March 26, 2010 - Ntera has debuted technology that can create interactive color-changing electronic displays on just about any type of printed product, at low cost and with minimal power requirements -- a shot across the bow to LCD and other panel technologies.

The technology and process are likened to how certain treated mirrors darken in response to light. The company's NanoChromics inks deploy an array of metal oxide semiconductor electrodes mounted on a flexible film, which can then produce inkjet-printed-equivalent images. Attaching electrochromic molecules to a film of semiconducting nanoparticles creates a <30 micron-thick film with several hundreds of layers; applying a charge through it causes the surface molecules to be charged and change color, an effect amplified by the film's number of layers. (Adding an opaque white layer behind the electrochromic layer as a background makes the display images even more vivid, the company claims). The displays can be viewed from any angle and under various lighting conditions.

The display is compatible with standard printing equipment and processes (sheet or Web-fed/R2R screen, flexographic, inkjet) and can be combined with other printed electronic technologies on the same substrate.

Aside from manufacturing compatibility (which helps keep costs down and widens end-application uses), a key distinction in Ntera's technology is power consumption. A liquid crystal display (LCD) requires constant electronic charge to maintain its image. But Ntera's NanoChromic display technology requires electrically charging a material to change its color -- so using a charge-storing layer to feed energy to the electrochromic material means the image can stay active for several hours (the display itself acts as a capacitor), drawing as little as 0.5V for activation and <1V DC triggered by color changes. (It's directly compatible with 1.5V power systems, the company notes.)

Low-power requirements point to applications including:

• Power storage
• Energy harvesting
• Batteries (printed and conventional)
• Solar cells (printed and conventional)
• RFID

And generally, the company is targeting three kinds of "smart" applications:

• Cards (plastic "smart cards," debit cards, transit cards....even greeting cards)
• Objects (things that can interact with the environment -- security displays, toys, games, devices, etc.)
• Packaging (labels, RFID, merchandising displays -- even printed-battery-powered
• displays in magazines)

"The possibilities of combining an all-printed multi-layered system with the economies of scale from an established manufacturing infrastructure are rather incredible," notes David Corr, NTERA president/CEO.

The technology is being market-tested in Europe, according to the company. Simple battery/switch/display systems and RF-powered systems are now available for design-in, with more complex designs (requiring microcontrollers, sensors, and software) planned over the next 6-12 months.

Ntera was founded at University College Dublin in 1998, initially to commercialize technologies derived from the use of nanomaterials; in 2007 it narrowed its focus to the printed electronics sector. The company is now based in Philadelphia.