Many industry analysts are projecting that the recent commercialization of printed electronics technology is likely to revolutionize major segments of the portable electronics industry. Printed electronics is the printing of electronic devices on common media, such as paper, plastic or textiles, using traditional printing processes. Devices now being produced in this way are transistors, integrated circuits, RFID antennas and tags, printed displays - and thin printed batteries, which provide a low-voltage, eco-friendly power source to activate the device's functionality.
Industry analyst IDTechEx forecasts the market potential for printed electronics will be over USD $35 billion by 2018. NanoMarkets predicts that sales of thin film and printed batteries will exceed USD $5 billion by 2015.
Driving this trend are global developers and integrators that are leveraging the technology's unique capabilities to create new printed electronic products and systems that generate business value. Already we are beginning to see these innovations in industrial, financial, security, food, pharmaceutical, healthcare and consumer markets.
Key Role of Printed Batteries
Integral to many printed electronics applications are thin, flexible carbon-zinc batteries, used as a primary power source. The low-voltage batteries are not rechargeable, but they are relatively low in cost and safely disposable. Power generation results from a chemical reaction between the electrolyte liquid and other materials in the battery.
Most standard printed carbon-zinc batteries generate 1.5 volts and can deliver peak drain currents of at least 1 mA. Voltages above 1.5V can be supplied by integrating multiple 1.5V cells in series into a single package. Depending on the application, customizable versions can also be designed.
Some advantages of printed batteries over traditional button or coin cells include:
• Thin, flexible form factor for easy integration. Thickness profiles ranging from 700 microns (0.027 inch) to ultra-thin 500 microns (0.020 inch) often allow printed batteries to share a substrate with other small form factor flexible electronics. This helps to streamline assembly, reducing the time and cost of integrating "smart electronics" into form factors such as RFID tags, credit card size plastic cards, ID badges, and transit tickets, as well as a host of consumer products.
• Fast, scalable production. The batteries are manufactured roll-to-roll using traditional printing processes which can scale quickly and economically to meet high-volume demand.
• Green by design. Unlike batteries containing lithium, mercury and other battery chemistries, carbon-zinc batteries are completely eco-friendly. They are lead-free, contain no toxic substances, and fully meet the European Union's Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive.
Innovative Products, Diverse Applications
As adoption of printed electronics and printed batteries continues to grow, so does the number and diversity of products and applications. Following are some applications in which printed batteries are being tested or deployed.
Battery Assisted Passive RFID. This extension of RFID has proven its ability to extend read ranges and increase tag readability and accuracy - especially in challenging applications involving liquids and metals. Battery assisted passive (BAP) RFID can also provide extended memory capabilities, increased security and data protection. It can, in fact, provide many of the capabilities and benefits of active RFID at a fraction of the cost. And, it performs harmoniously within the existing RFID infrastructure without requiring costly modifications.
BAP RFID can be used for asset tracking of high-value goods, inventory and equipment in manufacturing and distribution plants, stock and inventory management in distribution centers and large retail outlets, and other similar supply chain applications.
RF-Linked Sensor and Data Logging Systems. Radio frequency-enabled time and temperature monitoring systems are being adopted in the food industry as a means to ensure consumer safety, maintain quality control, and reduce waste. Meat, poultry, seafood, produce, dairy and frozen food processors and distributors can derive value from such systems. One such system now on the market uses a sensor probe and battery-powered "smart" card to ensure cold chain compliance across the supply chain.
RFID sensor systems are also useful for distributors of temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals, biologicals and chemical products. The pharmaceutical industry is taking a closer look at temperature data loggers as an increasing number of new drugs being developed require strict temperature control to maintain their efficacy.
Other types of sensor systems could be designed to monitor ambient humidity, shock or vibration. In all of these applications, standard low-voltage, carbon-zinc batteries can be embedded within a "smart card" or smart label form factor to provide the power boost required for time-phased monitoring and autonomous data logging systems. The value proposition of real-time sensor systems is high because they offer portability, accuracy and ease of operation while providing critical information.
Powered or "Smart" Cards. There are an estimated four billion or so "smart cards" - cards containing ICs or chips - being shipped annually worldwide. Fueling this growth is the increased need for ID security and authentication, as well as the growing popularity of contactless payments and consumer preference for wallet-size cards integrating interactive capabilities. Battery-powered cards can incorporate lighted or color-changing displays, stored value and account status information, authentication codes, and other interactive functions.
Powered card applications include:
• One-time password (OTP) cards for secure internet credit transaction, access to brokerage accounts, monetary wires, IT and other high-value security assets
• Contactless credit and debit cards
• Stored value gift cards and municipal transit cards
• Organization membership and retail loyalty cards
• Secure identification cards and badges for access control in buildings or at events
Interactive Printed Media. Another potentially huge market is high-volume consumer products and novelties. There's already been enormous growth in musical, self-recorded and LED display greeting cards. Soon we will begin to see an abundance of interactive printed media, such as books, posters, games and trading cards, all programmed to interact with consumers via sight, sound and touch. While the cost of manufacturing is a significant factor for producers of these items, their mass market potential can number in the billions, making this impulse-driven consumer market a profitable target for printed electronics and thin printed batteries.
Smart Packaging and Retail Displays. Printed batteries lend themselves to a wide range of smart packaging applications and point-of-purchase merchandising displays because the batteries and other electronics can often be printed simultaneously with the packages or displays. According to NanoMarkets, a Virginia-based industry analyst, some niche applications for battery-powered smart packaging may include pharmaceutical compliance packaging, case and pallet freshness monitoring devices, and tamper-proof courier packages. Printed batteries can also be used to power an LED or voice activation device in interactive store merchandisers to drive sales and increase profits by engaging consumer attention.
Transdermal Patches. The medical device, healthcare and cosmetics/skincare markets are already launching products using thin printed batteries in the design and manufacture of iontophoretic (i.e., transdermal) patches, which can be applied directly onto the skin. The fact that printed batteries can be customized relative to size and shape makes them particularly attractive for this. The role of the battery in patch applications is to actively drive the patch's ingredients through the dermal layer of the skin. Batteries may also be used to regulate consistent dosage of the patch's active ingredient(s). Applications include: cosmetic aids (e.g., wrinkle removers and skin care treatments), self-administered drug delivery (e.g. nicotine patches, pain relievers), and therapeutic wound care for humans and pets
Energizing Electronic Design
The remarkable new world of printed electronics and thin printed batteries has the potential to spark creation of a host of dynamic new products for the industrial, consumer, financial, security and healthcare markets.
As we move forward, OEMs and electronic system designers are beginning to explore and exploit the technology, not only to conceptualize and design new products but also to simplify existing product designs to reduce their manufacturing cost structure. Although still in early days, this is one trend that's definitely worth pursuing.
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