Abstract
Printing silicon means either using inkjet, traditional printing techniques or
transfer printing to create electronic devices and photovoltaic subsystems
with silicon derived materials. The concept of printed silicon has been around
for a while but has grown in prominence in the last two or three years as
organic electronics has not spread as rapidly as once expected. Printing
silicon holds out the promise of combining the proven performance advantages
of silicon with the low-cost manufacturing promised by printing. And while the
focus is on printed silicon, many of the printing techniques being suggested
could be extended to other traditional semiconductor materials.
NanoMarkets was the first industry analyst firm to recognize the revenue
potential of printed silicon and we published a report on this topic in 2007.
This new report builds on our considerable understanding of the potential for
printed silicon and analyzes and quantifies the printed silicon/silicon inks
markets in 2009 and beyond, showing how these inks and printing processes can
produce profits, even in the current economic environment. This report also
discusses the complete range of printed silicon applications that are likely
to yield significant market opportunities in the next eight years.
Printed electronics is now much more eclectic than ever about the materials
that it uses. This report explains where printed silicon fits into the entire
functional printing picture, how it competes with other materials, and which
applications it is best suited for. This report is essential reading for
product managers, marketing executive and business development personnel in
the printed electronics industry, as well as materials and inks firms looking
for new opportunities, and, of course, printing equipment manufacturers.
As with all NanoMarkets reports, this report includes a granular eight-year
forecast of revenues from silicon inks and printed materials as well as an
assessment of the product/market strategies of the leading firms active in
this space.
Methodology of this Report
The information for this work is derived from a variety of sources, but
principally comes from primary sources, including NanoMarkets' ongoing
interview program of technologists, business development managers, and
academics involved with emerging electronics of all kinds, including thin-film
and printable electronics. We also drew on an extensive search of the
technical literature, relevant company Web sites, trade journals, government
resources, and various collateral items from trade shows and conferences.
Some of the data for this report comes from other NanoMarkets' reports, most
notably “Materials for Thin-Film Silicon Photovoltaics,” and much
of the historical and background information builds on the 2007 version of
this report, “Opportunities for Nanocrystalline Silicon and Silicon Inks
in Electronics.” Where information comes from an earlier report, it has
been reinvestigated, reanalyzed, and reconsidered in light of current
developments, and updated accordingly.
The forecast approach taken in this report is explained in more detail in
Chapter Four, but the basic approach involved looking at the underlying needs
and markets, as well as the technologies and types of products available or
under development, to assess suitability and likely volume over the next eight
years. The stated plans of the key firms are of course of special interest,
although NanoMarkets critically considers these claims in light of all
available data.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
- E.1 Printed Silicon and Its Applications: Market Potentials
- E.1.1 Silicon Inks
- E.1.2 Transfer Printing
- E.2 Photovoltaics: Decent PV Performance Meets Rock Bottom
Cost--Maybe
- E.3 Display Backplanes: Printing for Flexibility?
- E.4 RFID: Reducing Costs for Item-Level Applications?
- E.5 Solid-State Lighting: Does Silicon Have a Chance?
- E.6 Materials Issues and Opportunities
- E.6.1 Printed Silicon vs. Organic Electronics: Where Printed Silicon
Fits In
- E.6.2 Opportunities for Ink Manufacturers
- E.6.3 Opportunities for the Traditional Silicon Materials Industry
- E.6.4 Printing Other Inorganic Semiconductors: Applications and Revenue
Potential
- E.6.5 Opportunities for Equipment Manufacturers
- E.7 Firms to Watch In This Space
- E.8 What' s New Since NanoMarkets' 2007 Report?
- E.9 Summary of Eight-Year Forecasts of Silicon Ink and Transfer
Printing Markets
Chapter One: Introduction
- 1.1 Background to this Report
- 1.1.1 Printed Electronics: Not Just Exotic Materials Anymore
- 1.1.2 Applications for Printed Silicon
- 1.2 Objectives and Scope of this Report
- 1.3 Methodology of this Report
- 1.4 Plan of this Report
Chapter Two: Printed Silicon Materials, Technology, and Manufacturing
- 2.1 Organic Materials vs. Silicon in Printed Electronics
- 2.1.1 TFTs and Memory
- 2.1.2 Photovoltaics
- 2.2 Silicon Inks and Printing Technology
- 2.3 Evolution of Silicon Ink Formulations
- 2.3.1 Special Considerations for Inkjet Printing
- 2.3.2 Key Players in Silicon Inks
- 2.4 Transfer Printing
- 2.5 Printing Other Inorganic Semiconductors
- 2.6 Substrates for Printed Silicon
- 2.6.1 Silicon
- 2.6.2 Glass
- 2.6.3 Metal Foils
- 2.6.4 Plastic
- 2.6.5 Paper and Board
- 2.7 Environmental, Health, and Safety Concerns with Silicon Inks
- 2.8 Key Points Made in this Chapter
Chapter Three: Printed Silicon Applications and Markets
- 3.1 Printed Silicon in the Current Economy: Competing Interests
- 3.2 Printed Silicon in Photovoltaics
- 3.2.1 Key Players
- 3.2.2 Can Printed Silicon PV Be as Cheap as OPV?
- 3.2.3 Printed Silicon vs. Other Printed PV
- 3.3 Printed Silicon in Display Backplanes
- 3.3.1 Printed Silicon vs. Traditional Silicon TFTs
- 3.3.2 Printed Silicon vs. OTFTs
- 3.3.3 Key Players and Research Groups
- 3.4 Printed Silicon and RFID
- 3.4.1 Key Players and Research Groups
- 3.4.2 Current State of Printing in the RFID Business
- 3.4.3 Printed Silicon vs. Traditional RFID Chips
- 3.4.4 Printed Silicon vs. OTFTs in RFID
- 3.4.5 Can Printed Silicon Help to Move RFID to the Item Level?
- 3.5 Printed Silicon Lighting
- 3.5.1 Printed Silicon vs. OLEDs and HB-LEDs: Does Silicon Stand a Chance?
- 3.6 Key Points Made in this Chapter
Chapter Four: Eight-Year Forecasts of Printed Silicon Markets
- 4.1 Forecasting Methodology
- 4.1.1 Data Sources
- 4.1.2 Scope of Forecast
- 4.1.3 Alternative Scenarios and Other Factors Taken Into Consideration
- 4.1.4 Some Notes on Pricing
- 4.2 Forecasts of Printed Silicon Device Markets by Application
- 4.2.1 Photovoltaics
- 4.2.2 Display Backplanes
- 4.2.3 RFID
- 4.2.4 Lighting and Other Applications
- 4.3 Forecasts of Silicon Ink Markets
- 4.4 Forecasts of Silicon-Based Transfer Printing Markets
- Acronyms and Abbreviations Used In this Report
- About the Author
List of Exhibits
- Exhibit E-1: Device Revenues from Printed Silicon by Application ($
Millions)
- Exhibit 4-1: Printed Silicon in Photovoltaic Applications
- Exhibit 4-2: Printed Silicon in Display Backplane Applications
- Exhibit 4-3: Printed Silicon in RFID Applications
- Exhibit 4-4: Printed Silicon in Other Applications
- Exhibit 4-5: Ink-Printed Silicon Products by Silicon Ink Composition,
Application Level ($ Millions)
- Exhibit 4-6: Silicon Ink Revenues by Silicon Ink Composition and
Application ($ Millions)
- Exhibit 4-7: Silicon Ink Revenues by Printing Type and Application ($
Millions)
- Exhibit 4-8: Application Revenues by Printing Type and Application ($
Millions)
- Exhibit 4-9: Transfer Printed Silicon Products, Application Level ($
Millions)
