Nanomaterials start-ups targeting electronics applications are cooperating with Asian industrial firms to increase commercial opportunities for their technology.
The latest East-West partnership is between US-based conductive inks developer NovaCentrix and Japanese chemicals producer Showa Denko (SDK). SDK will produce and sell nanoparticle inks based on formulations developed by NovaCentrix.
Applications NovaCentrix is targeting with its Metalon inks include displays, solar cells and OLED lighting.
The two partners will also work together on conductive inks that are compatible with the photonic curing process developed by NovaCentrix. SDK will enhance the performance of conductive inks, to make them as durable and conductive as conventional copper foils, and other bulk wiring materials.
NovaCentrix is one of several nanomaterials suppliers working with Japanese or other Asian partners to support production and commercialisation of their technology. Experience of industrialised production methods can be leveraged as these technology developers try to commercialise their technologies, and much of the world's display and electronics manufacturing occurs in Asia.
US-based Applied Nanotech and its strategic partner Ishihara Chemical in Japan are commercialising a copper ink, based on nanoparticles of the metal, which can be inkjetted. The low processing temperature of the ink enables the use of thin-film substrates. Promising applications include fabrication of conductive lines on thin-film solar cells.
NovaCentrix's photonic curing process is compatible with flexible electronics fabricated on plastic substrates. High-speed sintering is achieved with visible-light flash lamps to restrict temperature rises. The system can be used with roll-to-roll processes - now in development - for OLED lighting, flexible solar cells and flexible displays.
Market access
Earlier in 2011 Applied Nanotech also signed a licensing deal with Sichuan Anxian Yinhe Construction and Chemical, giving the Chinese firm exclusive right to licence and commercialise some of Applied Nanotech's solutions in China and parts of Asia.
UK-based Nanoco receives funding for materials development from a Japanese semiconductor chip business, to finance the scale-up of its quantum dots, which can improve the performance of displays, solid-state lighting and solar cells. This in turn provides the Asian partner with the opportunity to exploit the technology as it reaches commercial maturity.
Acquisitions are occurring too. In January conductive nanomaterials supplier Unidym was sold by its parent Arrowhead Research to Wisepower, a Korean electronics company.
Wisepower supplies lithium-polymer batteries for mobile electronics, to customers including LG Electronics and Pantech Wisepower's contacts with potential Unidym customers will increase opportunities for Unidym to commercialise its carbon nanotube technology for electronics applications.
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NovaCentrix
NovaCentrix is targeting displays, solar cells and OLED lighting markets with its Metalon inks
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Showa Denko
SDK will produce and sell nanoparticle inks based on formulations developed by NovaCentrix
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Nanomaterials become technologies of choice for high-volume printed electronics
US nanomaterials company QD Vision has taken a further step towards commercially supplying its materials, with two development agreements sealed at the end of 2010
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