Merck 2014 Annual Report Download - page 80

75GROUP MANAGEMENT REPORT → FUNDAMENTAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE GROUP → Research and development at the group
High-quality pigments and functional materials
Besides high-quality decorative effect pigments, the company also
offers
functional materials used, for example, in laser marking of
plastics, conductive coatings, and heat-reflective glazing for
greenhouses. The Meoxal® brand is the latest development in
effect pigments. These pigments captivate with their brilliant
color saturation and exceptional performance, as a result of their
innovative layer technology and the use of aluminum flakes as
substrate. They are highly suitable for a multitude of high-perfor-
mance applications, especially for automotive and plastic coatings.
The third pigment in the new brand family – Meoxal® Atacama
Red – was launched in the second quarter of 2014.
With Xirallic® NXT, the Performance Materials division is
launching a new patented product generation of the well-known
high-tech effect pigments. These offer customers an
exceptional
“living-sparkle-effect”, high styling potential and consistent
quality. The first product of the new generation –
Xirallic® NXT
Panthera Silver – is a dark- gray, metallic effect pigment, which
the Group has been offering since April2014.
AZ Electronic Materials
In the IC (Integrated Circuit) Materials business, which supplies
products for inte grated circuit manufacture, AZ has developed a
range of products for “ Extreme UV Lithography" ( EUV ) applications
which has already been qualified by several customers from the
semiconductor
industry for their processes. AZ’s “shrink” technol-
ogy makes it
possible to reduce lithographically generated struc-
tures after
patterning, thus circumventing resolution limitations
of existing exposure equipment in a cost- effective manner. New
products are
on the verge of production implementation. AZ is a
leader in Directed Self Assembly ( DSA ), a revolutionary technology
which is crucial to all advanced semiconductor manufacturers. In
DSA, the information for the smallest structures is already con-
tained in the chemical make-up of the coating material. Addition-
ally, AZ is intensively engaged in developing thick perhydropoly-
silazane (PHPS) products for 3D-chip-technology as well as novel
insulator materials.
The continuous development of flat- panel display technology
to wards larger formats and higher operating frequencies requires
the use of transistors with feature sizes that are at the limit of the
resolution capability of the exposure tools. In the Optronics busi-
ness, AZ has successfully transferred from its IC sector so- called
tandem resin technology with a specific molecular weight distri-
bution, thus achieving a photoresist resolution near the theoretical
resolution limit. In silicon technology, new siloxane materials are
in an advanced stage of qualification as planarization materials
for high-resolution displays and as a thin film barrier for OLED
lighting.
LIFE SCIENCE
With nearly 800 employees focused on R&D, the Life Science
division is working with customers to develop innovative solutions
for the research, development and production of pharmaceutical
a
nd biotech processes worldwide. Through dedicated collaboration
on new scientific and engineering insights, the Life Science divi-
sion serves as a strategic partner to customers and helps advance
the promise of life science.
In 2014, the Life Science division launched over 20 new prod-
ucts, proving the innovative power of its Research & Development
organization, and once again received R&D Magazine 100Awards
for innovative products. The 52nd annual R&D Awards recognize
the 100 most technologically significant products introduced onto
the market over the past year. The Life Science division's products
that
were recognized are the SmartFlare™ detection reagent and
Clarisolve® depth filters.
The SmartFlare™ detection reagent is a novel probe capable of
detecting specific mRNAs and miRNAs in live, intact cells. This
technology allows for carrier-free cellular endocytosis of the
reagent, followed by detection and relative quantitative analysis
of RNA
levels. Because the reagent leaves the cell after the
detection event, the same sample can be used for any downstream
analysis, meaning it is possible to assess multiple biomarkers or
downstream functionalities in the same cells.
Clarisolve® depth filters are specifically tuned to the particle
size distribution of various pretreatment methodologies, enabling
the fastest and most efficient way to clarify high-density streams
and easily transfer processes from upstream to downstream
without the use of centrifugation. Clarisolve® depth filters were
designed for high cell density / titer mammalian cell culture feed
streams for mAb production. Early success has also been achieved
in microbial and vaccine applications.
In March2014, the Life Science division announced a clinical
research, licensing and joint development agreement with Sysmex
Corporation of Japan. This collaboration will use the Life Science
division's flow cytometry technology as a platform to accelerate
the creation of new, more powerful diagnostic tools for research in
blood disorders. If successful, Sysmex and the Life Science divi-
sion will collaborate on developing the imaging flow technology
platform for future commercialization in hematology.