Printed Electronics: A Manufacturing Technology Analysis and Capacity Forecast

SUMMARY

The Printable electronics industry has seen several high profile manufacturing related announcements in the past few months. As these fabs come online it opens up new possibilities for this emerging market but also new questions since the PE business is now in a position to engage in supply side forecasting and analysis for several layers of the value chain. The answers to these questions are important to materials firms planning their ink and substrate products, equipment manufacturers assessing their opportunities in the PE space, device manufacturers considering which products to introduce and to investors considering the viability of the PE business. It also should go without saying that large semi manufacturers will also be impacted by the findings in this report.

This new report from NanoMarkets will provide a detailed capacity forecast for PE products broken out by applications and printing technology. The capacity forecast will include not only the new breed of PE technology developers such as NanoIdent, Nanosolar, OrganicID, Plastic Logic, PolyIC and Polymer Vision but also the growing number of established printing firms that are becoming involved in the PE industry. The report will also discuss in what parts of the world the fabs for the emerging PE industry will be built and where the first PE clusters are likely to appear.

Applications covered will include displays (OLEDs, e-paper, electrochromic), backplanes, RFID (tags and antennas), sensors, photovoltaics, computer memory and others. Printing technology covered will include ink-jet printing and all varieties of traditional printing (screen, flexo, gravure, etc) and we will also discuss how the manufacturing technology mix is likely to change in the future. Also included will be a discussion of which printing processes are being adopted by which application and why, as well as an assessment of the market and product strategies of key manufacturing equipment firms supply the PE including how printing equipment firms are adapting their technology to meet the electronics environment.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary

• E.1 Summary of Current Production Activity by PE Application
  • E.1.1 Printed Backplanes: Silicon and Organic
  • E.1.2 Printed Displays: E-Paper and OLEDs
  • E.1.3 Printed RFID
  • E.1.4 Printed Photovoltaics and Other Applications
• E.2 Key Opportunities in Printable Electronics for Printing Equipment Manufacturers
  • E.2.1 Screen Printing
  • E.2.2 Inkjet
  • E.2.3 Traditional Printing Technologies
• E.3 Key Opportunities in Printable Electronics for Materials Manufacturers

Chapter One: Introduction

• 1.1 Background to this Report
• 1.2 Objectives of this Report
• 1.3 Scope of this Report
• 1.4 Methodology of this Report
• 1.4 Selection of Time Periods Covered
• 1.5 Plan of this Report

Chapter Two: Production Technology Trends

• 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.1.1 A Note on Spin Coating
  • 2.1.2 Considerations in Choosing a PE Approach
• 2.2 Ink-Jet Printing
  • 2.2.1 Current and Likely Future Use in Printed Electronics
  • 2.2.2 Firms Supplying Ink-Jet Machines For PE
  • 2.2.3 Assessment of Current Machines and Technology
• 2.3 Screen Printing
  • 2.3.1 Current and Likely Future Use in Printed Electronics
  • 2.3.2 Firms Supplying Screen Printing Machines for PE
  • 2.3.3 Assessment of Current Machines and Technology
• 2.4 Flexo Printing
  • 2.4.1 Current and Likely Future Use in Printed Electronics
  • 2.4.2 Firms Supplying Flexo Machines For PE
  • 2.4.3 Assessment of Current Machines and Technology
• 2.5 Gravure Printing
  • 2.5.1 Current and Likely Future Use in Printed Electronics
  • 2.5.2 Firms Supplying Gravure Machines for PE
  • 2.5.3 Assessment of Current Machines and Technology
• 2.6 Analysis of Other Production Modes for PE
  • 2.6.1 Offset
  • 2.6.2 Pad Printing
  • 2.6.3 Soft Lithography
  • 2.6.4 Other
• 2.7 Roll-to-Roll Printing
  • 2.7.1 Current and Future Use of R2R in PE
  • 2.7.2 Key Firms Shaping R2R-based PE
• 2.8 In-line Processing of PE with Graphics

Chapter Three: Firms Currently Building Printed Electronics Manufacturing Capacity

• 3.1 Introduction
• 3.2 Requirements for Printing Machines in PE R&D Facilities
• 3.3 Analysis and Profiles of Firm Currently Commercially Printing Electronics
  • 3.3.1 GSI Technologies
  • 3.3.2 Micro Emissive Displays
  • 3.3.3 NANOIDENT Technologies AG
  • 3.3.4 Nanosolar
  • 3.3.5 OrganicID
  • 3.3.6 Plastic Logic
  • 3.3.7 PolyIC
  • 3.3.8 Polymer Vision
  • 3.3.9 printed systems
  • 3.3.10 Thin Film Electronics
  • 3.3.11 Toppan Printing

Chapter Four: Eight-Year Capacity and Equipment Forecasts

• 4.1 Forecasting Methodology
• 4.2 Capacity Forecasts by Application
  • 4.2.1 Printable Backplanes
  • 4.2.2 Displays and Signage
  • 4.2.3 RFIDs
  • 4.2.4 Photovoltaics
  • 4.2.5 Other Devices Manufactured With PE
  • 4.2.6 Summary of Projections
• 4.3 Capacity Forecasts by Type of Printing
• 4.4 Forecasts of Printing Machines Used in PE by Printing Technology
• 4.5 Forecast of R2R Printing of PE Products

Acronyms and Abbreviations Used in this Report

About the Author

List of Exhibits

• Exhibit E-1: Available Capacity by PE Application (Square Meters)
• Exhibit 2-1: Comparison of Photolithography, Vacuum Deposition and Printed Electronics
• Exhibit 2-2: Selected Processes for PE and Applications
• Exhibit 2-3: Comparison of Printing Processes for PE
• Exhibit 2-4: Inkjet Suppliers for PE
• Exhibit 3-1: Selected PE Companies, Their Products and Printing Processes Used
• Exhibit 4-1: Printed Backplanes: Available Capacity by Company (Square Meters)
• Exhibit 4-2: Printed OLED Displays: Available Capacity by Company (Square Meters)
• Exhibit 4-3: Printed E Ink Displays: Available Capacity by Company (Square Meters)
• Exhibit 4-4: RFIDs: Available Capacity by Company (Square Meters)
• Exhibit 4-5: Printed Photovoltaics: Available Capacity by Company (Square Meters)
• Exhibit 4-6: Growth of Capacity in Other PE Segments
• Exhibit 4-7: Summary of PE Capacity Forecasts: By Application
• Exhibit 4-8: Summary of PE Capacity Forecasts: By Printing Technology
• Exhibit 4-9: Shipments of PE Equipment Industry
• Exhibit 4-10: PE Capacity Served by R2R Process: By Printing Technology