Nanotechnology tangible – Opening of the new Roll-to-Roll pilot plant of JOANNEUM RESEARCH

The new Roll-to-Roll pilot plant enables JOANNEUM RESEARCH to develop micro- and nanostructured foils for industrial applications.

Attended by Kristina Edlinger-Ploder, Minister of Provincial Government, Mayor Helmut Kienreich as well as Ingolf Schädler from the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology the new Roll-to-Roll pilot plant was officially opened on 7 April 2011 in Weiz. Paul Hartmann, Director of the Institute MATERIALS, and all guests of honour highlighted the importance of this investment for the industrial research in Styria.

The adoption of a roll-to-roll based production processes could lead to revolutionary applications in electronics, optoelectronics, photovoltaics and sensors when nanostructures can be produced on large areas. The promises of Nanotechnology like self-cleaning surfaces, improvement of adhesion or reduction of friction through biomimetic surfaces can be realised as prototypes or even small series in industrial processes by the pilot plant. Furthermore, nanostructures can improve the efficiency of solar cells, enable optical data communication, foster the development of point of care devices, or open new ways for the colouration of surfaces.

The integration of electronic, optical or sensory components on meter long foils leads to cheap production methods and a variety of new products.

The new Roll-to-Roll pilot plant is designed to do just that – production of very small structures on large areas in a resource-conserving and efficient industrial process. A foil of a maximum width of 300 mm is the basis for further structuring or coating steps.

In most applications a coating will be applied first (i.e. via gravure printing). Within the next process steps the desired nanostructures will be generated by the means of hot embossing or UV-imprinting. A series of coatings and structuring processes as well as a combination of different materials is necessary to deliver more complex structures like optoelectronic components.

“For the first time ever this new pilot-plant allows us to create functional nanostructures in a printing-like process on a foil”, says Barbara Stadlober, head of Micro- and Nanostructuring in Weiz.