Plastics, on account of their property as outstanding insulators, find application in the field of electronics. Plastics, when suitably modified, can also conduct electricity, and are therefore more versatile and offer many possibilities beyond insulation. These unparalleled properties together with design and processing methods, frequently provide economical solutions that justify the dominance of plastics in the electrical & electronic (E/E) sectors. Two four-letter abbreviations, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) and Restriction of certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) are acronyms for two European Union (EU) environmental directives that impact E/E equipment on the development of plastic materials used in the production of E/E devices and how these devices are manufactured. Research is underway to use advanced plastics and plastics-related materials to develop new approaches to electronic devices.
Engineering thermoplastics and other high performance polymers continue to progressively play a critical role in the production of electric & electronic (E/E) components and microelectronic devices. New polymer grades, additives and fillers have been developed to meet thin wall and high temperature requirements for moulded parts. Plastics material and processing development is contributing to lower costs and performance enhancement of consumer and industrial electronics manufacturing technologies. A high dielectric constant liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin compound series has been developed to enable plastics processors to replace ceramics in high-performance electronic components used in high frequency (microwave and millimeter wave) applications and are currently being used in moulded interconnect devices. Continuing drive for higher circuit density and very high-speed data processing has resulted in an intensified search for new polymeric materials to use in microelectronics .
Plastic electronics, based on inherently conductive polymers (ICPs) and flexible substrates, will herald a new era in the electronics industry. Future products include roll-up displays to be used with computers and mobile phones, flexible solar panels that can be laminated to walls and ceilings or used to power portable equipment and ultra-low-cost radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. New materials such as carbon nanotubes and organic molecules, with conducting and semiconducting properties, will enable a new generation of plastic electronic displays for cellular phones and other portable devices.
Advances in nanotechnology and inherently conductive polymers (ICPs) are making possible the development of new photovoltaic (PV) cells that promise to make solar energy inexpensive, unobtrusive and readily available. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has successfully sponsored research work at the University of Erlangen to develop polyetheretherketone (PEEK) high temperature resistant films as a new base material for flexible printed circuit (FPC) boards. The substitution of rigid printed circuit boards with new flexible circuit carriers is an important aspect in the development of lightweight miniaturized electronic solutions.