Apr 24 2012
Arkema and CEA are to extend their existing collaboration in photovoltaics to the field of micro-electronics and organic electronics by setting up two joint research laboratories. These public-private mixed laboratories will enable the development of new ultra high performance materials and their integration within manufacturing processes in growth areas of the electronics sector in France.
Both laboratories will pool Arkema's expertise in the design and production of high performance polymers with the competences of CEA researchers in the design and processes involved in the development of electronic components.
The CEA-Leti (Laboratoire d'Electronique et de Technologie de l'Information) and CEA-Liten (Laboratoire d'Innovation pour les Technologies des Energies Nouvelles et les nanomatériaux) laboratories constitute world-class applied research centers, in microelectronics and information technologies for the former, and in new energy technologies for the latter.
As part of its collaboration with Leti, Arkema will draw on its expertise in polymer nanostructuring to produce new materials designed to optimize the performances of silicon components and significantly reduce their manufacturing costs in next generation integrated circuits.
As part of its collaboration with Liten, Arkema, which markets a group of leading technical polymers (fluorinated, piezoelectric, nanostructured thermoplastic polymers), will be able to meet the technological challenges of the large-area printed electronics sector (flexible screens, intelligent packaging and textiles, photovoltaic panels), such as lifetime of the systems, cost of manufacture, and integration of several functions onto a single support. In fact, the use of organic materials, rather than silicon, opens up a new field of printable, transparent and flexible components that can be integrated into large-area printed electronic products.
"These partnerships between Arkema and CEA are ideally suited to the development of new materials used in lithography and in organic electronics. These collaborations also illustrate a new focus of research for our Group, namely micro-electronics, and are a tangible demonstration of our ability to innovate in high added value application areas," states Christian Collette, Vice President Research & Development at Arkema.
"The creation of both these joint laboratories is ample illustration of CEA's mission in supporting the development of French ouiindustrial sectors," explains Jean Therme, Director Technological Research at CEA. "The combination of CEA's technological resources in micro-electronics and renewable energies, with Arkema, a world leader in specialty chemicals, will spawn innovations, and ultimately will boost competitiveness."
Both these research structures will help expand the technological offering of the French electronics sector and its competitiveness on the world scene.