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STORY
“Isorg is producing fingerprint sensors for the smartphones of the future.”
What is this technology based on?
J.-Y. G. – This technology is based on the electroactive properties of the organic materials we’re developing, such as semiconductor inks which we use to make our sensors. When subjected to mechanical constraints, they generate electric currents that send information such as changes in pressure, or vibrations, in a very localized way. These inks can detect the temperature of the human body, which emits heat radiation in infrared, meaning they can be used in smart clothing, smartphones and presence sensors. With their ability to detect via our sensors this spectrum that’s invisible to the naked eye, these inks differ from traditional organic materials.
Why are Isorg and Arkema working together?
J.-Y. G. – We are complementary. Arkema supplies us with electroactive fluoropolymers which we use to make our sensors, and Isorg is an expert in printing technologies and the development of organic electronic applications on an industrial scale.
But we are also working together in the academic world, through the SMILE industrial chair at Bordeaux University, which focuses on smart polymer ferrotronic materials for environmental monitoring and energy conversion. It’s a great example of a partnership in applied research between manufacturers and researchers.
Isorg is a young company.
What do these collaborations represent?
J.-Y. G. – They are very important for us because they are enriching our knowledge so that we can develop our applications more quickly. Isorg has only been around for ten years and is starting to see the results of its research efforts. But to get here, we’ve had constant stress tests and have had to work hard to convince people of the potential of our sensors and the reliability of this technology!
What prospects for innovation lie ahead for printed electronics?
J.-Y. G. – This also relates to people’s safety. I’m thinking of tiled floors made from electroactive materials that can detect when someone falls or can’t move, which is a real lifeline for the elderly or people with disabilities; also urban lighting that switches on when a pedestrian is detected on the sidewalk; and road surfaces made from piezoelectric materials that could generate electricity when vehicles drive over it. There are so many possibilities. ■
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