties to our PET films. Thus, with a coating thickness in the µm range, our chemical unit will enable the surface energy of the substrate to be increased to over than 70 dynes/cm!
For others it is the fineness of the printed lines and a constant space between lines which is the most important. In this case we will use Plasma coating unit, which can align the surface energy of the substrate with the surface tension of the printed ink.
Listening to you, it appears fairly obvious that coating technology and its various properties are relatively unknown and overlooked in the field of printed electronics. Why do you think that is?
Christophe: It is important to keep in mind that even though printed electronics has recently developed a great deal through numerous applications in the automotive, medical and aeronautical fields, it is a fairly young sector of activity and has been slow to take off. So, it is not unusual that all the areas for improvement are not yet known. There are still huge possibilities for innovation and substrate surface treatment techniques are part of these, both in terms of coating and also in terms of thermal stability, a quality which is so important for printed circuits that need to avoid any breakage or discontinuity after printing. Here at Normandy Coating we fully understand this requirement and our PET Arcophane STE (super stabilisation) range, for example, will enable you to achieve thermal shrinkage of only 0.1% after 30 minutes in an oven at 170°C.
My message is clear: let’s put polymer film at the focus of OPEN INNOVATION discussions and approaches. Let’s tell the industry world about the qualities that can be obtained by the right surface treatment. The importance of the substrate will once more be recognised and will help the entire sector in its continuous innovation approach.
What markets do you work on and what requirements do your customers demand?
Christophe: Normandy Coating works for the automotive sector with eminent end customers such as VW and Tesla. For example, we participate in the development of passenger safety features and heating elements in the seats.
Due to the requirements in this sector, we are certified ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 and therefore have a managerial system worthy of the big guns!
Our company is also active in the field of medical devices with applications such as biosensors or blood glucose test strips where the requirements can be high in terms of hygiene, reliability and the addition of barrier properties (02/H20, etc.). But we also produce high-performance release liners designed to support the coating and release of PU-based layers or inks used in stretchable printed electronics such as wearables (smart clothing and insoles).
As you can see, we are strongly committed to innovation and the markets of the future. In this context, our New Business Manager, Bruno Ricordeau — with a solid background in the automotive sector — works closely with our customers to bring these high-potential projects to life.
TechBlick: A final comment, President?
Christophe: As surface treatment techniques on polymer films are little known, I encourage anyone likely to be interested to come and visit our production units near Dieppe, which have the undeniable advantage of being on the Normandy coast. And don’t forget that by coming to see us, you will discover two treasures: our craftsmanship on polymer and paper rolls but also...the famous “Coquille Saint Jacques” scallops, probably the best seafood in the world!
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