Printed electronics (PE) manufacturers have a wide variety of processes to choose from when designing their products. Depending upon their needs, companies can tailor their production facilities in a number of different ways.

Ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) curing is one approach that is gaining interest in the PE field. It is a green technology, in that emits no volatile organic compounds (VOC). Due to its ability to cure at low temperature, heat-sensitive substrates can be used. UV is also high throughput due to its ability to cure instantly.

UV has already found success in some PE markets, such as photovoltaics, and is utilized in membrane switches and printed circuit board manufacturing.

In order to provide more information on the potential use of UV for PE manufacturing and design, RadTech North America is focusing its upcoming uv.eb WEST 2011 conference on PE.

The conference, which will be held March 8-9 at Biltmore Hotel & Suites, Santa Clara, CA, features speakers from industry-leading companies such as Artificial Muscle, Novacentrix and Jabil Green Point, and will cover topics such as coatings, inks, pastes, adhesives and dielectrics.

The opening session features two sets of concurrent talks, with Session 1 and 2 in the morning and Session 3 and 4 in the afternoon.

Session 1 discusses Coatings – Functional, Films, Light Management, and begins with a talk by Doug DeLong of Plasmatreat, titled, “Reducing Flexible Electronics and Solar Module Costs with Atmospheric Plasma Surface Modification.” Stan Farnsworth of Novacentrix will focus on “Pulsed-Light Curing Technology for Metal Inks on Plastic Films.” Kazuo Ashikaga of Fusion UV will discuss “The Challenges Associated with Micro Embossed UV Coatings for the Optical Film Applications.” Cytec’s Marcus Hutchins will close Session 1 with his talk on “Energy Curable Functional Coatings for Consumer Electronics.”

Session 2 will focus on Adhesives, Potting Compounds, Dielectrics, and will feature presentations by Jeffrey Parker of Henkel and Mick O’Brien of Lumen Dynamics Group, among others.

Session 3 will look at “Inks, Paste, Dielectric Coatings. “ BASF’s Eugene Siztmann will discuss “New Cationic Photoinitiators for Electronics, Printing and Coatings Applications.” Tim Luong of FUJIFILM Dimatix will cover “An Efficient, Compact and Easy-to-Use Customizable Inkjet UV Curing System for Dimatix Materials Printers. Kentaro Goto of JSR Micro will offer “Review of Photoresist.”

Session 4 will examine the topic of Coatings – Assembly, Final Products. Bob Richardson of Jabil Green Point will discuss “Disconnects in the Supply Chain.” Artificial Muscle’s Mikyong Yoo will offer insight into “UV Cured Materals for EAP Actuators.” R. Clayton of Nanophase will focus on “Enhanced Scratch-Resistance of UV-Cured Nanometric Aluminum.” Northfield Automation’s Mark Wegner will then close the session.

The March 9 session will include an overview of UV/EB curing technology, beginning with a talk by Raghu Das, CEO of IDTechEx, which will focus on “Printed Electronics 2011-2021 and the Opportunities for UV and EB.” David Harbourne of Fusion UV Systems will follow with “UV/EB Curing: The Current Status & Future Opportunities.” Steve Lapin, PCT Engineered Systems, will discuss “Overview of UV/EB Curing Equipment,” and Jim Raymont, EIT Instrument Markets, will focus on “Process Control & UV Measurement.”

In addition, there will be a UV/EB Chemistry Short Course offered on March 9, which will provide an introductory look at the basic chemistry of UV/EB curable formulations. This course will cover materials and reactions of UV/EB formulations, different classes of photoinitiators, real-time analysis of curing progress, strategies for typical formulation challenges and applications in electronics and microfabrication environments.

UV leaders said that this conference will showcase what UV curing offers.

“It is my hope that as a result of this event, many of those that are involved in the printed electronics and photovoltaics markets and technologies will learn that UV curing is rapidly become a manufacturing solution for many applications within these industries,” Mr. Harbourne said.

For more information or to register for uv.eb West 2011, contact RadTech at www.radtech.org.