DuPont Microcircuit Materials (MCM), part of DuPont Electronics and Communications, has announced a key collaboration with Holst Centre, an independent open-innovation R and D centre set up by imec (B) and TNO (NL), focused on printed electronics.

The collaboration is expected to advance technology specifically in the area of printed structures on flexible substrates, which has application in flexible display, RFID, lighting, biomedical and Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) markets.

"As one of the leading material suppliers to the printed electronics industry, DuPont MCM is pleased to collaborate with Holst Centre to enhance the potential for significant new material developments and accelerate market growth in multiple printed electronics applications," said Kerry Adams, European business development manager - DuPont Microcircuit Materials.

"We are honored to be part of such an innovative centre of excellence for the advancement of technologies in this exciting area and look forward to collaborative research with other industrial partners."

DuPont MCM is an established high-volume supplier of electronic inks and pastes and has developed a broad range of printed electronic materials commercially available today.

This growing range of DuPont MCM functional inks is used for forming conductive traces, capacitor and resistor elements, and dielectric and encapsulating layers that are compatible with many substrate surfaces including polyester, glass and ceramic.

DuPont MCM will be joining the 'Printed Structures on Flexible Substrates' program. The work will concentrate on optimizing printed metallic structures on flexible substrates in terms of conductivity, fine line deposition and low energy sintering.

A variety of roll-to roll compatible printing techniques will be studied including screen, flexography and ink jet. Alternative conductor metallurgies will be studied as well as reactive systems for depositing conductive traces.

"We are proud to welcome DuPont to the Holst Centre ecosystem," said Erwin Meinders, program manager Printed Structures on Flexible Substrates - Holst Centre.

"DuPont has a strong reputation in functional inks. I'm confident that DuPont's participation in Holst Centre will give a boost to the further advancement of functional inks and conductive pastes, as key enablers for large-area printed electronics applications."