Back in September we reported about Kateeva, a new startup that developed a method for printing OLEDs. Now we hear that the company is testing a prototype printer that can print displays sized 1.8x1.5 meters. Kateeva's CEO says that they are in talks with 'leading display makers' to test the printer and inks in 2011.
A group of 
ex-Kodak employees, who left the company following Kodak's OLED business acquisition by LG in December 2010 has formed a new company, called TechnoCorp Energy. The company (based in New York, US) will work on OLED Lighting, and has already given seed funding. It's not clear yet whether they will use Kodak's OLED Lighting IP, which was bought by LG as part of the acquisition.
Earlier today we got word that Pioneer and Mitsubishi Chemical will jointly develop OLED Lighting. Now we have some more information. Pioneer will be the one to actually make the panels, and Mitsubishi will sell them across Verbatim's worldwide sales network. The plan is to start mass production in 2011, with a sales target of $335 million in 2015 and $1.1 billion in 2020.
The two companies are currently researching OLED lighting panels that use printable hole injecting material (HIM) and new emitting materials, and will also research printable OLED lighting development and commercialization. Mitsubishi plans to start early stage mass production and marketing of new printable emitting materials, which are probably the PHOLED materials developed together with UDC.
We'll be able to view their first prototype (a dimmable/tone adjustable OLED panel, which Mitsubishi say it's the world's first) at the Light+Building exhibition, April 11-16 Frankfurt, Germany.
PureDepth announced today that they have acquired a patent for Multi-Layer 3D OLED displays. PureDepth Multi-Layer-Displays (MLD) use two or more displays that are placed one in front of the other to create 3D effects. These 3D displays do not require glasses and provide real depth.
One of the markets the PureDepth are targeting are mobile devices, and wants to use OLEDs as they are becoming more and more popular in that market.
Update: It turns out that the phone will be called S8500 Wave.
Engadget reports that Samsung is set to unveil a new smartphone that runs the new Bada-OS (this was actually rumored a few weeks ago). The actual announcement to take place on February 14th. It'll probably have an AMOLED - one of those new 3.3" touch-enabled AMOLEDs (so called "super AMOLED"). It'll hardly be a surprise as it seems that Samsung is using AMOLED in all high-profile phones these days...
Pioneer announced that they have agreed to cooperate with Mitsubishi Chemical on OLED Lighting. Pioneer was the first company to actually make OLED panels, but have exited from the OLED display market in 2005 (and will stop making TVs alltogether in 2010). It's great to hear they are back into OLEDs.
Mitsubishi Chemical is already working with UDC towards Materials for use in Phosphorescent OLED Displays Fabricated
Through Solution or "Wet" Processing Methods.
The Flexible Display Center (FDC) at Arizona State University today announced that the UK's PETEC (Printable Electronics Technology Center) has become an Associate Member to collaborate on high-performing organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) for flexible display applications. OTFTs has potential in all sorts of display technologies such as e-paper and OLEDs.
The FDC is also working with UDC on flexible OLEDs. Earlier in 2009, they have already demonstrated a 4.1" monochrome QVGA PHOLED display.
PETEC was opened in March 2009. One of the companies that are building a production line is PolyPhotonix, who are working on OLED lighting.
Here's a nice offer: you can get a fully paid-for house in Sydney if you volunteer to experience an eco-friendly smart home. This smart home includes solar panels, a fuel-cell, an electric car, and an OLED TV (probably Sony's XEL-1). One lucky family (it's gotta be a family with kids) will get this house for about a year, during which they'll try out the different technologies and blog about it, of course. The aim is to save between 20% to 50% of the energy required for such a house using the new technologies.
Hurry up - registration closes on February 22nd 2008...
Samsung is said to unveil the first phone to use their new 3.3" touch-enabled AMOLED displays announced last week. Those displays (which Samsung calls super AMOLED) have a 480x800 resolution, with a touch-sensor over the mirror display. The thickness of the touch sensor is just 0.001mm. Samsung claims that these displays are five-times more clear or vivid, and perform 20% better when used outdoors. Perhaps this is the same technology as used in their upcoming GT-8500, which is said to have a special 'anti-reflective OLED'.
Researchers from Sweden and the US have produced a new transparent lighting component that is made from Graphene. They say it is cheap to make and fully recyclable, and might be an alternative to OLED Lighting. The new device is called an Organic Light-emitting Electrochemical Cell, or LEC. The Graphene is used for an electrode. LECs can be made using a roll-to-roll process, because all of its parts can be made from liquid solutions.
There's very little info on that new device (such as what is the actual light-emitting material, what's the efficiency of it, etc.).
