Xenon Launches Worldwide PE Test Center Network to Help Drive Commercialization of Printed Electronics Industry

Xenon Corporation, the world leader in pulsed UV light technology, announced the formation of the Printed Electronics Test Center Network, a consortium of manufacturers, integrators and universities that will make their labs available to researchers and product developers to test ideas and processes in printed electronics.

According to Lou Panico, CEO of Xenon, the purpose of the PE Test Center Network is to help jump start the printed electronics industry by providing technology and expertise at regional test centers around the world, and by sharing research and test results among all participants.

“Printed electronics is at the intersection of several key technologies, including inks, substrates, dispensing systems and sintering processes,” said Panico. “Assembling these technologies and the expertise to use them can be costly, and is a barrier to product development in this emerging industry. By bringing these technologies together at various labs around the world, we can help accelerate the commercialization of this important new industry.”

Panico said that to date, Xenon has established 18 Test Center locations worldwide, with seven in the U.S. and another 11 overseas including Japan, Taiwan, Korea, UK and Germany. More locations may be added in the future, depending on needs and interest. He said members of the network include leading companies and researchers that have expertise and/or products in one or more of the relevant technologies such as ink, dispensing and substrates.

According to Panico, partners agree to make their research results transparent and available to all participants, both the labs and the other researchers.

“We will of course respect all NDA agreements,” he said, “but we believe it’s important for this industry to build a shared knowledge base of processes and applications, so every developer doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel each time.”

Dr. Margaret Joyce, head of Western Michigan University’s Center for the Advancement of Printed Electronics, said her lab has joined the PE Test Center Network because “we have the same goal: to help drive the research that’s needed to make printed electronics fully commercialized.” According to Dr. Joyce, sintering is one of the key issues in commercializing printed electronics, because it directly impacts production time. “Xenon’s Test Center Network will help drive important research in this area around the globe,” she said.

Intrinsiq Materials, a manufacturer of nano-based electronic copper inks located in Rochester, NY, has also joined the network. “It’s very important that product developers have access to a full solution,” says Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan, the company’s vice president of business development. “Companies are hesitant to invest in equipment without understanding the feasibility of an idea. Providing these kinds of centers allows researchers to understand the processes, the technologies, and how they work together. That will drive commercialization forward.”

Joe Peirce, North American sales manager for Xenon, who is helping to coordinate the Test Center program, said, “Each lab will make its technology and expertise available to researchers and product developers, in some cases for a nominal fee to cover lab time and costs. Xenon’s sintering technology and expertise will be available at all participating labs.”

Peirce said product developers and researchers, as well as potential lab partners, who want to know more about the program should email Laurie Panico at [email protected].