After achieving impressive results with thin-film and organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, Tera-Barrier plans to start production of its encapsulation film with a manufacturing partner and ship commercial orders in 2012-13.
Once the manufacturing partnership is confirmed and commercial deliveries commence, production volumes will be approximately 700,000m2 per year, accounting for some ramping up in the first year of shipment.
The company was spun out from the Singaporean government-funded Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), to commercialise an encapsulation technology for organic and flexible electronics.
Singapore-based Tera-Barrier will work with partners that can carry out larger volume production of the barrier film initially while demand is still fairly low, while the firm continues to carry out the core R&D work.
Nano-encapsulation
The company's film technology incorporates nanoparticles to seal the very small pinholes and cracks that are common in thin oxide barrier films when fabricated onto plastic substrates, which allow oxygen and water molecules to seep through. The nanoparticles in Tera-Barrier's barrier film stack also react with and retain moisture and oxygen.
Compared with conventional encapsulation offerings, Tera-Barrier's nano-engineered barrier stack requires fewer layers in order to be as effective.
Tera-Barrier's commercial investors include Applied Materials, through its investment arm Applied Ventures. Applied Materials is a leading supplier of thin-film electronics manufacturing technology.
Tera-Barrier's partners and potential customers include OPV developer Konarka and a US producer of thin-film CIGS PV modules, as well as OLED lighting and display firms.
OPVs fabricated with Tera-Barrier's film have shown an improvement by as much as 3-4 times in lifetime performance.
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Tera-Barrier Films
Website for the spin-out from the Singaporean Institute of Materials Research and Engineering
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