Abstract
Organic and printable electronics have been proposed for a wide variety of
products that are both relatively low-cost and which have short product lives.
Such products include smart packaging, smart cards and ticketing, smart
textiles, medical disposable, cosmetic products, games toys and novelties.
From the perspective of the technology developer and materials supplier, the
"disposable electronics" sector is attractive because it offers a low cost
entry point for a novel technology/materials approach. Performance and
longevity requirements will typically not be that high. For example,
manufacturing may be carried out without extensive capital costs; little need
for clean rooms and specialized machinery. And organic and printable
electronics holds out the promise of significant performance and brand
enhancements such as more noticeable packaging, better security in credit
cards, improved diagnostics. Clearly there exists an intersection between
means, opportunity and interest.
All this may sound idyllic to the technology developer facing the huge
challenges of building complex displays and photovoltaic systems using
printable and organic electronics. However, the disposable electronics market
is challenging in different ways. Disposable electronics firms must often
determine whether electronic performance enhancements - however easy to
provide - are likely to find acceptance in the marketplace. They must often
produce in very large quantities; smart cards and certain kind of packaging
are examples here. And, they must also meet extremely demanding price points;
RFIDs on soda bottle are a case in point here. None of these are easy goals to
achieve.
This report examines where the opportunities will lie for materials and device
manufacturers and investors in the next eight years and what the requirements
are for success. Chapter Two of the report reviews the various component
technologies that are being developed using organic and printable electronics
and focuses on the areas in which each of these technologies can enhance
disposable electronics and discusses how manufacturing and materials evolution
are enabling these technologies to be used in disposable electronics
applications. Chapter Three takes a look at the production methods to create
low-cost thin-film electronics and the materials that will be used in them.
Chapter Four reviews all of the major applications of organic and printable
electronics in the disposables sector and shows how this new kind of
electronics can enhance brand identity and add features, functions and
performance. It also analyzes which features are most likely to be in demand
in the marketplace. Chapter 5 provides detailed forecasting of disposable
electronics broken out in volume and value terms by applications, devices and
materials.
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