June 2008

Samsung SDI to invest 530M$ in AMOLED production

Samsung SDI has announced that they will invest 530M$ in AMOLED production, until mid-2009.

Sony has recently said they will invest 210M$ in their OLED production, and LG also investment plans (with no sum quotes). It seems like the OLED market is finally starting to race ahead, with everyone aiming for 2009...

Reports say that they plan a 6X increase in capacity - which translates to 9M monthly units of 2". 

Read the full story Posted: Jun 30,2008

Hitachi and Canon to jointly develop small/medium OLEDs for digital cameras

Hitachi and Canon have agreed to jointly develop and manufacture small and midsize (2.5"-3") OLED displays for digital cameras within two years, it was learned Saturday. The two firms will transfer a total of about 100 engineers to a new organization they plan to set up in early July to handle the project.

They also intend to build a new production line at an existing plant in Chiba Prefecture to turn out organic EL displays on a trial basis. Based on the results, the two partners expect to build a system to mass-produce the EL displays at relatively low cost, taking advantage of Canon's materials coating technology and production control know-how.

Hitachi and Canon (and Matsushita/Panasonic) announced plans to work together in December 2007, and there were also rumors that Panasonic will make 37" OLED TVs by 2011 in the JV plant.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 30,2008

Another beautiful OLED-White-Light by Ingo Mauer

Ingo Mauer is now showing another beautiful white-light project, using OSRAM's white OLED panels.

The new "object" is called Flying Future,  and is using a bended metal mesh, with over 100 panels attached to it. The whole thing looks like a giant wave. The panels are still not 'commercial', but in a few years it's possible that OLEDs will be ready for white-light.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 27,2008

USDC & Plextronics develop new hole-injection-layer technology for OLED displays

The U.S. Display Consortium (USDC), a public/private partnership chartered with developing the flexible electronics and displays industry supply chain, today announced that a recent project with Plextronics, Inc., has aided in the development of a new hole injection layer (HIL) technology to enable broad commercialization of high-performance, low-cost, organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays. Plextronics is an international technology company that specializes in printed solar, lighting and other organic electronics.

Plextronics completed a $590,000 project with USDC to produce a new HIL technology that is expected to improve device performance by reducing surface roughness; improving charge injection; and allowing fine-tuning of work function. The materials that Plextronics developed utilize a new approach to conductive polymer chemistry that enables significant performance improvement. These HIL products will be cost competitive and a suitable replacement for currently used PEDOT: PSS materials.

According to Shawn Williams, Plextronics' vice president of technology, Our company has added significant in-house capabilities to allow scale-up for our new Plexcore ® OC as a result of our collaboration with USDC. Also, we have successfully implemented Plexcore ® OC in partner devices and the material has been tested in newer device architectures. Plextronic’s device design, process technology and Plexcore® branded inks enable the formation of active electrical layers, which are the key drivers of printed electronics.

Entrepreneurial companies like Plextronics are creating new technologies capable of commercial-scale performance and manufacturability, commented Michael Ciesinski, USDC’s CEO. Plextronics’ development marks a significant technology milestone for the rapidly evolving flexible and printed electronics industry. USDC leverages the results of its programs by including member companies in the testing and validation of new developments.

Plextronics has achieved very impressive results from the competitive contract with USDC, U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire (PA-04) said.  Plextronics is a great example of how the high - tech companies taking root across our region are helping to make western Pennsylvania a center for technological innovation.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 27,2008

Kodak OLED Systems Information and Interview page 2

* First of all, thank you for doing this interview... Let's begin. There are many OLED IP companies. Obviously Kodak is one of the major ones. How do you position Kodak today?

Kodak has more than 1,900 worldwide patents and applications covering a wide range of OLED technology, and we are constantly filing new ones at approximately 100 patents per year, for the past several years. Kodak will continue to be a leader in OLED intellectual property for many years to come. Kodak’s leadership in OLED technology has been shown several times at trade shows via partnership collaborations with Samsung SEC (14 AMOLED panel), LPL 3 AMOLED panel, and CMEL 8 panels.

In addition, much of the Kodak OLED IP used for displays is suitable for OLED solid state lighting (SSL) applications. SSL serves as yet another great opportunity for OLED to provide the world with benefits such as low energy consumption, cleaner environment, and reduced waste.

* Can you compare your OLED IP against CDT's PLED? And UDC's PHOLEDs? Do you collaborate with those two?
Improvements in OLED device performance via material and architectural changes are critical for the success of the OLED display industry. The continual invention of new and better performing materials and novel architectures for their incorporation into devices has led to significant advances in this industry in recent years. Kodak has been, and continues to be a leader in innovation for improved display performance, which reinforces Kodak’s IP position not only in materials, but also all across the OLED value chain.

Recent improvements in fluorescent devices includes:
  • Deep Blue: 6.6% E.Q.E, 8 cd/A, CIEx,y = 0.14, 0.13, 5,000 hours lifetime at 10 mA/cm2
  • Blue: 8% E.Q.E., 11cd/A, CIEx,y = 0.15, 0.18, 10,000 hours lifetime at 1,000 cd/m2
  • Green: 8.5% E.Q.E., 30 cd/A, > 50,000 hours lifetime at 1,000 cd/m2
  • Red: 9.4% E.Q.E., 12.7 cd/A, > 35,000 hours lifetime at 1,000 cd/m2
  • White tandem: 10.7% E.Q.E., 24.5 cd/A, CIEx,y = 0.33, 0.35, 100,000 hours lifetime at 1,000 cd/m2

For full-color pixilated RGB displays, new materials in development at Kodak provide outstanding lifetime and power consumption. Critical new technologies include Electron Transfer Layer and Electron Injection Layer materials enabling low OLED voltage and high efficiency; high-efficiency blue and green dopants that reduce the operating current density; and stable host materials for blue and green emitters.

For displays, Kodak has pioneered the W-RGBW pixel architecture. This consists of a WOLED with four sub-pixels per pixel. Three sub-pixels emit through red, green or blue color filters, and the fourth has no filter, leaving it white. This scheme delivers high efficiency, enables larger displays and significantly improves manufacturing yield for displays of all sizes. In addition, Kodak's proprietary set of color filters enables a previously unattainable level of color gamut, while maintaining high efficiency. Combining Kodak's pixel architecture, color filter, OLED materials and architecture advancements yields displays that have high power efficiency, greater than 100% NTSC x,y color gamut, and are estimated to have a half-life much greater than 100,000 hours.

Recent work with phosphorescent emitters has led to the following improvements:
  • Hybrid white fluorescent/phosphorescent system with 33 lm/W at CIE x,y = 0.32, 0.35
  • Mixed phosphorescent host technology gives 64 lm/W for green at CIE x,y = 0.30, 0.63
  • Synthetic procedure for triplet dopants with higher stability in manufacturing processes
* We are hearing a lot of hype lately about OLEDs - many companies promise to deliver OLED TVs in 2008-9, and several are promising 10"-14" panels soon for laptop displays. Do you think that OLEDs are finally ready for primetime?
We believe that OLEDs displays are indeed ready for primetime. We also believe Kodak OLED technology represents a significant opportunity. Leading organizations worldwide recognize the potential for OLED technology to revolutionize the flat-panel display industry and change how and where people access information and entertainment. The burgeoning worldwide OLED industry is expected to exceed $3 billion by 2012 according to market research group Display Search.

* You have recently signed a cross-license with LG Display. Can you give some more info? When can we expect them to release displays with your IP?
The license, which is royalty bearing to Kodak, enables LG Display to use Kodak technology, including yield-improving capabilities for AMOLED modules, in a variety of small to medium size display applications such as mobile phones, portable media players, picture frames, and small TVs. The agreement also enables LG Display to purchase Kodak's patented OLED materials for use in manufacturing displays.

Recently, KAGA Electronics of Japan announced the introduction of the world's thinnest, lightest portable 1-Seg televisions featuring a full-color, 3.0-inch OLED display utilizing Kodak’s AMOLED technology, which includes Kodak’s patented Global Mura Compensation that provides overall yield improvement. The KODAK ELITE VISION AMOLED 1-Seg TV was co-developed by Kodak, LG Display, KAGA Electronics and Andes Electronics and is available in Japan. Please see this youtube link for more details regarding Kodak’s advanced OLED technology.

* LGDisplay recently showed a 15" XGA display. Is this prototype using your IP and materials? The contrast ratio was rather poor (1:10K) compared to Sony's XEL-1 (1:1M). Why is that?
Due to confidentiality reasons, Kodak is unable to comment.

* In January 2008 CMEL reported they will manufacture 7.6" AMOLEDs for Kodak (after signing a cross-license deal). Was that report true? If so, when can we expect such large panels to be available?
CMEL has a license, which is royalty bearing to Kodak, enables CMEL to use Kodak technology for AMOLED. It is Kodak's understanding the report was issued by Digitimes in Chinese language, and can be confirmed by Kodak as not an official press release, nor was the English translation performed accurately. Due to confidentiality reasons, Kodak is unable to comment further.

* OLED for white-light is very exciting. We are seeing a lot of progress in this field lately. Will Kodak take part?
Eastman Kodak has succeeded in demonstrating an OLED device architecture having an efficacy over 55 lm/W. This remarkable architecture exceeds the efficacy specification requirements of the DOE Energy Star Program for SSL while maintaining a color (0.387, 0.389) and CRI (83.6) that meet the specifications. The architecture is based on small molecule OLED and comprises four key technology components that enable this achievement: internal light extraction-enhancement structure, low voltage design, stacked architecture, and fluorescent-phosphorescent hybrid emitters.

Unlike other companies that claim higher efficacy numbers, Kodak is committed to providing accurate information that meets DOE Energy Star specifications to show the real potential for a lighting application. If Kodak elected to measure outside the color and CRI specifications, Kodak technology would also show much higher efficacy numbers. In order to demonstrate realistic architectures, Kodak elected to use hybrid emitters due to their potential for much longer lifetime, even though their theoretical efficacy is lower than an all-phosphorescent systems used by other companies.

* Do you think it's realistic to expect commercial white-light products around 2011?
According to the studies by the DOE's CALiPER project and by the Lighting Research Institute, OLED based lighting panels at 50 lm/W are already more efficacious than most luminaires on the market today. Market research companies, such as Nanomarkets, predict early product applications of solid state lighting in architectural and specialty lighting. They estimate general illumination to be a product application by 2011. Kodak ‘s goal is to enable the solid state lighting industry by providing Energy Star compliant technology to the world.

* Another great feature of OLEDs is the ability to make them flexible. Are you researching flexible OLEDs?
Kodak is always evaluating future OLED potential applications.

* Do you think OLEDs will be the major next-gen display tech? Or are there any other competing technologies that might "win" the race?
Technology is always marching forward and inventions are always being made. Emerging technology improvements in the LCD field pose the biggest challenge to OLED, although LCD manufacturing is much further out in the maturity cycle vs. OLED. There are numerous emerging emissive display technologies (CNT-FED, SED, inorganic LED, laser TVs, etc.) and it is difficult to make general statements about which ones might be able to compete with OLED and when, because OLED is also continuously improving. There does not appear to be any emerging technology in the emissive display field that has such a broad set of potential advantages that OLED can offer (e.g., power, cost, viewing angle, color gamut, form factor flexibility).

Kodak's unwavering commitment to OLED is based upon nearly three decades of research and investment. During that interval, other display technologies have come and gone, such as FED. We believe OLED to be the dominant display technology of the future and will continue to invest and focus our research accordingly. Leading companies such as Kodak, CMEL, LPL, Sony, Canon, Samsung, Matsushita, and Panasonic are all investing in OLED, and appears that OLED is a strong candidate for continuing to be the leader for future emerging display technologies for many years to come.

* The biggest news in the OLED world in this past year has been Sony's XEL-1 TV. What do you think about that? Is Sony using your IP? Was Sony wise to release that TV so soon?
Kodak is happy to see Sony demonstrate AMOLED's benefits such as black level, viewing angle, thinness, and fast response time vs. LCD technology. As mentioned in the overview section, Kodak is enabling the industry with its superior IP and know-how, and understands there will need to be multiple players within the OLED industry for future success. Kodak has solutions to some of the industry challenges pertaining to lifetime, image degregation, and architecture via WOLED for scalability, which will provide an additional springboard to the OLED industry. Kodak is unable to comment specifically about IP due to confidentiality purposes, but can confirm use of Kodak OLED technology in their product.

* When do you think we can realistically buy a commercial OLED TV?
OLED is the next display technology and will compete in the full spectrum of size ranges. Today, the 11-inch and 3-inch TV sizes are available in selected countries. The best choice for the future larger display will be OLED, initially based on product performance attributes, and eventually based on low-cost manufacturing advantages.

As for the future, which includes large size, it is obvious this will take a bit more time for return on investment. Major TV companies appear to be investing for this play and the next couple years will be exciting to watch who becomes the OLED TV leader.

Where do you see the OLED market in 5 years?
The small panel market is ramping as we speak. DisplaySearch's recent OLED Technology report results: OLEDs are expected to surge 69% to more than $827M in 2008, and then grow by 83% in 2009 and 53% in 2010 as AMOLED displays become mainstream. AMOLEDs are projected to achieve a 5-year CAGR of 96%. Companies such as Sony, Samsung SDI, LG Display, and CMEL will deliver almost 17M displays in 2008, which is up over 380% compared to 2007. By 2012, AMOLED production will surpass PMOLEDs.
Corey and James - thank you again for this great interview, and I wish you and Kodak good luck with all your OLED ventures...
Read the full story Posted: Jun 26,2008

Kodak OLED Systems Information and Interview

I recently had the chance to interview Mr. Corey Hewitt and Dr. James Buntaine from Kodak OLED Systems. Kodak is where OLEDs were first discovered, and they are still in the fore-front of the technology. This is going to be a long article - these guys have given me a lot of background info, even before answering my questions. But first let's introduce Corey and James:

Mr. Corey Hewitt, Operations Manager & Vice President, Kodak OLED Systems
Mr. Hewitt's responsibilities include worldwide operations, finance, marketing and business development. Corey has traveled and worked closely on a worldwide basis with Dr. Buntaine in determining the future strategy for OLED technology and how it relates to Eastman Kodak Company. Corey received his Business Administration/Finance degree from the University at Buffalo and subsequently completed his Masters of Business Administration from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Corey has joined Kodak in 1999, and held several positions before becoming the Operations Manager and VP of Kodak OLED Systems.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 26,2008

Mitsubishi's LaserVue 65-inch and 75-inchers due Q3 2008


Mitsubishi says that ther Laser-TVs are ready to hit the stores at Q3 2008. The "LaserVue" TVs will come in 65" and 73". Mitsubishi is not telling much about the technology, but they say taht the color gamut is twice the ones of 'traditional HDTVs'. The sets run at 120Hz, at 500 nits of brightness - pretty much like LCD/Plasma TV sets. The TVs are quite thick, though, at 10-inch.



One of the big advantages is the power-consumption - it's less than 200 watts - half of that of LCD, a third of plasma.



Read more here (Engadget)


Read the full story Posted: Jun 25,2008

CMEL expects to volume produce AMOLED TV panels in next two to three years

Digitimes reports that Chi Mei EL (CMEL) expects that its AMOLED TV panel technologies, which are being developed with help from Kodak and DuPont, will see a breakthrough next year, and volume production may start in 2010 or 2011, according to company vice chairman Peter Chen.

CMEL's yield for AMOLED panels has reached 70%, and is expected go up to 85% by the end of 2008, Chen said.

The company's second production line, which is under construction, will come online in October this year, and by then the company's monthly capacity will reach 800,000 units (2.8-inch equivalent), he added.

Read more here (Digitimes) 

Read the full story Posted: Jun 25,2008
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