Printed sensors and electronics: development challenges and emerging applications

As new sensor technologies continue to proliferate in existing and emerging applications, one especially promising area is printed-electronic sensors. We recently spoke with Dan Brewer, Executive Director of Marketing and Intellectual Property at Brewer Science, an active participant and one of the early entrants into this technology segment. The privately held company is based in Rolla, Missouri and was founded by Dr. Terry Brewer in 1981. The company got its start in semiconductor materials and specifically in materials used in front-end processes. They still claim to hold the largest market share in anti-reflective coatings for semiconductors, and they produce 70-80 types of materials used in lithography processes. From front-end materials, the company expanded to back-end advanced packaging materials, and from there to printed electronics.