PALO ALTO, CA — Frost & Sullivan today named Plextronics Inc. recipient of the 2005 Technology Innovation of the Year Award in the field of printed electronics. The award recognizes the company’s significant contributions toward the development of conductive polymer technology, trademarked Plexcore, which will help enable broad market commercialization of a wide variety of organic electronics devices.

Frost & Sullivan makes the award annually to a company that has carried out new research, which has resulted in innovation(s) that have or are expected to bring significant contributions to the industry in terms of adoption, change, and competitive posture. The Award recognizes the quality and depth of a company’s research and development program as well as the vision and risk-taking that enabled it to undertake such an endeavor.

"An intimate understanding of the relationship between polymer structure, the resulting physical properties of the polymer, and finally its impact on the performance of organic electronic devices have been applied in the conception of Plexcore technology," said Frost & Sullivan research analyst Archana Jayarajah. "The company’s core technology is based on regioregular polythiophenes that have excellent physical and electrical properties and scalability - the key factors for its successful market application."

Plextronics approach to the design and synthesis of conductive polymers has helped the company’s researchers tailor fundamental material properties such as structure, molecular weight, polydispersity, energy level, and end-group functionality for specific end-user needs. The ability to control these variables has enabled the development of application-specific polymer technologies that cost effectively maximize device performance and has resulted in innovations that are patentable and virtually difficult to replicate.

Products based on the Plexcore technology include Plexcore OS, Plexcore HIL, Plexcore PV, and Plexcore TS. Plexcore OS is an organic semiconductor that can help in the fabrication of a new class of low power electronic devices. Plexcore HIL is a solvent-based ink that when printed using spin-cast or inkjet techniques forms transparent, partially conductive thin-films referred to as a ‘hole injection layers’. Plexcore PV, a class of semi-conductive polymers, can strongly absorb sunlight and generate electric charges required to function as a solar cell. Plexcore TS, a solvent-based ink, can be printed using spin-cast or inkjet techniques to form transparent, highly conductive, flexible thin-films.

On the whole, organic electronics is still a relatively new field in which only a few companies can claim to have substantial expertise. Plextronics, on the other hand, benefits from over 15 years of innovation in this area and its core technology has already helped catalyze the development of conductive polymers toward broad commercialization.

"Plextronics’ core technology has catalyzed the development of conductive polymers toward broad commercialization. Few companies in this field offer materials and formulation expertise as well as extensive device fabrication capabilities," said Jayarajah.