Holst Centre, imec and TNO report a world-first plastic transponder circuit at 50 kb/s
IEEE IEDM Baltimore, December 8, 2009 5pm Pacific Time - Today, at the International Electronics Devices Meeting, Holst Centre, imec and TNO presented the world-first organic transponder circuit with a bit rate of 50kbits/s. This bit rate approaches the requirements for the Electronic Product Coding (EPC) standards.
Flexible circuits offer ruggedness during processing as well as in the final product, a property which makes them appealing for new applications such as plastic RFID tags (radio frequency identification tags) for object tagging. However, for widespread application, plastic RFID technology should adhere maximally to the standard Electronic Product Code (EPC) specifications for item-level tagging. The standards require a bit rate of the order of 50 kb/s. Holst Centre, together with imec and TNO, developed an 8-bit flexible transponder circuit on foil using pentacene as semiconductor material and a high-k gate dielectric. The current drive of this technology enables a data rate of > 50 kbits/s for the circuit, which compares favorably with the above mentioned required EPC bit rate specifications. Earlier versions of such organic circuits had a bit rate limited to 1-2 kbits/s.
The Electronic Product Code or in short EPC standard has been developed for wireless identification in high-volume logistics applications like retail. It is widely used already today e.g. on pallet level logistics. The next step is to use EPC tags on package level and on a longer term target on individual items ('item-level tagging'). Organic electronic technology is a candidate for high-volume and low-cost manufacturing of simple electronic circuits. The new results demonstrate that the technology is now on the way to reach EPC compatibility.
About Imec
Imec performs world-leading research in nano-electronics. imec leverages its scientific knowledge with the innovative power of its global partnerships in ICT, healthcare and energy. imec delivers industry-relevant technology solutions. In a unique high-tech environment, its international top talent is committed to providing the building blocks for a better life in a sustainable society.
Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, Taiwan, US, China and Japan. Its staff of more than 1,650 people includes over 550 industrial residents and guest researchers. In 2008, imec's revenue (P&L) was 270 million euro.
Further information on imec can be found at www.imec.be.
Imec is a registered trademark for the activities of imec International (a legal entity set up under Belgian law as a 'stichting van openbaar nut'), imec Belgium (imec vzw supported by the Flemish Government), imec the Netherlands (Stichting imec Nederland, part of Holst Centre which is supported by the Dutch Government) and imec Taiwan (imec Taiwan Co.).
About Holst Centre
Holst Centre is an independent open-innovation R&D centre that develops generic technologies for Wireless Autonomous Transducer Solutions and for Systems-in-Foil. A key feature of Holst Centre is its partnership model with industry and academia around shared roadmaps and programs. It is this kind of cross-fertilization that enables Holst Centre to tune its scientific strategy to industrial needs.
Holst Centre was set up in 2005 by IMEC (Flanders, Belgium) and TNO (The Netherlands) with support from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Government of Flanders. It is named after Gilles Holst, a Dutch pioneer in Research and Development and first director of Philips Research.
Located on High Tech Campus Eindhoven, Holst Centre benefits from the state-of-the-art on-site facilities. Holst Centre has over 145 employees from around 25 nationalities and a commitment from more than 20 industrial partners.
Visit us at www.holstcentre.com
About TNO
TNO is a prominent, independent knowledge company whose expertise and research contributes significantly to the competitiveness of businesses and organisations, to the economy and to the quality of life as a whole. Versatility and capacity to integrate this knowledge makes TNO unique. TNO employs some 4300 professionals. TNO's five core areas are quality of life, defence, security and safety, science and industry, built environment and geosciences and information and communication technology.
Contact:
imec : Hanne Degans, Press Officer, T: +32 16 28 17 69, Mobile : +32 486 065 175, hanne.degans@imec.be
Holst Centre: Koen Snoeckx, Communication Manager, T: +31 40 277 40 91, Mobile: +31 612 719843, koen.snoeckx@holstcentre.com
Flexible circuits offer ruggedness during processing as well as in the final product, a property which makes them appealing for new applications such as plastic RFID tags (radio frequency identification tags) for object tagging. However, for widespread application, plastic RFID technology should adhere maximally to the standard Electronic Product Code (EPC) specifications for item-level tagging. The standards require a bit rate of the order of 50 kb/s. Holst Centre, together with imec and TNO, developed an 8-bit flexible transponder circuit on foil using pentacene as semiconductor material and a high-k gate dielectric. The current drive of this technology enables a data rate of > 50 kbits/s for the circuit, which compares favorably with the above mentioned required EPC bit rate specifications. Earlier versions of such organic circuits had a bit rate limited to 1-2 kbits/s.
The Electronic Product Code or in short EPC standard has been developed for wireless identification in high-volume logistics applications like retail. It is widely used already today e.g. on pallet level logistics. The next step is to use EPC tags on package level and on a longer term target on individual items ('item-level tagging'). Organic electronic technology is a candidate for high-volume and low-cost manufacturing of simple electronic circuits. The new results demonstrate that the technology is now on the way to reach EPC compatibility.
About Imec
Imec performs world-leading research in nano-electronics. imec leverages its scientific knowledge with the innovative power of its global partnerships in ICT, healthcare and energy. imec delivers industry-relevant technology solutions. In a unique high-tech environment, its international top talent is committed to providing the building blocks for a better life in a sustainable society.
Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, Taiwan, US, China and Japan. Its staff of more than 1,650 people includes over 550 industrial residents and guest researchers. In 2008, imec's revenue (P&L) was 270 million euro.
Further information on imec can be found at www.imec.be.
Imec is a registered trademark for the activities of imec International (a legal entity set up under Belgian law as a 'stichting van openbaar nut'), imec Belgium (imec vzw supported by the Flemish Government), imec the Netherlands (Stichting imec Nederland, part of Holst Centre which is supported by the Dutch Government) and imec Taiwan (imec Taiwan Co.).
About Holst Centre
Holst Centre is an independent open-innovation R&D centre that develops generic technologies for Wireless Autonomous Transducer Solutions and for Systems-in-Foil. A key feature of Holst Centre is its partnership model with industry and academia around shared roadmaps and programs. It is this kind of cross-fertilization that enables Holst Centre to tune its scientific strategy to industrial needs.
Holst Centre was set up in 2005 by IMEC (Flanders, Belgium) and TNO (The Netherlands) with support from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Government of Flanders. It is named after Gilles Holst, a Dutch pioneer in Research and Development and first director of Philips Research.
Located on High Tech Campus Eindhoven, Holst Centre benefits from the state-of-the-art on-site facilities. Holst Centre has over 145 employees from around 25 nationalities and a commitment from more than 20 industrial partners.
Visit us at www.holstcentre.com
About TNO
TNO is a prominent, independent knowledge company whose expertise and research contributes significantly to the competitiveness of businesses and organisations, to the economy and to the quality of life as a whole. Versatility and capacity to integrate this knowledge makes TNO unique. TNO employs some 4300 professionals. TNO's five core areas are quality of life, defence, security and safety, science and industry, built environment and geosciences and information and communication technology.
Contact:
imec : Hanne Degans, Press Officer, T: +32 16 28 17 69, Mobile : +32 486 065 175, hanne.degans@imec.be
Holst Centre: Koen Snoeckx, Communication Manager, T: +31 40 277 40 91, Mobile: +31 612 719843, koen.snoeckx@holstcentre.com
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