What They Say
In the news about Touch Taiwan, I spotted a company that we haven’t reported on before, Zymergen, which makes films. The firm is based in the US, but has offices in Japan and Taiwan. Unusually, the firm develops Hyaline films and the first, Z2 was ‘inspired by biology’ and using new monomers. The firm’s manufacturing process uses microbes that create films using a form of fermentation in a process it calls Biofacturing.
The film is claimed to have best-in-class optical properties (T%, YI, haze, birefringence) in a high-fold-endurance polyimide. It’s available up to 1.3m wide and in thicknesses of 15µm, 25µm and 50µm. There are detailed specifications here.
Applications include display touch sensors, backplates for under-panel camera designs and transparent EMI shielding.
The firm has also developed ZYM0101 film that is intended for foldable devices and should be in the market in 2023. A further film, ZYM0107 is tolerant of high temperatures and is said to be useful for microLED displays.
What We Think
The company raised $300 million in September 2020 so looks well funded to promote its film business. (BR)
