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Polycarbonate film ready for holography
June 15, 2004 (Leverkusen) -- Bayer MaterialScience AG has laid the foundations for a new storage material enabling data to be stored on polycarbonate film by means of holography. Makrofol® ID film from Bayer MaterialScience, which is coated with a special laser-writable polymer, forms the basis of the storage concept.
There is currently a massive trend toward data security. Non-forgeable labels, accurate identification of people using biometric characteristics, secure access to data networks and secure electronic payments are just some of the topics that are in vogue. The common factor here is the need to be able to store increasing data volumes securely and transport them simply at the same time. Bayer MaterialScience AG has laid the foundations for a new storage material enabling data to be stored on Makrofol® ID polycarbonate film by means of holography. Although still visionary today, check card formats, memory sticks or even programmable keys with holographic film integrated for high-performance, secure information and data storage could soon become reality.
Makrofol® ID film from Bayer MaterialScience, which is coated with a special laser-writable polymer, forms the basis of the storage concept. Holographic information can be written on this thin polymer layer using a laser beam. "Holography offers both high storage capacity and data security. Holograms store the data in the form of a bit sequence. These bit sequences can subsequently be picked out of the hologram by laser and, in our concept, even overwritten. This also makes holograms ideal for use as security keys for rewritable personal identification numbers (PIN). Holographic labels could also be used for fully electronic shopping in the supermarkets of the future. For example, price changes could be stored with ease," explains Dr. Rainer Hagen, an optics expert from the Creative Center at Bayer MaterialScience.
The trend toward increased storage capacity and greater data security can already be seen with smart ID cards. Smart ID cards are plastic cards with storage/logical chips which enable personal identification. Researchers are currently working on integrating biometric data, e.g. the cardholder's fingerprint. And slimline data carriers are set to take over many more functions in the future. For example, an identity card could also be used as an electronically readable driver's license, student ID card, social security card and cash card. This will result in a significant increase in the storage space requirements for plastic cards. And the security requirements for preventing unauthorized access and forgery, particularly when it comes to personal data, will also grow at the same time.
Makrofol® ID film offers clear benefits for smart ID cards. For over 15 years, the film has proven its worth in this sector through its mechanical properties - it is durable, transparent and can be engraved very effectively by laser. "Our recent developments are a decisive step toward integrating holography as a completely new security feature," says Cengiz Yesildag, Key Account Manager for Card Applications at Bayer MaterialScience.
The spectrum of possible future applications is extremely broad. In addition to the examples already mentioned such as multifunctional smart ID cards and future shopping systems, counterfeit-proof identification of goods is also possible as a successor to the barcode system. The rewritable nature of holograms on labels enables storage management to automatically change product prices or descriptions. Content distribution also has a very promising future. "This is a cost-effective way of bringing prize competitions, tunes or advertising material to the consumer's attention by applying them to the actual products. For example, a laser pointer could be used to project a hologram onto a customer's bottle and a particular image generated behind the hologram," explains Hagen.
These and other examples of possible applications already give an indication that polymers with data storage capabilities could have a very versatile future in the mass markets of tomorrow. Although specific market requirements still have to be defined for each individual case, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that cards with polymer storage materials based on holography will conquer many key markets in the future and, as a cost-effective system solution, will be in a position to replace existing identification systems.
