Advanced Materials

Brewer Science has launched its groundbreaking inks that will change the way carbon nanotube (CNT) users manufacture microelectronic devices.

Asahi Glass Co. (AGC) is one of the largest flat glass producing companies in the world. AGC has developed carrier glass technology. The company's 0.1 mm-thick glass is laminated on carrier glass for easy handling and transportation during product manufacturing.

ounded in 2007 from a spin off from Planar Systems, Lotus have been working on developing innovative solutions for thin film processing, focusing largely on roll to roll atomic layer deposition technology

The first successful ultra high transparency barrier material, which was commercialized by Vitex, was originally developed by GE in a process designed to be used for capacitor fabrication. This process is called the Polymer Multi-Layer (PML) process. It was developed in the late 1970's and early 1980's at GE's capacitor division in Hudson Falls, NY for the fabrication of multilayer, polymer/aluminum capacitors. By2011, most of the company's IP had been acquired by Samsung

Cabot Corporation is the global leader in supplying activated and black carbon to a range of applications. Cabot is also developing its strategy regarding graphene and is positioning itself at the graphene intermediary level without committing to a specific graphene production method.

CrayoNano is an early-stage spin-off from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). They work on commercialising III-V nanowires grown using molecular beam epitaxy (and recently MOCVD) on graphene.

Grupo Antolin is a Spanish multinational company which designs and manufactures interior automotive components. It was found in 1950 and today employs 10,736 employees. Grupo Antolin has been producing carbon nanotubes since 2003 (trade name: GANF). Grupo Antolin started producing graphene oxide from its carbon nanofibres in 2010 (trade name: GRAnPH).

Transparent conductive sheets (on glass or other substrates) are used in a variety of applications including touch screens, displays, lighting, photovoltaics, etc.

The TNO / Holst Centre work with an open innovation model to develop solutions for flexible barrier technologies.

Anderlab is an Indian family-owned business making graphene and other nanomaterials. The company was conceptualised in late 2012 and started operation in March 2013. They claim to have developed a unique manufacturing technique that simplifies existing processes by reducing the number of steps involved

This article examines thin film photovoltaics as an addressable market segment for transparent conductive films. IDTechEx Research first gives a general overview of the photovoltaic market, including historic price evolution and also a representative list of bankruptcies, closures, acquisitions and restructuring that took place in the past four years. IDTechEx Research then forecasts the total addressable market for transparent conductive sheets (on glass or otherwise) in areal coverage and monetary value. The market is then appropriately segmented into rigid vs flexible, and also ITO vs non-ITO oxide categories, thereby defining the segments addressable by ITO alternatives such as silver nanowires, metal mesh, graphene, etc

Scientists grew sheets of an exotic material in a single atomic layer and measured its electronic structure for the first time.

Encapsulix was founded in 2011 to develop equipment and processes for low temperature encapsulation and barrier coatings. The company developed a novel Atomic layer deposition (ALD) approach based on IP from founder Jacques Kools. The company was in stealth mode until it emerged in 2013.

Researchers have succeeded in in situ band-gap tuning which will be a key toward developing high-performance nanoscale devices using ultimately thin graphene oxide membranes.

Graphene, a form of two-dimensional carbon, has many desirable properties that make it a promising material in many applications.

Networks of nanometer-scale machines offer exciting potential applications in medicine, industry, environmental protection and defense, but until now there's been one very small problem: the limited capability of nanoscale antennas fabricated from traditional metallic components.

As 2013 comes to an end, IDTechEx analysts summarize the main market trends in some of its core sectors of expertise, giving insight to the events of the past year and how they are expected to influence further developments, market entry for emerging technologies but also the behaviour of incumbents in 2014.

Under an extremely powerful magnetic field and at extremely low temperature, the researchers found, graphene can effectively filter electrons according to the direction of their spin, something that cannot be done by any conventional electronic system.

Researchers believe that graphene could be used as a transparent electrode in photovoltaic cells, replacing a layer of indium tin oxide (ITO) that is brittle and becoming increasingly expensive.

This profile briefly discusses printed electronics and its potential and challenges from the point of view of MeadWestVaco.