Thinfilm Announces Financial Report 1Q 2011

In the first quarter, Thin Film Electronics ASA passed its first milestone towards creating integrated systems and introduced the OBA demo game powered by printed rewritable memory.

Highlights include:
• Thinfilm and PARC extend commercialization engagement: Products that include Thinfilm Addressable Memory will make it possible for PARC to commercialize its printed transistor technology.
• The OBA demo game launched: Demonstrates Thinfilm’s rewriteable memories for use in interactive toys and games.
• Thinfilm wins new product innovation award: Frost & Sullivan presented the 2010 Global New Product Innovation Award in Printed Electronic Memories to Thinfilm.

In January, Thin Film Electronics ASA (Thinfilm) completed the design of the world’s first printed rewritable memory array with logic circuitry, the Thinfilm Addressable Memory. This marked the first milestone towards creating integrated printed systems.

The design allows compact higher-density printed memories, and enables integration with other printed elements, such as sensors, power sources, and eventually, also antennas.

“We are moving the printed electronics industry beyond components and devices, to full-featured printed electronic systems. Thinfilm Addressable Memory meets the need for creating ubiquitous low-cost tags and disposable printed system,” said Davor Sutija, Thinfilm CEO.

Addressable memory combines Thinfilm’s memory technology with transistor technology developed by PARC, a Xerox Company.

“Activities with PARC have generated significant interest from both prospective customers and technology companies to link printed components, such as electrochromic displays, thin-film batteries, and sensors with Thinfilm memory,” Sutija continued.

Thinfilm and PARC have now entered the next phase of their co-innovation engagement where products with Thinfilm addressable memory will be a key avenue for PARC to commercialize its technology. Thinfilm has licensed the right to use PARC background IP related to printing transistors to create unique printed memory applications.

“Thinfilm’s focus is shifting towards addressable memories and systems that include these as enablers for fully-printed, disposable devices,” explained Sutija.

Thinfilm and PARC’s mutual goal is to demonstrate printed addressable memory prototypes by the end of this year. Transfer to production is expected in 2012.

“While our goal is to leverage relationships with strategic partners, it is clear that Thinfilm has the opportunity to develop an expanded roadmap that integrates these components together into complete systems,” said Sutija.

“Cost-sensitive consumer applications are the right proving ground for Printed Electronics. Thinfilm is meeting this challenge by delivering prototyping design services to toy manufacturers and engineering quantities of memory labels and memory-enhanced cards,” he continued.

The OBA demo game was launched in February. In the OBA reference game the Oba inhabitants evolve and mature their capabilities and powers through acquiring eggs on each game level. Cards with Thinfilm Memory store game status.

Thinfilm’s current product offering is Thinfilm Memory, a 20-bit non-volatile rewriteable memory printed in a high-volume roll-to-roll process, and the Thinfilm Memory Controller. Thinfilm has seen significant interest from the toys and games market, and is also experiencing growing interest from other industries.
“This traction, including discussions of specific toy prototypes, accelerated with the recent launches of the Thinfilm Memory Controller and the OBA game,” concluded Sutija.

In March Frost & Sullivan presented the 2010 Global New Product Innovation Award in Printed Electronic Memories to Thinfilm. “A key competitive feature of the technology is that it is fully printable in high volume roll-to-roll machines,” stated Frost & Sullivan, and remarked that there is a strong demand for nonvolatile memory products for use in low-cost and low-power flexible electronics applications.