Remarkable Changes of Emphasis Revealed at Printed Electronics USA 2006

This year’s event was very different from previous years in relying less on concepts and dreams and instead seeing the demonstration of a plethora of products for sale or soon to be for sale. These varied from anoraks with printed heating elements to wiring in cars being replaced by cheaper, lighter, less space-consuming printed patterns. There were plenty of light emitting displays, non-emitting displays and photovoltaics on rigid substrates. However, the substrate was more often made of plastic and survival from being hit with a hammer showed the advance these represent. AC electroluminescent displays are ahead in being commonly on flexible substrates and printed today with up to nine inorganic layers on a polymer film and a burgeoning number of commercial successes from the very small to the super billboard twenty meters long.