Peter Zalar

Peter Zalar

Senior OLED Device Engineer at Apple
Cupertino, California, USA
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About

My career has spanned the intersection of materials science, chemistry, physics, and electrical engineering across three continents and 17 years — from Ph.D. research on organic semiconductors at UCSB, to ultraflexible biomedical devices at the University of Tokyo, to large-area printed sensor programs at Holst Centre / TNO, and now OLED device engineering at Apple.

Prior to Apple, I spent seven years at Holst Centre / TNO in the Netherlands, where I managed research programs in large-area printed sensor development and built international collaborations across academia and industry. Earlier, at the University of Tokyo, I had the opportunity to develop ultraflexible organic optoelectronics for biomedical applications as part of the JST ERATO program.

Beyond the scientific work, these years gave me a sustained connection to Japan – through my time at the University of Tokyo and subsequent project collaborations with Japanese industry and academia. I remain open to connecting with researchers and engineers working in organic electronics, flexible devices, or sensor technologies.

Professional Experience

Feb 2024 – Present  Present
Senior OLED Device Engineer
Apple — Hardware Technologies, Panel Tech OLED
Cupertino, California, USA
Electrical modeling & failure analysis for next-generation display OLEDs.
Responsibilities
  • Electrical modeling, characterization, and device simulation of OLEDs for next-generation display products.
  • Process development for OLED thin-film stacks using thermal evaporation, sputtering, and CVD; process characterization and optimization in collaboration with process engineering teams.
  • Failure analysis and risk assessment informing device architecture and materials selection for next-generation display products.
  • Engaged with materials suppliers in early-stage co-development of a novel thin-film technology.
Sep 2021 – Jan 2024
Research Program Manager
Holst Centre / TNO — Hybrid Printed Electronics
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Strategy and day-to-day management of an 8-person R&D program team.
Responsibilities
  • Set group research strategy and managed day-to-day activities of an 8-person team; defined roadmaps, milestones, and deliverables for multiple concurrent programs.
  • Coordinated cross-functional teams and external technology partners across chemical, electronics, and automotive industries; owned vendor relationships, managed budgets and timelines, and resolved escalations across bilateral and EU-funded programs.
  • Drove technology from laboratory concepts to industrial prototypes, ensuring process readiness and specification compliance at each gate.
  • Created project proposals, generated leads, and presented to potential clients and executives; secured group R&D funding across bilateral and EU-funded programs.
Jan 2017 – Sep 2021
Senior Research Scientist
Holst Centre / TNO — Hybrid Printed Electronics
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Project leader for screen-printable sensor development.
Responsibilities
  • Project leader for screen-printable sensor development; coordinated work packages across internal teams and external industrial collaborators across Japan and Europe.
  • Designed experiments, DOE protocols, and reliability testing procedures; drove continuous improvement in process reproducibility, yield, and benchmarking outcomes.
  • Supervised master, doctoral, and technical staff; authored technical reports and scientific publications.
Nov 2014 – Dec 2016
Project Researcher, JST ERATO
The University of Tokyo — Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Tokyo, Japan
Advisor: Prof. Takao Someya
Ultraflexible organic optoelectronics for biomedical applications.
Responsibilities
  • Developed multilayer optoelectronic devices for biomedical applications within the JST ERATO Bio-Harmonized Electronics program; mentored 1 postdoctoral scholar, 3 Ph.D. students, and 8 M.Sc. students.
  • Developed ultraflexible organic optoelectronic devices on micron-thick substrates, integrating organic semiconductors with metal oxide charge transport layers; results published in Science Advances and Advanced Electronic Materials.
Apr 2010 – Jun 2014
Ph.D. Researcher
University of California, Santa Barbara — Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Santa Barbara, California, USA
Advisor: Prof. Thuc-Quyen Nguyen
Thin-film device research: OLEDs, solar cells, and field-effect transistors.
Responsibilities
  • Investigated thin-film device fabrication and process optimization for organic semiconductor devices including OLEDs, solar cells, and field-effect transistors.
  • Collaborated with Japanese chemical industry partners on organic transistor development; visiting researcher at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.

Education

Ph.D. in Chemistry
University of California, Santa Barbara · 2014
Thesis: Tuning the Optical, Charge Injection, and Charge Transport Properties of Organic Electronic Devices
Advisor: Prof. Thuc-Quyen Nguyen

Impact

40 Publications
5,345+ Citations
25 h-index
14 Patents

First-Author Highlights

Three first-author highlights from 40 articles (39 published, 1 under review) in journals including Nature Materials, Advanced Materials, Nature Communications, Angewandte Chemie, JACS, and Science Advances.

View all on Google Scholar →
Adv. Mater.
Increased mobility induced by addition of a Lewis acid to a Lewis basic conjugated polymer
Zalar, P. et al.
2014 · Vol. 26, 724–727
First Author
Adv. Mater. Technol.
Large-area ballistocardiography enabled by printed piezoelectric sensor arrays on elastomeric substrates
Zalar, P.* et al.
2024 · Vol. 9, 2400228
First Author Corresponding
Adv. Electron. Mater.
A monolithically processed rectifying pixel for high-resolution organic imagers
Zalar, P.* et al.
2018 · Vol. 4, 1700601
First Author Corresponding Cover
View all 40 publications
  1. Spallanzani, G. et al.; Zalar, P. Liquid Crystal Elastomer Actuator Matrix for Large Area Applications. (2026) Submitted Submitted
  2. Wang, L.; Zalar, P.*; Bhate, V.; Furukawa, T.; Kodama, H.; Liu, Y.; Zhou, Y.; Hou, C.; Liu, Si.; Matsuhisa, N. Skin-like Tri-Modal Sensors Based on Soft Piezoelectric and Ionic Composites. Adv. Mater. Technol. (2026) Corr.
  3. Ananieva, G.; Spallanzani, G.*; Zalar, P. Influence of Textile Morphology on the Electromechanical Behavior of Silicone-Based Strain Sensors. Adv. Eng. Mater. (2026)
  4. Cotta, F. C. et al.; Zalar, P. Porous PU/PEDOT:PSS electrodes for probing bioelectricity in Oscillatoria sp. Cohorts. Chem. Eng. J. 498 (2024)
  5. Zalar, P.* et al. Large Area Ballistocardiography Enabled by Printed Piezoelectric Sensor Arrays on Elastomeric Substrates. Adv. Mater. Technol. 9, 2400228 (2024) First Corr.
  6. Zalar, P.* et al. A Janus Molecule for Screen-Printable Conductive Carbon Ink with Superior Stretchability. Adv. Eng. Mater. 25, 2300706 (2023) First Corr.
  7. Shimura, T. et al.; Zalar, P.* Engineering the Comfort-of-Wear for Next Generation Wearables. Adv. Electron. Mater. 9, 2200512 (2022) Corr.
  8. Zalar, P.* et al. Screen-Printed Dry Electrodes: Basic Characterization and Benchmarking. Adv. Eng. Mater. 22, 2000714 (2020) First Corr.
  9. van der Steen, J.-L. P. J. et al.; Zalar, P. Active-Matrix IGZO Array with Printed Thermistor for Large-Area Thermal Imaging. IEEE FLEPS (2019)
  10. Raiteri, D. et al.; Zalar, P. Fully-Printed Stretchable Pressure Sensor Arrays. IEEE SENSORS (2019)
  11. Katerinopoulou, D.; Zalar, P.* et al. Large-Area All-Printed Temperature Sensing Surfaces. Adv. Electron. Mater. 5, 1800605 (2019) Corr.
  12. Zalar, P.* et al. A Monolithically Processed Rectifying Pixel for High-Resolution Organic Imagers. Adv. Electron. Mater. 4, 1700601 (2018) First Corr. Cover
  13. Wu, Y. et al.; Zalar, P. Low-Power Monolithically Stacked Organic Photodiode-Blocking Diode Imager. Adv. Electron. Mater. 4, 1800311 (2018)
  14. Park, S. et al.; Zalar, P. Ultraflexible Near-Infrared Organic Photodetectors for Conformal PPG Sensors. Adv. Mater. 30, 1802359 (2018) Cover
  15. Chow, P. C. Y. et al.; Zalar, P. Dual-Gate Organic Phototransistor with High-Gain and Linear Photoresponse. Nat. Commun. 9, 4546 (2018)
  16. Shidachi, R. et al.; Zalar, P. Photocurrent Amplification in Bulk Heterojunction Organic Phototransistors. Phys. Status Solidi RRL 12, 1700400 (2018)
  17. Tantitarntong, P.; Zalar, P. et al. High Sensitivity Tuning of Work Function of SAM Modified Electrodes Using VUV Treatment. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 9, 28151–28156 (2017)
  18. Jimbo, Y. et al.; Zalar, P. Ultraflexible Transparent Oxide/Metal/Oxide Stack Electrode for Electrophysiology. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 9, 34744–34750 (2017)
  19. Matsuhisa, N. et al.; Zalar, P. Printable Elastic Conductors by In Situ Formation of Silver Nanoparticles from Silver Flakes. Nat. Mater. 16, 834–840 (2017)
  20. Matsuhisa, N. et al.; Zalar, P. A Mechanically Durable and Flexible Organic Rectifying Diode. Adv. Electron. Mater. 2 (2016) Cover
  21. Prisawong, P.; Zalar, P.* et al. Vacuum Ultraviolet Treatment of Self-Assembled Monolayers for OFETs. Adv. Mater. 28, 2049–2054 (2016) Corr.
  22. Yokota, T.; Zalar, P. et al. Ultraflexible Organic Photonic Skin. Sci. Adv. 2, e1501856 (2016)
  23. Zalar, P.* et al. Effects of Processing Conditions on the Recombination Reduction in Small Molecule BHJ Solar Cells. Adv. Energy Mater. 4, 1400438 (2014) First Cover
  24. Li, Z. et al.; Zalar, P. Competitive Absorption and Inefficient Exciton Harvesting in P(NDI2OD-T2) BHJ OPVs. Adv. Funct. Mater. 24, 6989–6998 (2014)
  25. Zalar, P. et al. Increased Mobility Induced by Addition of a Lewis Acid to a Lewis Basic Conjugated Polymer. Adv. Mater. 26, 724–727 (2014) First
  26. Perez, L. A.; Zalar, P. et al. Effect of Backbone Regioregularity on the Structure and Orientation of a Semiconducting Copolymer. Macromolecules 47, 1403–1410 (2014)
  27. Walker, B. et al.; Zalar, P. Optimization of Energy Levels by Molecular Design: Bis-DPP Donors for BHJ Solar Cells. Energy Environ. Sci. 6, 952 (2013)
  28. Zhang, Y. et al.; Zalar, P. High Light Intensity Effects on Nanoscale Open-Circuit Voltage in BHJ Solar Cells. Energy Environ. Sci. 6, 1766 (2013)
  29. Henson, Z. B.; Zalar, P. et al. Towards Environmentally Friendly Processing of Molecular Semiconductors. J. Mater. Chem. A 1, 11117 (2013)
  30. Guide, M. et al.; Zalar, P. A Structure–Property–Performance Investigation of Perylenediimides in Organic Solar Cells. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15, 18894 (2013)
  31. Ying, L.; Zalar, P. et al. All-Conjugated Triblock Polyelectrolytes. Adv. Mater. 24, 6496–6501 (2012)
  32. Zhang, Y.; Zalar, P. et al. DNA Interlayers Enhance Charge Injection in Organic Field-Effect Transistors. Adv. Mater. 24, 4255–4260 (2012)
  33. Zalar, P. et al. Color Tuning in Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes with Lewis Acids. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 51, 7495–7498 (2012) First
  34. Zalar, P. et al. Optical and Charge Transport Properties of Water/Alcohol-Soluble Quinacridone Derivatives for PLEDs. J. Phys. Chem. C 115, 17533–17539 (2011) First
  35. Zalar, P. et al. DNA Electron Injection Interlayers for Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 11010–11013 (2011) First
  36. Ying, L. et al.; Zalar, P. Regioregular Pyridal[2,1,3]thiadiazole π-Conjugated Copolymers. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 18538–18541 (2011)
  37. Garcia, A. et al.; Zalar, P. Controlling Ion Motion in Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes with Conjugated Polyelectrolyte Layers. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 2492–2498 (2011)
  38. Pho, T. V.; Zalar, P. et al. Electron Injection Barrier Reduction for OLEDs by Quinacridone Derivatives. Chem. Commun. 46, 8210 (2010)
  39. Lin, C.-Y. et al.; Zalar, P. Effect of Thermal Annealing on Polymer LEDs with Cationic Conjugated Polyelectrolyte Layers. J. Phys. Chem. C 114, 15786–15790 (2010)
  40. Walker, B. et al.; Zalar, P. Nanoscale Phase Separation and High Photovoltaic Efficiency in Small-Molecule BHJ Solar Cells. Adv. Funct. Mater. 19, 3063–3069 (2009) Cover
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Patents

4 granted patents from a portfolio of 14 patent families.

View all on Google Patents →
Composite Thermistor Element
EP4292106B1 · Smits, Zalar · 2025
Granted
Photodetector Array
US10991764B2 · Matsuhisa, Someya, Zalar · 2019
Granted
Processing Additive for Single-Component Solution-Processed OFETs
US9000423B2 · Bazan, Nguyen, Ying, Zalar · 2015
Granted
Conjugated Copolymers with Chiral Side Chains for OFETs
US8729221B2 · Bazan, Nguyen, Ying, Zalar · 2014
Granted

Presentations & Media

32 presentations (24 invited) at international conferences and institutions; 8 media appearances and public engagement items.

View all 32 presentations
  1. Large Area Elastomer-Based Printed Electronics. 2023 MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA. Nov 2023 Invited
  2. Improved Sensitivity of Printed Piezoelectric Sensor Arrays for Large Area Ballistocardiography. 2023 MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA. Nov 2023 Invited
  3. Large Area Elastomer-Based Printed Electronics. CPOS Seminar, UC Santa Barbara. Nov 2023 Invited
  4. Elastomer-Based Printed Electronics. Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul. Jun 2023 Invited
  5. Development of Printed Sensors Based on Composite Materials. Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea. May 2023 Invited
  6. Development of Printed Sensors Based on Composite Materials. Flexible and Stretchable Electronics Symposium, Tokyo. Mar 2023 Invited
  7. Elastomer-Based Printed Electronics Devices for Continuous Health Monitoring. 34th Flexible Medical IT Research Meeting, Univ. of Tokyo. Mar 2023 Invited
  8. Making Sensors Stretchable – Approaches, Challenges, and Outlook. LOPEC 2023, Munich. Feb 2023 Invited
  9. Thin Printed Piezoelectric Sensors for Human Machine Interfaces. Electronica/SEMICON Europa, Munich. Nov 2022 Invited
  10. Thin Printed Piezoelectric Sensors for Human Machine Interfaces. JSAE Annual Congress, Yokohama. May 2022
  11. Large-Area Sensing Surfaces and Human Machine Interfaces. MEMS Engineer Forum 2022, Tokyo. Apr 2022 Invited
  12. Large-Area Sensing Surfaces and Human Machine Interfaces. ICFPE 2021, Niigata. Sep 2021 Invited
  13. Smart Sensing Surfaces for Vital Signs Monitoring. Webinar. Nov 2020
  14. プリンタブル・センサーシステムの開発進捗. Printed Electronics R&D Trends, Tokyo. Dec 2019 Invited
  15. Unobtrusive Flexible Electronics for Biomedical Applications. IDTechEx Show, Santa Clara. Nov 2019 Invited
  16. Applied Conformable Printable Sensor Systems. CIS 2019, Salerno. Aug 2019 Invited
  17. Novel NTCR Spinel Oxide as Printable Temperature Sensor. E-MRS Spring 2019, Nice. May 2019 Invited
  18. Outfitting Objects with Flexible Large Area Sensors. IDTechEx Show, Berlin. Apr 2019 Invited
  19. Towards Sensing Arrays on Complex Surfaces. IEEE EPS Japan Chapter, Tokyo. Nov 2018 Invited
  20. Towards Printed Conformable Sensing Surfaces. TCM 2018, Chania. Oct 2018 Invited
  21. Towards Printed Conformable Sensing Surfaces. MEMS Engineer Forum 2018, Tokyo. Apr 2018 Invited
  22. Towards Printed Conformable Sensing Surfaces. ICMAB-CSIC, Barcelona. Apr 2018 Invited
  23. Thin and Flexible Organic Electronic Devices. MEMS Engineer Forum 2016, Tokyo. May 2016 Invited
  24. Development of BHJ Organic Photodetectors on 1-μm Substrates. CPOS-UTokyo Symposium, Santa Barbara. Dec 2015 Invited
  25. Development of BHJ Organic Photodetectors on 1-μm Substrates. 2015 MRS Fall Meeting, Boston. Nov 2015
  26. Thin and Flexible Organic Electronic Devices for Wearable or Implantable Electronics. 250th ACS National Meeting, Boston. Aug 2015 Invited
  27. Tuning & Measuring the Electrical Properties of Novel Optoelectronic Systems. CPOS Seminar, Santa Barbara. Feb 2014
  28. Optical and Electrical Properties of Lewis Acid Modified Conjugated Polymers. CPOS Seminar, Santa Barbara. Oct 2012
  29. Color Tuning in Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes with Lewis Acids. EPOM 2012, Lucca. Jun 2012
  30. Improving and Modifying the Operation of Polymer LEDs. CPOS Seminar, Santa Barbara. Aug 2011
  31. Efficient Electron Injection in OLEDs Utilizing Quinacridone Derivatives. IWAMSN, Hanoi. Nov 2010
  32. Efficient Electron Injection in OLEDs Utilizing Quinacridone Derivatives. SCUT Workshop, Guangzhou. Oct 2010 Invited
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Media Appearances
  1. Invited Panelist, Organic Electronics: Toward Bio- and Energy Applications — iCanX Youth Talks. Aug 2023 Panel
  2. Industry Interview, Holst Centre: Electroactive Polymers — IDTechEx. Jun 2023 Interview
  3. Feature Article, Progress in Elastomeric Large-Area Sensing Surfaces — Organic & Printed Electronics Journal, Issue 41. Oct 2022 Feature
  4. Media Coverage, Smart Sensor Mat for Heart Rate, Breathing Rate, and Posture Detection — Organic & Printed Electronics Journal. Oct 2021 Coverage
  5. Media Coverage, TNO at Holst Centre Develops Smart Sensor Mat — Printed Electronics Now. Oct 2021 Coverage
  6. Press Release, TNO at Holst Centre Develops Smart Sensor Mat — Holst Centre. Oct 2021 Coverage
  7. Video Interview, Peter Zalar – Get to Know TNO — TNO YouTube Channel. Jan 2018 Interview
  8. Profile Feature, Meet Our Talents – Peter Zalar — Brainport Eindhoven. Feb 2017 Feature

Areas of Expertise

Organic & Semiconducting Devices

  • Organic semiconductors & conjugated polymers
  • OLEDs & organic optoelectronics
  • Interface engineering & charge transport
  • Ferroelectric & functional ceramics
  • Electrical simulation & characterization

Flexible, Printed & Wearable Electronics

  • Printed sensors & circuits
  • Hybrid/flexible electronics
  • Stretchable opto-electronic systems
  • Sensors for biomedical applications
  • Mechanical simulation & characterization

Thin-Film & Coating Technologies

  • Screen printing, inkjet & slot-die coating
  • PVD: thermal evaporation & sputtering
  • Thin-film patterning & cleanroom fabrication
  • Process development & pilot-line scale-up
  • Reliability testing & failure analysis

Languages

English Native
Japanese JLPT N3 · CEFR B2
Dutch CEFR B1
Croatian CEFR A2
Italian CEFR A2
Spanish CEFR A2