At PEA we develop and apply printing materials and processes to create electronic components and circuits using printing equipment (such as screen-printing, ink jet printing, flexography or rotogravure printing). Printed electronics components include for instance transistors, conductors, resistors, displays, sensors, buttons/actuators, batteries and antennas. These components may be integrated in intelligent packaging, medtech devices, automotive applications, in buildings – in almost any field.
PEA facilitates a wide range of research – from fundamental research in polymers (materials science) to applied printed electronics research with confidential applications in a multitude of market segments. In short, PEA is an arena where expertise from universities, research institutes and industrial players intersect and flourish.
PEA facilitates a wide range of research – from fundamental research in polymers (materials science) to applied printed electronics research with confidential applications in a multitude of market segments. In short, PEA is an arena where expertise from universities, research institutes and industrial players intersect and flourish.
Key features
- Novel form factors
- Inexpensive mass production
- Electronics on flexible substrates
- Rapid prototyping in small series
- Lower investment costs
- Eco-friendly production
- Equipment for printed electronic development, manufacture and testing/characterization
Equipment & Resources
Industrial printing
- Screen-printing (four printing lines)
- ATMA Line: Fully automated ATMA MF66-F screen printing (UV, IR, heat curing), InJet 388-CRRD (frame cleaning)
- DEK Line 1: Semi-automated Dek Horizon 03iX screen printing, Natgraph conveyer belt curing (UV, IR, heat curing), InJet 388-CRRD (frame cleaning)
- DEK Line 2: Dek Horizon 03iX screen printer, SPS Technoscreen conveyer belt curing (UV curing); separate oven (heat curing)
- Ekra line: EKRA screen printer; SPS Technoscreen conveyer belt curing (UV curing); separate oven (heat curing)
- Ink-jet and aerosol printing (Ceradrop InkJet, Ceradrop Optomech Aerosol controller & Novacentrix pulsforge control module; Dimatix Inkjet)
- Slot die coater (nTact)
- Flexo/gravure printing (Norbert Schläfli Labratester & Testacolor 171; IGT printability tester F1)
- 3D printing (Formlabs Form 3; FDM Creality and Prusa; 3Devo filament maker and print shredder)
- Pick-and-place device mounting (Besi Datacon 2200 evo & manual pick and place station)
- Laser cutter (Trotec)
- Graphtec cutter
Ink development and characterization
- Ink preparation and mixing (Dissolver DisperMill, Moeller, speed mixer (Hauschild), vortex mixer (VWR), ultrasonic bath (Branson 2210), weighing stations and fume hoods)
- Ink pilot scale production (equipment available for <10kg production)
- Rheometer (Anton Paar MCR 102)
- Ball mill (Retsch PM100)
- Sieve shaker (Retsch AS200)
Characterization of prototypes and demonstrators
- Electrical characterization:
- Advanced electrical characterization equipment in ESD protected area: HP 4155B semiconductor parameter analysator; HP 4155B Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer; Keithley 4200A-SCS Parameter Analyzer; Keithley 2600B Series SourceMeters (2602B, 2612B); Radiant Ferroelectric Tester; HP 4285A Precision LCR Meter (75 kHz – 30 MHz); Hameg HM8118 Programmable LCR Bridge; HP E4407B ESA-E Spectrum Analyzer (9 kHz – 26.5 GHz); Oscilloscopes; Multimeters; Waveform generators; DC power supplies; Manual probe stations (Wentworth Laboratories, etc.); Probe manipulators/micropositioners (Picoprobe, Cascade Microtech DPP-105);
- 4-point probe and electrochemistry set up and tools available in material lab
- Organic electrochromic display characterization:
- X-probe (Inventables); stepper motor for semi-automated characterization; power supplies; functional generators; oscilloscopes; parameter analyzers; DAQ cards; spectrophotometer; optical microscopes.
- Environmental characterization
- Climate chambers (Vötsch VCL 4006 and Vötsch LabEvent C/64/40/3)
- Mechanical characterization
- Peel tester (Mark 10)