Plastic may spell the end of the silicon microchip

UK Financial Times ^ | January 2, 2007 | Peter Marsh

[FairOpinion]

In 2000 Plastic Logic, a Cambridge-based start-up company, announced it was attempting to commercialise a form of plastic electronics that had developed from research at the laboratory.

By using a cheap and simple set of processing operations to build up layers of circuitry on plastic “substrates” – the material on which circuits are formed – rather than silicon wafers used in conventional microchips, the developments promised to slash the cost of making semiconductors.

What has given the science behind the company more substance is today’s announcement that Plastic Logic has attracted $100m (£51m) of investment that will fund a plant to make plastic semiconductors – the first of its kind in the world. The factory should be in operation in Dresden, Germany, by the end of 2008 and employ 140 people.

By 2009 the Dresden plant should be producing 2.2m units of A4-size semiconductor sheets a year. They will initially be used as flexible “control circuitry” for large displays the size of a piece of paper that can hold large amounts of information – equivalent to thousands of books.

[Wonder Warthog]

"If plastic microchips can be made cheaply and they remain basically stable, wouldn't that be a bonus?"

But that question of stability is THE key issue. It may be possible to address it, but I'm REALLY skeptical that it can be done successfully. Certainly I wouldn't invest any of my dollars in it.

"If you look at the link in comment 34, it states that--at least initially--these plastic microchips are going to be used for more simpler things than the ones in many people's computers."

Which is exactly what I'm talking about with the "use it once and toss it" market.

[Rummenigge]

Do WE look, like we need money ?

[Jaysun]

Do WE look, like we need money ?

Yes. YOU need a lot of things. You're economy is crap because you guys apparently can't give up on the idea of socialism, you're kids go to college for a living and stack up a pile of degrees they'll never use, and your aging population has to be supported by somebody. Of course all of this is lost if you believe that "the government" pays for this or that.

.

[LisaAnne]

Ping

[null and void]

Thanks.

[Rummenigge]

ummm

- crap economy ?

- states costs too high - running either a deficit or too high taxes ?

- low birth rates of the upper classes ?


isn't that more a typical US problem ?

>> Of course all of this is lost if you believe that "the government" pays for this or that.>>

Is that what you believe ? I'd not have thought you are that stupid.

[Jaysun]

If Germany were a US State its economy would rank last behind all other 50. America doesn't have a birth problem, we're making babies and just passed the 300 million mark. And America's taxes are far less than that of Germany. On fuel alone a gallon of gas in America is cheaper than the taxes that Germany charges on that same gallon.

Germany has some of the best minds in the world. You guys are super at engineering and design. I just wish your government would step aside at let you grow to your full potential.

Your economy isn't that bad - yet. But it's coming. You have to get rid of some of the social spending before it eats you alive.

I think of it like this:
A farmer plants some corn and waits for it to grow. Once it does he eats some and saves the rest to plant again. If he eats 30% of his corn he'll still have a lot more to plant than he did the first time. However, if he eats 50% of his corn he can't grow nearly as much and the size of his farm will be much less than it would have been. The same for government. The more they use the less you can grow. The government in Germany uses way too much.

[Rummenigge]

Then what you waiting for ? Come overe here and help me making engineer babies ...

The rest is all good and well but will you please tell this not to me since I know - but to our beloved Mrs. Merkel ?