Overview
IEC 62899-201:2016 - Printed electronics - Part 201: Materials - Substrates - is an international standard that defines terminology and specifies evaluation methods for substrates used in printed electronics. It covers substrates used directly in printing processes to form electronic components and devices, including substrates that receive surface treatments to improve performance.
Keywords: printed electronics substrates, IEC 62899-201, substrate evaluation, substrate testing methods, polymer substrates, glass substrates, printed electronics standards.
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard organizes substrate evaluation into clear technical areas and test methods:
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Terms and definitions
- Common vocabulary for substrates, defects, and dimensional characteristics.
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Materials, structures and dimensions
- Base materials, substrate constructions (films, laminates, rolls, sheets), and dimensional tolerances (outline, sheet size, roll width/length, thickness).
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Sampling, specimen preparation and conditioning
- Recommended sampling, test specimen preparation and atmospheric/conditioning procedures for polymers, glass and other materials.
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Polymer substrate characteristics
- Surface: defects, flatness, surface condition, edge condition.
- Mechanical: elongation at break, tensile strength, tensile modulus, minimum bending radius, tear strength, edge strength, hardness.
- Chemical: resistance to chemicals, halide and volatile content, gas transmission, moisture absorption.
- Electrical: dielectric and conductivity measurements at ambient and elevated temperatures.
- Thermal: glass transition temperature (Tg), coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CTE), dimensional stability, relative temperature index (RTI).
- Optical: color measurement, refractive index, retardation, luminous reflectance, haze.
- Flammability considerations and test reporting.
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Glass substrate characteristics
- Surface roughness, chips/cracks, inclusions, scratches.
- Mechanical: Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, density, hardness.
- Chemical and thermal: chemical resistance, gas transmission, CTE, strain point.
- Optical: refractive index, luminous transmittance.
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Other materials
- Evaluation approach for ceramics, metals, paper and hybrid substrates.
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Logistics
- Storage, packaging, marking, traceability, transportation, vibration and impact resistance.
Practical applications and users
IEC 62899-201 is actionable for:
- Substrate manufacturers specifying and validating materials for printed electronics.
- Ink and functional material formulators matching inks to substrate properties.
- Design and process engineers in flexible electronics, RFID, sensors, displays and wearable devices.
- Quality assurance, test laboratories and procurement teams requiring standardized test methods and acceptance criteria.
- OEMs and contract manufacturers establishing supplier specifications and incoming inspection routines.
Related standards
- Complements other parts of the IEC 62899 printed electronics series (material, process and device-related parts).
- Intended to be used alongside relevant national and industry material standards and test-method documents for electrical, thermal and mechanical characterization.
This standard helps ensure reliable selection, testing and deployment of substrates in printed electronics applications by providing consistent terminology and reproducible evaluation methods.
