Thinfilm demos next-gen smart label

The Thinfilm smart label platform is designed to accommodate a variety of sensing elements, both printed and conventional. Depending on the application and necessary components, labels may either be fully printed or feature a combination of printed and surface-mounted elements.

Thinfilm’s printed-dopant polysilicon (PDPS) technology is based on a hybrid manufacturing process that leverages print methods in key process steps. The technology enables high‐performance transistors that support the high-frequency radio frequency (RF) circuitry required for NFC communications in Thinfilm labels. Furthermore, the PDPS platform allows Thinfilm engineers to significantly compress the cycle time for new designs, enabling faster time-to-­market for new sensing elements as they are developed.

The development was presented by Davor Sutija, Thinfilm chief executive officer, at LOPEC, the international conference and exhibition for printed electronics. In the system demonstrated at LOPEC, PDPS logic detects that a critical temperature threshold has been exceeded. An NFC-enabled smartphone then wirelessly detects the signal and displays a corresponding alert on the device’s screen. Because the smart label contains a unique ID in addition to the sensor data, it is possible to log the alert in a cloud-based application for further analysis.

Sutija said: ‘This successful demonstration represents a critical milestone in Thinfilm’s RF roadmap and comes just four months after acquiring Kovio’s PDPS technology.

‘Our engineering team has made truly impressive progress in a relatively short amount of time and we’re very excited about the many commercial applications for this compelling product.’

He added: ‘Beyond the demonstration itself, it’s important to note that Thinfilm has created a highly versatile, multi-sensor platform that is capable of addressing a range of needs our partners and clients may have. Temperature sensing is an area we initially targeted given the market opportunity and demand, but the market has also expressed significant interest in applications that measure time, humidity, mechanical shock, blood oxygen levels and glucose levels.’

Thinfilm expects to deliver commercial samples of the smart label to key partners in 2015.

‘Thinfilm’s multi-sensor platform presents tremendous opportunities for us and our partners, especially when you consider the variety of new sensors being created today and the pace at which they’re being brought to market,’ added Sutija. ‘As a company we are committed to being a leader in printed electronics, and our partners will play a key role in our broader efforts to deliver ubiquitous intelligence and power the Internet of Everything.’