Encapsulation Solutions from Dresden Presented at ICCG 10

Cluster FLEET – Flexible Electronics Encapsulation Technologies Dresden – combines competences of four institutions and one company, all located in Dresden, and presents its expertise at ICCG 10 (The International Conference on Coatings on Glass and Plastics – Advanced Coatings for Large-Area or High-Volume Products)

Industrial product development focuses more and more on flexible electronics. Thus the technology of organic electroluminescence is on the verge of being launched onto the market. Therefore, high-quality functional films are required in reasonable quantities for the industrial manufacturing of flexible electronic devices.

Flexible solar cells based on inorganic or organic semiconductors and flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) provide new possibilities for the integration of photovoltaic or intelligent lighting in buildings and commodity items. Even flexible displays or innovative packaging concepts for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products are on their way to commercialization. All mentioned products have one thing in common: The active layers have to be protected from humidity and oxygen in order to guarantee a reliable functionality over the product lifetime.

Currently, the encapsulation technologies for these flexible electronic devices are mostly still in the research or pilot stage. The cluster FLEET – a Fraunhofer initiative – combines the competences of three Fraunhofer Institutions (FEP, IWS and COMEDD), one institute of the Technical University Dresden (IAPP) and one medium-sized company (SEMPA Systems) in this area of expertise. The intention of the cluster is the fast further development of encapsulation technologies to make them ready for the industrial and serial production, by an intensive cooperation along the value chain concentrated at one location.

“Due to their long-lasting project and research activities, the institutes were able to gain a unique portfolio of know-how, which they can offer consolidated and in close cooperation with the industry and research partners,” said Dr. Christian May of Fraunhofer COMEDD, speaker of the cluster.

The competences of the cluster comprise the development and pilot phase of encapsulation products and technologies, the testing of materials and the manufacturing and encapsulation of organic devices including thin film direct encapsulation on glass or flexible substrates. The cluster represents the complete process chain of the manufacturing of organic electronic and functional films including prototypes and small-series production. Recently, the FLEET members demonstrated the successful encapsulation of flexible OLED devices using self-adhesive barrier films in a roll-to-roll process – a major breakthrough towards commercialization of flexible electronics..

The cluster will present itself to an international audience at the conference ICCG 10 from June 22-26, 2014, in Dresden.