Ciba signs printable electronics pact

Ciba Specialty Chemicals and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany, have agreed to a three-year collaboration focused on novel conductive polymers for printable electronics. The organizations hope to enable products such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and radio-frequency identification tags to be made through printing processes. "Printable organic electronics offer great opportunities for new electronic devices," says Martin Riediker, Ciba's chief technology officer. "However, the performance, durability, and handling requirements of the conductive materials currently available are not yet adequate for many major applications." Earlier this year, Ciba started a collaboration with German OLED technology developer Novaled.