Plextronics

Last updated
Plextronics
Company type Private
Industry Solar energy, printed electronics
Founded2002
Headquarters
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
,
USA
Key people
Andrew W. Hannah, president and chief executive officer ; Richard D. McCullough, Ph.D., chief scientist ; William Snyder, vice president of core services and chief financial officer ; James Dietz, vice president of business development ; Shawn P. Williams, Ph.D., vice president of technology
Products Organic solar cells, OLED lighting, conductive inks, organic semiconductive polymers
Number of employees
68 (2009)
Website www.plextronics.com

Plextronics, Inc. was an international technology company [1] that specialized in printed solar, lighting and other electronics. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2014. [2] Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company's focus was on organic solar cell and organic light-emitting diode lighting, specifically the conductive inks and process technologies that enable those and other similar applications. It was an R&D spin-off from Carnegie Mellon University. [3] based on technologies developed by Richard D. McCullough.

Contents

Printed electronics comprise next-generation light, power and circuitry products, including flexible displays, plastic solar cells, organic field effect transistors and organic RFID tags. Plextronics' vision is to enable 15 billion printed electronic devices by 2015. [4]

On August 21, 2008, Plextronics was honored by the Pittsburgh Business Times as one of the region's 100 fastest-growing companies, and the fastest-growing in the Manufacturing/Transportation category. [5]

Funding

In 2007, Plextronics completed a $20.6 million Series B financing, [6] led by Solvay North America Investments, LLC, a member of the Solvay Group, an international chemical and pharmaceutical group headquartered in Brussels. Significant investments were also received from Applied Ventures, Firelake Capital Management, Birchmere Ventures, Draper Triangle Ventures and Newlin Investment Company.

In 2009, Plextronics has closed a $14 million Series B-1 financing round, which was led by Solvay North America Investments, LLC, a member of the Solvay Group. This marks Solvay’s second investment in Plextronics in three years, raising the Belgian chemical firm's stake to $12 million and making it the largest minority shareholder in the printed electronics materials development company.

In mid-2011, Solvay provided $15 million (EUR 10 million) in a Series B-2 financing round to the company. This financing will support the acceleration of Plextronics' technology development and delivery of its innovative products to a growing base of global customers. Solvay is Plextronics' largest minority shareholder.

Plextronics has raised a total of $41 million in equity capital since 2002. [7]

Technology

Printed electronics takes advantage of printing technology to manufacture electronic devices, including printed organic solar cells, radio-frequency identification tags and flexible displays. Plextronics creates materials that enable the commercialization and manufacturing scale of this emerging technology. [8]

The company's Plexcore technology is solution-processable inks for printed electronics, either conductive, photoactive, or semi-conductive. The inks are tunable to provide customized solutions.[ clarification needed ]

Plextronics focuses on polymer design and ink formulation, as well as device physics and analysis.

In 2009 the CEOs of Pittsburgh, PA-headquartered Plextronics, Westinghouse, Allegheny Energy, EQT Corporation, CONSOL Energy and BPL Global announced that they have founded the U.S. Center for Energy Leadership (USCEL). The mission of the group is to establish a stable energy environment for the U.S. that includes energy independence, stable energy pricing and a portfolio approach to meeting increasing energy needs. USCEL will also advocate for new and innovative technological developments that will impact all of these areas. The group will also work to address specific governmental policy, investment and technology issues that have direct bearing on the energy industry.

In March 2014, Solvay SA, an international chemical group headquartered in Brussels, has completed the acquisition Plextronics Inc. to bolster its Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) electronic display technology and launch a new development platform with a strong Asian foothold. As part of its expansion into the rapidly growing OLED market, Solvay is setting up a new electronics laboratory at its research center at Ewha Woman’s University in Seoul City, South Korea.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organic electronics</span> Field of materials science

Organic electronics is a field of materials science concerning the design, synthesis, characterization, and application of organic molecules or polymers that show desirable electronic properties such as conductivity. Unlike conventional inorganic conductors and semiconductors, organic electronic materials are constructed from organic (carbon-based) molecules or polymers using synthetic strategies developed in the context of organic chemistry and polymer chemistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OLED</span> Diode that emits light from an organic compound

An organic light-emitting diode (OLED), also known as organic electroluminescentdiode, is a type of light-emitting diode (LED) in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is an organic compound film that emits light in response to an electric current. This organic layer is situated between two electrodes; typically, at least one of these electrodes is transparent. OLEDs are used to create digital displays in devices such as television screens, computer monitors, and portable systems such as smartphones and handheld game consoles. A major area of research is the development of white OLED devices for use in solid-state lighting applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conductive polymer</span> Organic polymers that conduct electricity

Conductive polymers or, more precisely, intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs) are organic polymers that conduct electricity. Such compounds may have metallic conductivity or can be semiconductors. The main advantage of conductive polymers is that they are easy to process, mainly by dispersion. Conductive polymers are generally not thermoplastics, i.e., they are not thermoformable. But, like insulating polymers, they are organic materials. They can offer high electrical conductivity but do not show similar mechanical properties to other commercially available polymers. The electrical properties can be fine-tuned using the methods of organic synthesis and by advanced dispersion techniques.

Organic semiconductors are solids whose building blocks are pi-bonded molecules or polymers made up by carbon and hydrogen atoms and – at times – heteroatoms such as nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen. They exist in the form of molecular crystals or amorphous thin films. In general, they are electrical insulators, but become semiconducting when charges are either injected from appropriate electrodes, upon doping or by photoexcitation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flexible organic light-emitting diode</span> Type of computer monitor

A flexible organic light-emitting diode (FOLED) is a type of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) incorporating a flexible plastic substrate on which the electroluminescent organic semiconductor is deposited. This enables the device to be bent or rolled while still operating. Currently the focus of research in industrial and academic groups, flexible OLEDs form one method of fabricating a rollable display.

Conductive ink is an ink that results in a printed object which conducts electricity. It is typically created by infusing graphite or other conductive materials into ink. There has been a growing interest in replacing metallic materials with nanomaterials due to the emergence of nanotechnology. Among other nanomaterials, graphene, and carbon nanotube-based conductive ink are gaining immense popularity due to their high electrical conductivity and high surface area. Recently, more attention has been paid on using eco-friendly conductive ink using water as a solvent as compared to organic solvents since they are harmful to the environment. However, the high surface tension of water prevents its applicability. Various natural and synthetic surfactants are now used to reduce the surface tension of water and ensure uniform nanomaterials dispersibility for smooth printing and wide application. Although graphene oxide inks are eco-friendly and can be produced in bulk quantities, they are insulating in nature which needs an additional step of reduction using reducing ink is required to restore the electrical properties. The external reduction process is not suitable for large scale continuous manufacturing of electronic devices. Hence an in-situ reduction process also known as reactive inkjet printing has been developed by various scientists. In the in-situ reduction process the reducing inks are printed on top of the GO printed patterns in order to carry out the reduction process on the substrate.

Nanosolar was a developer of solar power technology. Based in San Jose, CA, Nanosolar developed and briefly commercialized a low-cost printable solar cell manufacturing process. The company started selling thin-film CIGS panels mid-December 2007, and planned to sell them at 99 cents per watt, much below the market at the time. However, prices for solar panels made of crystalline silicon declined significantly during the following years, reducing most of Nanosolar's cost advantage. By February 2013 Nanosolar had laid off 75% of its work force. Nanosolar began auctioning off its equipment in August 2013. Co-Founder of Nanosolar Martin Roscheisen stated on his personal blog that nanosolar "ultimately failed commercially." and that he would not enter this industry again because of slow-development cycle, complex production problems and the impact of cheap Chinese solar power production. Nanosolar ultimately produced less than 50 MW of solar power capacity despite having raised more than $400 million in investment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Printed electronics</span> Electronic devices created by various printing methods

Printed electronics is a set of printing methods used to create electrical devices on various substrates. Printing typically uses common printing equipment suitable for defining patterns on material, such as screen printing, flexography, gravure, offset lithography, and inkjet. By electronic-industry standards, these are low-cost processes. Electrically functional electronic or optical inks are deposited on the substrate, creating active or passive devices, such as thin film transistors; capacitors; coils; resistors. Some researchers expect printed electronics to facilitate widespread, very low-cost, low-performance electronics for applications such as flexible displays, smart labels, decorative and animated posters, and active clothing that do not require high performance.

Konarka Technologies, Inc. was a solar energy company based in Lowell, Massachusetts, founded in 2001 as a spin-off from University of Massachusetts Lowell. In late May 2012, the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection and laid off its approximately 80-member staff. The company’s operations have ceased and a trustee is tasked with liquidating the company’s assets for the benefit of creditors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E-textiles</span> Fabrics that incorporate electronic components

Electronic textiles or e-textiles are fabrics that enable electronic components such as batteries, lights, sensors, and microcontrollers to be embedded in them. Many smart clothing, wearable technology, and wearable computing projects involve the use of e-textiles.

MiaSolé is an American solar energy company selling copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic products. MiaSolé's manufacturing process lays CIGS on a flexible stainless steel substrate. MiaSolé produces all layers of photovoltaic material in a continuous sputtering process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable energy industry</span> Electric energy utility industry

The renewable-energy industry is the part of the energy industry focusing on new and appropriate renewable energy technologies. Investors worldwide have paid greater attention to this emerging industry in recent years. In many cases, this has translated into rapid renewable energy commercialization and considerable industry expansion. The wind power, solar power and hydroelectric power industries provide good examples of this.

SunEdison, Inc. is a renewable energy company headquartered in the U.S. In addition to developing, building, owning, and operating solar power plants and wind energy plants, it also manufactures high-purity polysilicon, monocrystalline silicon ingots, silicon wafers, solar modules, solar energy systems, and solar module racking systems. Originally a silicon-wafer manufacturer established in 1959 as the Monsanto Electronic Materials Company, the company was sold by Monsanto in 1989.

Solarmer Energy, Inc. was a solar energy company that was developing polymer solar cells, a new type of solar cell; specifically, a subtype of organic photovoltaic cells (OPV). They claim their solar panels can be made flexible, transparent, and will cost less to manufacture than traditional cells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ching Wan Tang</span> Hong Kong–American physical chemist

Ching Wan Tang is a Hong Kong–American physical chemist. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2018 for inventing OLED, and was awarded the 2011 Wolf Prize in Chemistry. Tang is the IAS Bank of East Asia Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and previously served as the Doris Johns Cherry Professor at the University of Rochester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy in Ohio</span> Overview of the production, consumption, import and export of energy and electricity in Ohio

The energy sector of Ohio consists of thousands of companies and cities representing the oil, natural gas, coal, solar, wind energy, fuel cell, biofuel, geothermal, hydroelectric, and other related industries. Oil and natural gas accounts for $3.1 billion annually in sales while ethanol generates $750 million. Toledo is a national hub in solar cell manufacturing, and the state has significant production of fuel cells. In 2008, the state led the country in alternative energy manufacturing according to Site Selection Magazine, while the natural gas industry has experienced growth due to the expansion of shale gas.

Inkjet solar cells are solar cells manufactured by low-cost, high tech methods that use an inkjet printer to lay down the semiconductor material and the electrodes onto a solar cell substrate.

Global OLED Technology LLC develops and administers intellectual property purchased by Korea's LG Group from the Eastman Kodak Company for US$100 million in December 2009. Comprising some 2,200 patents, its portfolio of technologies arises from Kodak's research into organic light emitting diodes which stretches back to the 1970s or early 1980s.

JOLED Inc. is a Japanese display technology company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, incorporated in 2015 as the result of a consolidation of the OLED business units of Panasonic and Sony. Notable for pioneering an inkjet printing process for coating emissive materials, the company is specializing in development and production of OLED displays and of cost-effective manufacturing systems for them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ana Claudia Arias</span> American physicist

Ana Claudia Arias is a Brazilian American physicist who is a professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research considers printed electronic materials and their application in flexible electronics and wearable medical devices.

References

  1. "Pittsburgh Goes Global". Pop City. 2008-08-13. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
  2. Law360
  3. "Next Generation Dye Sensitive & Organic PV, Part 1". Renewable Energy World.com. 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
  4. "Plextronics, Inc.: About Us" . Retrieved 2008-08-18.
  5. "Business Times honors Pittsburgh's 100 fastest-growing companies". Pittsburgh Business Times. 2008-08-21. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  6. Curry, Jennifer (2007-08-21). "Plextronics lands $20.6M in new venture funding". Pittsburgh Business Times . Retrieved 2008-08-18.
  7. "Plextronics, Inc.: Media Relations" . Retrieved 2008-08-18.
  8. "Next Generation Dye Sensitive & Organic PV, Part 1". Renewable Energy World.com. 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-08-18.