December 17, 2020 – Schwetzingen, Germany

Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (Fraunhofer IAP), MBraun Intergas-Systeme GmbH and Notion Systems GmbH are developing new inkjet manufacturing technologies for OLED/Quantum Dot and Micro Displays. Specifically developed features, like no. mura printing technology solve long-standing challenges of the industry and enable an efficient, additive use of the valuable materials involved in manufacturing of next generation displays.

Inkjet is a non-contact, digital printing technology which creates fine structures of several microns. Non-contact printing is a fully digital process which makes masks or screens obsolete. General advantages of digital technology in display manufacturing are:

• Elimination and/or replacement of different kinds of process steps
• Materials savings, due to printing only where required: additive print technology: not subtractive
• Offers ways to produce better quality displays (prevents mura effects)
• Easy to scale up for bigger substrate sizes
• Replaces other process steps (e.g., vacuum coating)

All three partners bring their respective competencies in terms of value-added steps in OLED manufacturing in order to present themselves together as a partnership supplier off all-in-one solutions.




One of the main activities of Fraunhofer IAP is exploring materials with special optical and electronic properties as well as processes and designs for custom applications. The spectrum ranges from the development of materials with semiconducting properties to chromogenic, light absorbing and light emitting polymers, which are processed into OLEDs.

Fraunhofer IAP develops custom made processes for OLED/QLED and Micro-Display manufacturers with tailor-made inks and analyze the interaction of all major pre-and post-processing steps, the substrate, as well as the print head and provides best in class proposals for industrial designed process solutions.



Photo shows OLED manufacturing lines @ Fraunhofer IAP in Potsdam

Notion Systems offers a system platform called n.jet display series, which prints functional layers in various steps of display production, and for a number of display technologies. This includes rigid, flexible, OLED, QLED and Micro Displays. In addition to its unparalleled precision, the platform complies with the highest demands in process environment and process stability.


      
Manual load port of n.jet display          OLED RGB printing – Microscope view

Notion Systems and its partner MBraun Inertgas-Systeme offers a fully integrated solution that combines compact design with minimized nitrogen consumption. Inert atmosphere is important, but a clean atmosphere as much so. MBraun systems can remove solvent vapors, dust and hazardous particles. The gas purification systems can be equipped with (regenerable) solvent filters to remove very quickly the solvent vapors produced during the printing processes. The effectively remove evenly distributed particles, unidirectional flow (laminar flow) is MBraun’s preferred approach and allow us to achieve an ISO class 2 cleanroom standard.


      
MBraun glove box – with manual access    MBraun OLED manufacturing cluster



Further information:

Notion Systems GmbH
Carl-Benz-Straße 22a
D-68723 Schwetzingen
Press Office - Antonio Schmidt
Phone: +49 6202 57877-80
E-Mail: antonio.schmidt@notion-systems.com
www.notion-systems.com

Fraunhofer IAP
Geiselbergstraße 69
D-14476 Potsdam-Golm
Dr. Armin Wedel
Phone: +49 331 568-1910
E-Mail: armin.wedel@iap.fraunhofer.de
www.iap.fraunhofer.de

MBraun Inertgas-Systeme GmbH
Dieselstraße 31
D-85748 Garching
Peter Habenschaden
Phone: +49 89 32669-0
E-Mail: p.habenschaden@MBRAUN.de
www.mbraun.com