With the equipment of AFS Entwicklungs + Vertriebs GmbH, NORCOP demonstrates the significance of the surface chemistry of polymer substrates used in conductive ink screen printing, and how its modification by MOLECULAR COATING™ achieves low resistivity, defect-free, reliable, and compact flexible electrical circuits. "MOLECULAR COATING™ is a plasma-induced surface deposition technology allowing the deposition of transparent thin coatings on the surface of various 2D plastic, paper, and textile substrates. It performs exceptionally well in screen printing of conductive inks, while preliminary results using inkjet printing have been very promising. When the right ink-substrate pair has been identified and used, the main characteristics of these thin layers are surface roughness and surface chemistry control, which lead to perfect wetting (zero pinholes) and adhesion. These characteristics afford the printer the following benefits:" Absence of PINHOLES leads to increased conductivity in electrical circuits: often more than two times higher when compared to those printed on standard commercial PET. Surface Roughness Control, achieved by varying the thickness of the deposited film, impacts the adhesion of the ink due to modification of the ink-substrate interlocking mechanisms (@Van Der Waals interactions) Surface Chemistry Control, achieved by the introduction of carefully selected chemical functions on the surface of the substrate, ensures high energy covalent bonding between the MOLECULAR COATING™ and the resins present in the ink. These in turn affect: The adhesion of the MOLECULAR COATING™ with the base substrate (PET or other) Adhesion of the MOLECULAR COATING™ with the printed ink Adhesion of the MOLECULAR COATING™ with the dielectric varnish The resistance to deformation upon repeated bending (flexible organic coating) The resistance to heat defects which occur during circuit operation (hot spots) "The systems used in printing with metal-containing inks, circuits printed on NORCOP's substrates show narrow lines, 30-500 µm in width which is straight, with regular edges and constant interline spaces all along the tracks. In this way, the risks of circuit failure or short circuit formation are eliminated." For more information:

On Wearable Medical Sensors, E-Textiles and Printed Electronics TechBlick is delighted to announce a Free-To-Attend exhibition and selected end-user presentations on 14 October 2021 between 16:30 to 19:30 CEST in their popular networking lounge. This is a Free-To-Attend session, part of the larger member-only event featuring world-class speakers on Wearable Medical Sensors, Printed Electronics, and E-Textiles. To see the full agenda click here. The Free-To-Attend session includes the following global end-user speakers: Ypsomed: Printed/Flexible Electronics for Drug Delivery Devices - Drivers & Tradeoffs Ravensburger: Printed Electronics in the Board Game Industry Metronic: Tech Innovations in Insulin Delivery Siemens Healthcare: Perovskites: The Emergence of a New Era for High-Resolving and Ultra-Sensitive Flat Panel X-Ray Detectors GE Healthcare: Disposable, Adjustable Clinical Grade Vital Sign Monitoring Systems Wiliot: How to Scale the IoT to Trillions – Sensing as a Service with Sticker Sized Computers Robert Sauvé Research Institute for Occupational Health and Safety: Smart Protective Equipment. In addition to these presentations there is also a major exhibition for you to enjoy. Giving you the opportunity to meet colleagues and potential new customers. This is an extremely interactive event, giving the buzz and feel of an in-person event. To see how it works, please click on the link here To register for this ‘must attend’ event click here Places are limited and demand will be high, so register today to guarantee your place. Our exhibitors include the following. Many will be there to meet you TechBlick has 1000+ members. Its members and speakers include: GE Healthcare, Facebook, LG Electronics, Sony, ST Micro, Luxottica, Ford, Samsung, TCL, BOE, Panasonic, FIAT, Audi, Hyundai Motor, Mitsubishi Materials, Nissan Chemical, Evonik, Momentive, Asahi Glass Corp, Murata, AUO, Stabilo, Boeing, Analog Devices, Google, Microsoft, ARM, Corning, Infineon, SK Innovation, P&G, Coca Cola, Microsoft, DuPont, Jabil, Dyson, Avery Dennison, Nexperia, Eastman Kodak Company, Airbus, Solvay, Boeing, Lamar Advertising, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Waymo, Texas Instruments, ABB, Swarovski, Flex, Jabil, Intel, WL Gore, BASF, GE Research, JX Nippon, Aixtron, Imec, CEA, Dai Nippon Printing, Delo, Henkel, Identiv, Hoya, IP Group, Schott, Siemens, Tata Steel, Volvo, Wuerth, PPG Industries, JC Decaux, Roche, Medtronic, ArcelorMittal and many more Add to your Calendar iCalendar| Google Calendar | MicrosoftOutlook Calendar | Office 365 Calendar | Yahoo Calendar

Kontakt.io Inc., the industry leader in Bluetooth ® Low Energy (BLE) indoor IoT solutions launched the world's smallest BLE beacon, and the first disposable wearable Nano Tag - to solve for worker safety, patient and visitor experience use cases for the healthcare, hospitality and events industries. "Addressing size and unit cost limitations of older generation RFID tags, Kontakt.io's BLE tag technology makes it possible for end-users to deploy truly disposable beacons in a wearable form factor that makes a host of new use cases possible, including those for event delegates, sports fans, building visitors or healthcare patient localization and the applications that take advantage of such real-time data. Kontakt.io's open API-First delivery architecture, coupled with BLE's promise for an open wireless standard that is vendor agnostic, stands to rapidly increase adoption of advanced use cases such as:" In healthcare, Nano Tag is used by staff to prevent patient wandering and elopement, to monitor patient procedure wait times, and better orchestrate emergency department and operating suites workflows; For trade shows and in large music and sports events, Nano Tag wristbands are used for crowd safety, emergency management and to enable new experience use cases such as location-aware food services, find my friend and other indoor location experiences; In smart buildings, wearable lanyards and wrist Nano Tags make it possible to monitor visitor movements inside buildings, improving facility security and overall safety. "This amazingly small and waterproof (IP67) device measures just 0.9 in (23 mm) x 0.7 in x 0.3 in (5.3mm) and only weighs 0.07 oz (2g). The Nano Tag is powered by a Silver Oxide, a non-toxic battery that provides up to three months of battery life transmitting once every second (1Hz), extendable to a full operating year at a slower location update rate." "The Nano Tag is powered by Bluetooth 5.0 technology, making it compatible with iOS and Android mobile devices, Kontakt.io low-cost BLE gateways and inherently supported by Cisco WiFi 6 and Cisco Meraki access point equipped with a BLE radio. AI Cloud-managed" "Amazingly-Simple-IoT™ solutions from Kontakt.io make it possible for a wide range of organizations to harness the power of IoT without the need to deploy massive IT resources or prohibit financial costs to transform building operations 'Smart'." "Continuing our standing commitment to innovation, we are thrilled to announce the Nano Tag today, taking yet another step in driving cost reduction and environmentally friendly products," said Rom Eizenberg, CRO at Kontakt.io. "Servicing increasing demand from our customer base, the Nano Tag eliminates the need for Lithium batteries while providing a truly wearable BLE device that redefines what is possible in tag miniaturization and performance," added Mr. Eizenberg. Nano Tags are available from USD $7.99 to $4.99 unit price through the Kontakt.io store, channel network, and in the Cisco IoT Device Marketplace. Sources https://www.wearabletechnologyinsights.com/articles/24800/worlds-smallest-ble-beacon-and-first-disposable-wearable-tag?rsst2id=143&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kontaktio-launches-nano-tag-the-worlds-smallest-affordable-disposable--wearable-ble-tag-301380372.html

Toppan printing develops the world’s first flexible TFT to withstand million bending cycles to a one-millimeter radius of curvature. "Flexible electronics are seen in foldable smartphones and their application is anticipated for wearable sensors, medical devices, smart packaging, and more. Organic TFTs are lightweight and flexible, but disadvantages include low carrier mobility, reliability, and durability. Inorganic TFTs provide high carrier mobility and have an established mass production process, but flexibility needs improvement. There is consequently the demand for new TFTs combining outstanding carrier mobility, flexibility, and durability." "Toppan, a global leader in communication, security, packaging, décor materials, and electronics solutions, has developed a flexible thin-film transistor (TFT) with an unprecedented combination of flexibility, durability, and carrier mobility. The new TFT withstands a million bending cycles to a 1 mm radius of curvature and demonstrates advantages for practical application, such as an on/off current ratio of at least 10^7 with carrier mobility of 10cm^2/Vs or more." "Leveraging unique technologies and a new structure, Toppan has created the world’s first TFT with the flexibility to be wound around a mechanical pencil lead, the durability of a flexible printed circuit board, and carrier mobility exceeding 10 times that of amorphous silicon TFTs. Flex testing shows no variation in carrier mobility and other properties before and after a million bending cycles to a 1 mm radius of curvature. Toppan aims to advance manufacturing technology, enhance flexibility, durability, and carrier mobility, and target the development of flexible sensors." "We have achieved unprecedented flexibility and durability by combining existing TFT technologies,” said Manabu Ito, development manager at Toppan. “This breakthrough raises the potential for ultra-thin, unbreakable flexible sheet sensors and stretchable devices in the future.” Source:https://www.toppan.com/en/news/2021/03/newsrelease210329e.html

Phoseon Technology has announced a new FireJet and FireEdge NIR Explorer. Near-InfraRed lamps that are aimed at curable adhesives, 3D printing, and pinning on low migration applications. Phoseon’s latest LED lamp, the FireEdge Explorer, uses NIR for curing Phoseon has built its entire business on developing LED lamps though up to now the company has concentrated on ultraviolet lamps. Simon Reissmann, a technical marketing engineer for Phoseon, says that the company constantly extends its LED wavelength portfolio so it’s a natural step to implement LEDs that emit in the Near InfraRed range. The NIR spectrum starts at around 800nm, where the visible light spectrum leaves off. Reissmann says these lamps can be used for new NIR-curable adhesives, adding: “Further, this technology is showing potential in pinning and improving print quality on water-based and hybrid inks, used for low migration, in inkjet printing before the final curing stage.” These LED systems are not yet powerful enough to fully cure and dry water-based prints in the way that, for example, an Adphos NIR system can but Reissman says that the NIR LED lamps have been shown to help print quality through pinning. He adds: “Another area of interest is 3D printing and keeping printed models and substrates contactless at the desired temperature.” Reissman continues: “NIR LED will not compete against UV LED but rather complement it for materials and applications that have a different absorption spectrum. The main advantages of the NIR LED versus existing NIR systems are its instant on/off capability, with no warm-up time, and its efficient energy use that makes it a substantially greener technology. We expect the sales price to be similar to our existing UV-A LED solutions.” Of the two new lamps, the FireJet NIR Explorer offers high power in an air-cooled package. The 20mm wide window guarantees that the energy is spread wider for a larger dose and exposure time in high-speed applications. The FireEdge NIR Explorer is a smaller variation of the FireJet and offers roughly 1/5th the output power with a 10mm wide rod lens. It has a small form factor that combined with the more focused rod lens output should be ideal for delivering high intensity at 5-10mm working distance. Source:https://phoseon.com/in-the-news/phoseon-develops-nir-led-lamps/

The Sydney-based solar technology start-up "SunDrive Solar" has developed a commercial-size silver-free silicon PV cell that elevated the new world record for the efficiency at which its solar cells convert sunlight to electricity to 25.54%. "Silver is a core component in today’s solar panels. It is estimated solar panel manufacturing accounts for about 20% of the world’s annual consumption of the precious metal, with the volume expected to rise steeply as the next generation of high-efficiency cells currently being developed require up to three times more silver than their antecedents. Copper doesn’t have the same highly conductive properties as silver and does not adhere well to the surface of the solar cell but Allen, who along with former flatmate David Hu founded SunDrive in 2015, has found a solution. And a much more affordable one." "The result is a major shake-up for the industry with China-based solar cell manufacturers topping the efficiency records in recent years. Manufacturing giant Longi Solar held the previous top mark for a commercial-size monocrystalline hetero-junction (HJT) solar cell, achieving 25.26% during testing at ISFH earlier this year. While SunDrive celebrated the world record, the company’s technology – which replaces the expensive silver used in conventional solar cells with the cheaper and more abundant copper – could have greater ramifications, potentially lowering the manufacturing cost of solar PV panels." "In terms of our timeline, we're planning to have a commercial-sized module containing our solar cells at the end of this year, which is representative of what we could put on a roof or in a solar farm," Allen said. "We're also focused on building our pilot production line by end of next year with panels ready maybe by the first half of 2023." For more information, visit https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2021/09/10/australian-start-up-sets-25-54-efficiency-record-for-silicon-cell/ https://interestingengineering.com/australia-created-the-most-efficient-solar-cell-ever-with-no-silver

"The US battery R&D company Ionobell, awards FOM Technologies a contract for Slot Die coating equipment. The sale will be via our strategic partner in US M. Braun Inc." "FOM is happy to announce the sale of our flagship machine to the California-based company Ionobell. Ionobell is a battery R&D company with expertise in battery material and cell development. Ionobell is specialized in silicon battery manufacturing for the Automotive industry." CEO Michael Stadi states: “The sale underlines and supports the effort, we at FOM has put into designing products for the booming EV industry. As with all our customers, we’ll make sure that the science team of Ionobell, will get all our support and insight to our technology to create a long-term relationship.” Source: https://www.fomtechnologies.com/news/us-battery-rd-company-awards-fom-new-contract

"Xiaomi has developed a monochrome microLED screen for smart glasses to display the real-time translation of text and audio. An AI engine can translate text from pictures taken by a 5Mpxel camera and display them in real-time on the glasses." Xiaomi says it went with a monochrome MicroLED system because of its “higher pixel density and longer lifespan while having a simpler structure” when compared to OLED. According to Xiaomi, MicroLED “allows for a more compact display, as well as easier screen integration.” "MicroLED is a self-emissive display technology that is widely viewed as the natural successor to OLED. However, it remains prohibitively expensive and is yet to be deployed in more than a handful of commercial products." "The Xiaomi's smart glasses design has 497 components and weighs 51g. The monochrome display chip in the Xiaomi smart glasses measures 2.4mm x 2.02mm with 4μm individual pixels to fit within the frame of the glasses. To allow sufficient light to pass through complicated optical structures before reaching the eye even in harsh direct sunlight, the developers used a monochrome display with a peak brightness of 2 million nits." "By adopting optical waveguide technology which refracts lights at 180°, the MicroLED display accurately transmits light beams to the human eye through the microscopic grating structure of the optical waveguide lens. The grating structure etched onto the inner surface of the lens allows light to be refracted into the eye with multiple beams, allowing the eye to build up a complete image. This is performed in a single lens, instead of using complicated multiples lens systems, mirrors, or half mirrors. This reduces the device size and weight." "As well as the display chip, the 497 components include sensors, touchpad and communication modules, and a Xiaomi AI Assistant as the primary interaction method. The 5MP camera on the front of the glasses can also take photos and translate text into photos, which is highly convenient when traveling. Using the dual beamforming microphone with a proprietary translating algorithm, Xiaomi Smart Glasses can also transcribe audio into text with translations in real-time. Like the Facebook Ray-bans, The indicator light next to the camera will illuminate when the camera is in use to indicate that photos are being taken. The Xiaomi AI agent also selects and pushes the most important messages, such as smart home alarms, urgent information from office apps, and messages from important contacts." "The glasses use a quad-core ARM processor, battery, touchpad, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules, and Android operating system". "Xiaomi s reported to have at least 34 investments in semiconductor companies in China over the last two years to secure its supply chain in both design and manufacturing." Sources: https://www.eenewseurope.com/news/ai-translation-smart-glasses-drives-microled-display https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/14/22673144/xiaomi-smart-glasses-announced-microled-display-ar

Optomec Inc. recently announced that one of its long-time production customers purchased another five Aerosol Jet 3D Electronics Printers, bringing its total count overtime to 15 systems. The $1+ million order is part of a production ramp plan that will grow to more than 25 systems over the next 12 months. "Optomec’s patented Aerosol Jet 3D Electronics Printers are an additive electronics solution uniquely capable of directly printing high-resolution conductive circuitry, with feature sizes as small as 10 microns. The process is further differentiated by its ability to print onto non-planar substrates and fully 3-dimensional end-parts. Production applications include direct printing of 3D antennas, 3D sensors, medical electronics, semiconductor packaging, and display assembly." "A primary high-value use case in semiconductor packaging is the printing of 3D interconnects to connect chips to other chips, traditional circuit boards, and even directly integrated into end-products, such as wearables. In this case, the process replaces legacy wire-bonding due to its advantages in terms of smaller space claim, lower loss (especially in high frequency and mmWave), and greater mechanical reliability." “This most recent multi-system 3D additive electronics order is further testimony to the production viability of Optomec’s solutions,” said David Ramahi, Optomec CEO. “We look forward to supporting this industry-leading user as they continue to grow their fleet of production systems, and likewise replicating this proof statement with others in need of next-generation semiconductor packaging solutions.” "Optomec is a privately held, rapidly growing supplier of additive manufacturing systems. Its patented Aerosol Jet Systems for printed electronics, and LENS and Huffman brand 3D printers for metal component production and repair, are used by industry to reduce product cost and improve performance. Together, these unique printing solutions work with the broadest spectrum of functional materials, ranging from electronic inks to structural metals and even biological matter. Optomec has delivered more than 500 of its proprietary additive manufacturing systems to more than 200 marquee customers around the world, for production applications in the electronics, energy, life sciences, and aerospace industries. Its users include countless blue-chip manufacturing companies, such as GE, Samsung, Raytheon, Siemens, Lockheed, and LiteOn, as well as the US Air Force, US Navy, US Army, and NASA." Source:https://ope-journal.com/news/optomec-receives-large-order-for-3d-printed-electronics-production-at-oem

Group of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center & St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have published in Science Translational Medicine "MXene-infused bioelectronic interfaces for multiscale electrophysiology and stimulation" a flexible MXene electrode that record brain activity, electromyography to measure muscle activation, electrocardiography to monitor heart activity, and electrooculography to map eye movement. "Soft bioelectronic interfaces for mapping and modulating excitable networks at high resolution and at a large scale can enable paradigm-shifting diagnostics, monitoring, and treatment strategies. Yet, current technologies largely rely on materials and fabrication schemes that are expensive, do not scale, and critically limit the maximum attainable resolution and coverage. Solution processing is a cost-effective manufacturing alternative, but biocompatible conductive inks matching the performance of conventional metals are lacking. Here, we introduce MXtrodes, a class of soft, high-resolution, large-scale bioelectronic interfaces enabled by Ti3C2 MXene (a two-dimensional transition metal carbide nanomaterial), and scalable solution processing. We show that the electrochemical properties of MXtrodes exceed those of conventional materials and do not require conductive gels when used in epidermal electronics. Furthermore, we validate MXtrodes in applications ranging from mapping large-scale neuromuscular networks in humans to cortical neural recording and microstimulation in swine and rodent models." "Electrodes were fabricated in planar or three-dimensional forms and were applied to the skin of volunteers for use with electroencephalography to record brain activity, electromyography to measure muscle activation, electrocardiography to monitor heart activity, and electrooculography to map eye movement. The electrode arrays could also be implanted in pigs and rats for intraoperative monitoring and stimulation of the brain and showed compatibility with magnetic resonance and computed tomography imaging. These flexible interfaces have potential clinical utility for multiscale epidermal sensing and neuromodulation."

Speaker: Jonathan Waldern | Company: META (Metamaterial) | Date: 11-12 May 2021 | Full Presentation Bio This presentation reviews two of META’s key technology development strands: metaOPTIX™ holographic optical technology and NanoWeb® transparent conductive nanostructures metaOPTIX™ holographic optical components are fabricated on META’s Holography platform. Interference patterns are recorded with a laser into a light-sensitive photopolymer material to form Volume Holographic Gratings (VHGs), which transmit or reflect light in various ways, depending on the geometric structure of the recorded pattern. NANOWEB® is a transparent conductor made of an invisible metal mesh that can be fabricated onto any glass or plastic surface. It offers a superior alternative to Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), Silver Nanowire (AgNW), graphene and carbon nanotube among other ITO-alternative technologies. Join TechBlick on an annual pass to join all live online conference or online version of onsite conference access library of on-demand talks (600 talks + PDFs) portfolio of expert led masterclass year-round platform https://www.techblick.com/ And do NOT miss our flagship event in Berlin on 17-18 OCT 2023 focused on Reshaping the Future of Electronics. This event attracts 550-600 participants from all the world and offers a superb ambience and dynamic exhibition floor. To learn more visit https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped To see feedback about previous event see https://www.techblick.com/events-agenda

Researchers from Penn State's Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics have published ACS Applied Materials & interfaces paper "Strain-Tunable Microfluidic Devices with Crack and Wrinkle Microvalves for Microsphere Screening and Fluidic Logic Gates" highlighting a simple, low-cost, efficient way to fabricate strain-tunable elastomeric micropatterns as microvalves in a microfluidic device. “The crack microvalves are closed before stretching but open as the tensile strain increases, whereas the wrinkle microvalves exhibit the opposite trend. The microfluidic device with crack and wrinkle microvalves is demonstrated for microparticle screening and fluidic logic operation in a programmable manner. The applied tensile strain changes the width and depth of the crack microvalves to control the selective transport of microparticles of different sizes. When the crack and wrinkle microvalves are integrated into the single microfluidic device, the fluid can be modulated to flow through the microvalves in a manner that represents the operation of the OR or AND logic gates. These controllable valves to adjust the reaction time and volume represent a viable path toward large-scale integration for potential applications in multiliquid, multistep sample preparation, and reagent processing. The programmable microfluidic system demonstrated in this study opens up additional opportunities to complement the prior reports in applications ranging from biomedicine and organ-on-chips to drug delivery and reagent mixing. However, PDMS is prone to swelling in many organic solvents. Although the application of the device with PDMS is limited (aqueous solutions), the concept from this study can be applied to the other soft materials that are stable in the target organic solvent.”