Plextronics: An entrepreneur's road from science to world record plastic solar cells

POLY 96

Richard McCullough, rm5g@andrew.cmu.edu, Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Mellon Institute, 4400 5th Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
In the early 1990s, our lab discovered the first regioregular polythiophenes-conductive polymers that resulted in materials with high conductivity and mobilities and that have proven useful in many commercial applications. Low manufacturing costs of these materials and their outstanding performance, led to the formation of Plextronics-a Carnegie Mellon University spin-out company. Plextronics, Inc. is a leading innovator of technology for printed electronics. The printed electronics market comprises next-generation light, power and circuitry products, including flexible displays, plastic solar cells and organic RFID tags. With a company vision of enabling 15 billion printed electronic devices by 2015, Plextronics is creating technology capable of commercial-scale performance and manufacturability. The company's device design, process technology and Plexcore(r) branded inks enable the formation of active electrical layers- the key drivers of printed electronics. A discussion on the inception, starting, and growth of the company and business, financial, and technology management will be discussed. As vice president for research, I will also lend special insight into the university spin out process and other salient issues