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Less than one week to Printed Electronics Europe 2010

Next week the sixth annual IDTechEx Printed Electronics Europe event takes place in Dresden, Germany on April 13-14. Read about some of the event highlights here.

Dow Corning and imec collaborate on solar cells

Dow Corning, a global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, signed a three-year contract with imec to perform joint research on next generations of crystalline silicon solar cells.

New path to solar energy via solid-state photovoltaics

A newly discovered path for the conversion of sunlight to electricity could brighten the future for photovoltaic technology. Researchers with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have found a new mechanism by which the photovoltaic effect can take place in semiconductor thin-films. This new route to energy production overcomes the bandgap voltage limitation that continues to plague conventional solid-state solar cells.

Self-powered nanosensors

By combining a new generation of piezoelectric nanogenerators with two types of nanowire sensors, researchers have created what are believed to be the first self-powered nanometer-scale sensing devices that draw power from the conversion of mechanical energy.

Sharp Corporation starts operation at solar cell plant in Japan

On March 29, Sharp Corporation started operations at its new thin-film solar cell plant in Sakai City, Japan. This plant will produce thin-film solar cells using large-size glass substrates measuring 1,000 x 1,400 mm.

Pill that signals it has been swallowed

Seeking a way to confirm that patients have taken their medication, University of Florida engineering researchers have added a tiny microchip and digestible antenna to a standard pill capsule. The prototype is intended to pave the way for mass-produced pills that, when ingested, automatically alert doctors, loved ones or scientists working with patients in clinical drug trials.

NREL and 3M sign agreement on renewable energy research

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has announced a series of Cooperative Research and Development Agreements with 3M, the Minneapolis based technology company.

GE sees bright future for thin film solar technology

With the race on in earnest to have the most efficient, low-cost solar module on the market, GE announced it is focusing its research and development efforts on thin film photovoltaic (PV) technology in conjunction with PrimeStar Solar Inc., the startup firm in which GE is a majority investor. Working closely with PrimeStar technology experts, the company is bringing to bear the full scale of its four Global Research operations to address each of the challenges required to bring a new product to market.

Paintable electronics

This airbrush technique deposits a well-studied material called P3HT to create spray-on transistors, which perform comparably to lab-standard equivalents made by spin coating. A multidisciplinary research team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has found* that an organic semiconductor may be a viable candidate for creating large-area electronics, such as solar cells and displays that can be sprayed onto a surface as easily as paint.

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

Hyundai has unveiled a gas-electric hybrid version of its popular Sonata midsize sedan at the New York International Auto

DELO presents adhesives for e-readers

DELO Industrial Adhesives, a manufacturer of tailor-made adhesive solutions, is introducing newly developed light-curing adhesives for e-reader encapsulation and organic photovoltaics applications.

Konarka's $20m in funding after signing agreement with Konica Minolta

Konarka Technologies Inc, an innovator in development and commercialization of Konarka Power Plastic, a material that converts light to energy, has announced the company has signed a comprehensive R&D collaboration and strategic investment agreement with Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.

Breakthroughs with sensing in the human body

Holst Centre and others are working on body area networking to monitor vital signs, control drug delivery according to need and otherwise progress towards bionic man and woman and care of the disabled and elderly. Unfortunately cutting into your body to change batteries brings with it a significant percentage of mortalities, not just pain and infection. Energy harvesting within the body is potentially helpful but biobatteries and thermoelectric generators provide only weak amounts of electricity in such applications.

Imec and partners start work on EU project PRIMA

Imec announces that it has started work, together with its project partners, on PRIMA, a project under the EU's 7th framework program for ICT (FP7). The project's goal is to improve the efficiency and cost of solar cells though the use of metallic nanostructures.

Paper with a memory given boost by nanotechnology breakthrough

Medicine bottles that alert you when a prescription needs updating and computer screens which can be rolled up to fit in a briefcase are a step closer thanks to research by De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).

Nexeon begins to commercialise its silicon anode battery materials

MEAs signed with major international companies in the battery and automotive sectors

Piezoelectric kinetic energy harvester for mobile phones

Earlier this year, Nokia filed a patent for a "Piezoelectric Kinetic Energy Harvester" for mobile phones. The aim is a self-charging mobile phone that will be powered by the energy created from a person's movements.

Driving electronics for OLEDs

E2M Technology is working with a leading blue-chip Japanese semiconductor company to develop a new range of OLED driver chips for OLED lighting applications. How OLEDs are electronically controlled is as important as the OLED chemistry itself.

Transistors on plastic

Last week, the Photonics and Plastic Electronics KTN put together a one day seminar that gave an overview of the activity in the UK on the topic of flexible organic and inorganic transistors. Speakers were representing both Universities around the country as well as companies that are developing transistor/backplane technologies. Inorganic, organic and hybrid versions are being developed in order to evaluate the performance of each type of device.

Wind energy harvester from Humdinger

IDTechEx met with Humdinger last week in Hong Kong, a start-up company of six people that has developed a completely new approach to wind energy harvesters.