Plastic Electronics 2012 in Dresden showcases solutions for flexible and organic PV

An industrial sector that experts rate as a future market worth billions will present itself from Tuesday at the 8th Plastic Electronics Exhibition & Conference. Companies and research institutes for organic, printed, flexible and large-area electronics will come together at the PE2012. Their objective: to advance the development of Plastic Electronics from the research laboratories to an extensive industrial mass production. The trade fair will take place from 09 – 11 October at the same time as the leading European semiconductor trade fair SEMICON Europa.

The Plastic Electronics Exhibition & Conference focuses on production-related topics. More than 90 companies and experts will present their latest products at the trade fair and give presentations on topics relating to manufacturing and process engineering, innovative solutions, industry trends and sales opportunities.

“With vital progress in printed and organic displays, lighting and integrated electronic systems, Plastic Electronics has the potential to become an industry sector worth billions in the upcoming years," says Heinz Kundert, President of SEMI Europe. "The different areas of the industry will advance materials science, process engineering and manufacturing skills to a great extent. This means that our industry's future is presented perfectly at the SEMICON Europa. The synergies between the innovations of the Plastic Electronics with semiconductor, display and thin-layer production will speed up industrial growth and shape the electronics industry in the years to come."

The Plastic Electronics with its extensive range is the ideal marketplace for all kinds of different companies in these future markets. In Dresden, 60 companies of the overall 350 exhibitors are also staging the latest products and services for the future market Plastic Electronics.

OLEDs for displays and lighting

The OLED technology has been mature since 2010 and fulfills the customers' high requirements. Experts for displays rate the success of OLEDs as "sweeping". In 2012, the income will presumably amount to more than USD 4 billion. Large displays for televisions will give the market development another significant boost. The worldwide sales could even rise to USD 20 billion by 2015. The progress in display production is necessary to define OLEDs as a basic format for Solid State Lighting (SSL). Currently, the sales markets are growing exponentially. From headlights to streetlights: There is a good reason why OLEDs are called the light of the future. They are also increasingly used in operating theatres thanks to their low heat development and because they are non-glaring.  

Flexible and organic photovoltaics

The world market for flexible photovoltaics is currently estimated at a value of around USD 2.6 billion. According to the market research company Nanomarkets, the market for thin-layer and organic photovoltaics will grow to USD 7.5 billion by 2015. With OPV, solar cells of the third generation can be manufactured, with a light and flexible carrier foil serving as a basis. The solar cells of the first generation are based on the solid silicon and are fragile, heavy and rigid. Apart from that, they are complicated to manufacture. Thin-layer cells, the second generation, are much lighter but noxious chemicals are processed during production. The third-generation solar cells are based on inks that can be printed on light, flexible foils. With the roll-to-roll procedure, this method is similar to newspaper printing and it is possible to achieve significant cost advantages.

Integrated Smart Systems

Which new applications and products have a future and only become possible in the first place by means of different production methods? Which opportunities and problems can be expected? The event will focus on questions all around the manufacturing, processing and tools, as well as future applications and products for the end users. It is always worth a visit for anyone who wants to discover the challenges and opportunities of this trend-setting and promising industry.

In addition, the Plenary Session, an extensive three-day event, will cover several topics all around technology and markets. One of the keynote speakers is, among others, Thibaud Le Seguillon, CEO of Heliatek. The company from Dresden is planning the production of its worldwide unique organic solar foils and is rated the globally leading company for high-end photovoltaics technology. One of the guest speakers is Ho Kyoon Chung, Chair Professor and Director of the Samsung SMD OLED Center at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. The AMOLED technology for high-resolution mobile displays has successfully reached market maturity and is now ready to tap new markets, for example with bigscreen TV sets. Also the manufacturing costs will be decisive for the market launch. The presentation will deal with the problems and challenges and suggest innovative ideas to overcome cost issues. The Plastic Electronics Exhibition & Conference 2012 will consider all the major areas of the industry.