An impermeable wrap for future electronics

A moisture-resistant coating that extends the lifetime and reliability of plastic electronic devices, such as organic solar cells or flexible displays, has garnered the intense interest of developers of next-generation lighting materials. By cranking out large sheets of polymers bearing electronic circuitry using roll-to-roll technology, electronics manufacturers can substantially reduce their capital and processing costs. The possibilities for low-cost flexible panel lighting inspiring, says Senthil Ramadas, co-founder and chief technology officer of Tera-Barrier Films – a company spun-out of the A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) in 2009. "Flexible devices can take any form – thin films of organic lighting could cover entire ceilings or wrap around pillars."

Despite their promise, however, flexible polymer-based electronics remain highly vulnerable to the elements, as water and oxygen molecules can easily seep into these plastic devices and degrade sensitive internal components. Current protection technologies involve the deposition of multiple layers of inorganic and organic films over the active substrate, but such 'stacks' of protection still allow permeation at a rate of one-thousandth of a gram per square meter per day—three orders of magnitude higher than an 'ideal' barrier, Ramadas explains.