The ten optional expert-led masterclasses are interactive consultancy sessions. At each masterclass you will have the chance to handle many samples, and take away printed copies of presentations. They will ensure you get the most from the conference and leave with answers to your questions.

	Morning	Afternoon
Day 1	Masterclass 1 Introduction to Printed Electronics	Investment Summit
	Masterclass 2 Printing Technologies	Masterclass 4 Displays & Lighting
	Masterclass 3 Organic Materials	Masterclass 5 Metals and inorganic compounds

	Morning	Afternoon
Day 2	Masterclass 6 Thin Film Photovoltaics: Principles, Technologies, Markets
	Masterclass 7 Transistors	Masterclass 9 RFID & Its Progress towards Being Printed
	Masterclass 8 Creating New Products with Printed Electronics	Masterclass 10 Printing Technologies

Designed for those who are new to this disruptive technology or need to understand the big picture to assess the challenges and opportunities, this Masterclass will arm you with the latest knowledge of the applications and technology developments involving printed electronics. Led by experts, it is the ideal time to voice your questions as part of the interactive session and learn of the technologies that are available and emerging. The session will cover:

In the early years of printed electronics it was believed that one printing technology might be optimal for a given device such as a transistor circuit or flexible display. It was felt that the inks used would be almost entirely organic in nature. However, life has not proved that simple and most manufacturers and putative manufacturers are now using a variety of printing technologies for the various layers in a given device in order to optimize performance and cost.

Indeed, it is even common to combine printing of certain layers with spin coating, vacuum deposition and other non-printing technologies for other layers of a given device. Some thin film circuits even incorporate a silicon chip as an interim stage.

Another complication is that the active layers in thin film transistors, photovoltaics and other devices now commonly incorporate combined organic and inorganic substances, some in nanoparticle, carbon fullerene or other form.

All this means that there is a place for ink jet printing but also the various reel to reel printing technologies such as gravure, flexo and rotary screen. However, each must be customized to purpose.

This Masterclass demystifies the how, where, why and what next, bringing the subject alive with many real world examples.

Organic materials have been developed to enable new display frontplanes (OLED), transistor circuits, substrates, encapsulation materials, photovoltaic cells and even conductors. This masterclasses looks at the main material sets, the device performance and applicability to applications. Experts cover issues such as lifetime, stability, performance, printability, flexibility and other parameters. The full value chain is covered from material providers to device producers. We look at what still needs to be done and limitations, and progress from the major players. Options for printing organic materials is covered.

 

This masterclass, led by experts in the field, will guide you through the full range of technologies, market opportunities and challenges, and issues to be resolved. The IP situation will also be covered as will companies in the value chain, along with their positioning and strengths.

 

 

Though in many companies, universities and organisations the focus is on developing organic materials, inorganic materials and metals are equally important as well, from conductors to semiconductors and barrier materials. Indeed, in some cases we see those materials in a better position if it comes to real applications. This Masterclass is dedicated to covering metals and inorganic materials with high potential, covering demands from customers for new functionalities, the required material properties and technologies, and the supply chain as it is now and as it may develop in the near and long term future. In particular, we look at:

• Conductors - metal ink: silver, copper, silver coated copper and alternatives
• Semi-conductors - Metal oxides, nano silicon
• Hybrids - barriers, encapsulated, substrates
• Companies involved, value chain
• Unmet needs and opportunities

This masterclass is designed to give an overall picture of photovoltaic technologies, from basic principles all the way to current advances. The masterclass is structured as follows:

a. Photovoltaics: Basic principles and operation. Heterojunctions

b. After an overview of underlying principles, further details will be given on specific technologies:

• Organic and hybrid organic/inorganic photovoltaics

• Dye-sensitised solar cells, and

• Thin film technologies (e.g. amorphous silicon, CdTe, CIGS)

• III-V/ II-VI multijunctions

c. Advances/ Cutting Edge Applications

d. Market Analysis

The masterclass will be delivered by Dr Harry Zervos of IDTechEx and Prof. Ghassan Jabbour of Arizona State University.

 

The largest segment of printed electronics will be printed transistors and memory. They will drive lighting, displays, signage, electronic products, medical disposables, smart packaging, smart labels and much more besides. IDTechEx has tracked over 400 organisations that are developing printed transistors and memory, with first products sold in late 2008. This masterclass covers:

• The technology behind printing transistors: materials, printing, transistor performance
• Making different kinds of logic circuits - what is possible and what can be achieved shortly
• Circuit design - the new rules when printing logic and memory
• Transistor design parameters - lifetime, performance, flexible considerations
• Progress by universities and companies around the World
• Forecasts

Printed electronics is creating many new products given the benefits of the technology compared to conventional electronics, such as thinness, flexibility, cost, ease of manufacture, fast production turn around, "green" technology, power efficiency and more.

There is increasing work to look beyond replacing conventional electronics such as competing with LCD displays and silicon chip RFID tags, where the price erosion makes the benefits of printed electronics less obvious. Instead we now have smart skin patches using printed batteries, e-book readers - creating a new market, audio paper, moving bill board posters and much more. The difficulty of entering such areas has been lack of creativity. Designers, advertisers, branded goods companies, appliance manufactures, medical device companies will mostly not even know what printed electronics is, yet they are needed to envisage new products capable today with the current state of printed electronics. This new masterclass aims at covering these topics. We will cover key vertical industries and how they could benefit from the technology, the strategy your company should look at to go to market and assessment of timelines to market. You will learn from companies that have successfully created new markets with simple printed electronics today and how they have done it. In particular, hear from early adopters too.

 

Printed RFID is one of the most promising technologies to achieve these objectives - that includes printed transistors, sensors, batteries, microwave reflecting data carriers and antennas where needed. Today, we already have fully printed sub one cent RFID tags, some meeting EPC data specifications. These do not use thin film transistor circuits though and have various performance compromises. Additionally, over 50 companies are developing printed thin film transistor circuits which can mimic the silicon chip and be used as a printed RFID tag.

 

But how do these compete with the reducing cost of silicon chips? What benefits beyond cost are offered by this new electronics? What are the enabling technologies, progress of the leaders, market sizes and timelines? Which are the most suitable applications for printed RFID initially? This Masterclass answers these questions, assesses the technologies and how they work, and the latest progress.

In the early years of printed electronics it was believed that one printing technology might be optimal for a given device such as a transistor circuit or flexible display. It was felt that the inks used would be almost entirely organic in nature. However, life has not proved that simple and most manufacturers and putative manufacturers are now using a variety of printing technologies for the various layers in a given device in order to optimize performance and cost.

Indeed, it is even common to combine printing of certain layers with spin coating, vacuum deposition and other non-printing technologies for other layers of a given device. Some thin film circuits even incorporate a silicon chip as an interim stage.

Another complication is that the active layers in thin film transistors, photovoltaics and other devices now commonly incorporate combined organic and inorganic substances, some in nanoparticle, carbon fullerene or other form.

All this means that there is a place for ink jet printing but also the various reel to reel printing technologies such as gravure, flexo and rotary screen. However, each must be customized to purpose.

This Masterclass demystifies the how, where, why and what next, bringing the subject alive with many real world examples.

Previous Masterclass delegates have reported: