FlexTech Alliance Awards UniPixel Displays Contract for Roll-to-Roll Conductor Patterning Process

The Woodlands, TX; July 1, 2009. UniPixel, Inc., the developer of a color display technology called Time Multiplexed Optical Shutter (TMOS), and the FlexTech Alliance, an organization devoted to fostering the growth, profitability and success of the electronic display and flexible, printed electronics supply chain, announced that UniPixel has been awarded a contract by the FlexTech Alliance for further advancement of its roll-to-roll conductor patterning capabilities.

During the course of development of the polymer films used in the company's TMOS displays, UniPixel discovered a method of using an inkjet printing system to pattern conductors on films at significantly thinner trace widths than previously achieved. This discovery provides the potential to enhance roll-to-roll printed electronics manufacturing by dramatically improving flexible printed circuitry, while at the same time reducing the cost of production.

UniPixel has developed methods that use surface structure and surface chemistry to achieve sub-5 micron trace widths on the surface of flexible substrates. Currently this process is conducted in a batch environment at UniPixel, where the methods and results have been well refined. This contract and grant from the FlexTech Alliance serves to recognize this capability and to provide support for using this process for conductor patterning in a continuous flow system.

"We're pleased by the support being provided to us by the FlexTech Alliance to further develop our conductor patterning capabilities for our Opcuity film technology and the industry. We have worked to solve many challenges in the development of our TMOS display technology and this capability represents one of those accomplishments," noted Reed Killion, President and CEO of UniPixel.

"At the time of the development work, we did it out of necessity for TMOS. It was later on as we communicated our work during our participation with FlexTech that we realized that this capability was truly leading edge within the industry. We are hopeful that our achievement and its applications for the electronics industry can help to usher in a new era of display and flexible electronics manufacturing," Killion added.

"We are pleased to have UniPixel work with FlexTech and industry partners to further refine their TMOS process to facilitate the transition from current batch methods to a continuous flow system, such as roll-to-roll," commented Michael Ciesinski, CEO of FlexTech Alliance. "UniPixel's technology and process can dramatically improve the production of flexible printed circuitry while offering reduced production costs through roll-to-roll production techniques."

UniPixel will work through the contract term to further refine, apply to industry standard requirements for electronics, and then to transition its conductor patterning capabilities to a Flextech Alliance and industry supported development facility. This approach will allow the technology to be evaluated and leveraged by a broad set of companies that participate in the production of electronics. It also will benefit UniPixel by providing expanded resources, expertise, and external support to the development and transition process.