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SINGAPORE : The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) has announced a breakthrough in barrier film technology. This is film that is used to protect sensitive devices.
The new film patented by A*STAR's Institute of Materials and Research and Engineering (IMRE) is significantly more effective than current technologies, and is seen as a boost for the emerging plastic electronics sector.
This new patented film is so versatile - it can be used from wrapping food in a supermarket to protecting flexible display units.
The new technology protects sensitive devices like organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) or solar cells from moisture, and is said to be 1,000 times more effective than existing technologies.
The breakthrough will allow Singapore to tap into the global plastic electronics industry, which is set to reach US$23 billion in the next five years.
Senthil Ramadas, Principal Investigator, A*STAR, said: "The demand is based on technology availability. So far flexible substrates are not available in the market. They were waiting for this technology to come out."
The potential for cost-savings is tremendous. The new technology is expected to bring manufacturing costs down by at least 50 percent, compared to current market options.
IMRE is currently in agreement with a number of companies to take the technology into the commercial domain. This includes collaborations with solar manufacturing companies to develop the film for solar panels.
Albin Tan, General Manager, KISCO, added: "(In) future, we will try to look at the medical and packaging areas. So it looks (like) it has very great potential, not just in this region..."
IMRE has signed an agreement with KISCO Asia, a subsidiary of Japanese company KISCO, to commercialise and market the barrier films in the Asia Pacific region. - CNA/ms
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