Toray: Dispensable / low cost RFID: World’s first UHF band wireless communication
January 20, 2020
Toray: Coated / Low Cost RFID
“Toray” has produced a coated RFID2) using a high-performance semiconductor carbon nanotube (semiconductor CNT) composite1).
Achieved the world’s first UHF band 3) radio communication using radio waves as a coated semiconductor.
The results will support automated cash registers and labor savings in inventory management.
It shows that “UHF band RFID can be manufactured with an inexpensive coating method”.
RFID has features such as long-distance communication and batch reading, and can greatly improve the efficiency of retail and distribution.
Going forward, we will accelerate the commercialization of paint-type RFID.
Current RFID: Silicon chip
However, current IC chip silicon RFID tags have weaknesses.
Complex IC chips must be manufactured using high temperature and vacuum.
High cost due to need for mounting process to antenna.
Not suitable for inexpensive products or disposable systems.
For this reason, ICs have been manufactured at low cost, and coating-type organic semiconductors that do not require a mounting process have appeared.
This RFID: Semiconductor CNT composite
Toray is working on research and development of high performance / semiconductor CNTs by using coating type materials and applying coating type RFID.
This time, we achieved 182cm2 / Vs, which is the world’s highest level as a coating type semiconductor.
Thin film transistor (TFT): p-type and n-type
There are two types of thin film transistors (TFTs): p-type, where positive charges flow, and n-type, where negative charges flow.
Normally, CNTs are inherently p-type.
“Successful expression of n-type characteristics with Toray’s unique material technology”
We have developed both p-type and n-type TFTs required for power-saving and low-cost IC formation.
Using these new materials, we created an “RFID prototype with 24-bit memory using a low-cost / coating process.”
And succeeded in “the world’s first wireless communication at a distance of 20 cm using UHF charged waves”.
The prospect of achieving our product target / 60-bit memory was also obtained.
In the future, we will work to improve communication performance, including communication distance, and build manufacturing technology on film.
* 1 Carbon nanotube:
Nanometer-sized substance composed of carbon atoms. There are single-layer, double-layer and multilayer.
A structure in which a flat graphene sheet is rolled into a cylinder (tube).
The semiconductor type is a mixture of two thirds and the metal type is one third.
* 2 mobility:
An index of the mobility of carriers such as holes and electrons in semiconductors.
High mobility enables high-speed response, and TFT size can be reduced, which is advantageous for miniaturization.
* 3 High-performance semiconductor polymer:
It easily adheres to the surface of CNT and has the function of uniformly dispersing CNT.
CNTs having a high purity and a uniform structure have a strong aggregating power, making uniform dispersion difficult.
Toray has applied a semiconducting polymer to the surface of single-walled CNTs and suppressed aggregation of single-walled CNTs without impairing conductivity.
* 4 IGZO:
A kind of oxide semiconductor. Features low power consumption.
Used in liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays.
Functional Chemicals | By Business Segment | TORAY
https://www.toray.co.jp/news/chemicals/detail.html?
Achieved mobility of 155cm2 / Vs for coated semiconductor carbon nanotubes by nanostructure control technology
https://cs2.toray.co.jp/news/toray/newsrrs01.nsf/0/7DBFF7B033F925E649258390002FB650