Audi, Philips, Automotive Lighting, Merck and the University of Cologne successfully concluded an OLED research project (called OLED 3D), and developed the world's first large-area 3D OLED car rear lighting panels and installed a prototype on an Audi TT.

A 3D OLED means that the OLEDs have a curved surface - not just in one direction. These are glass based panels. It's not flexible glass (like Corning's Willow glass), it's the regular glass Philips are using in their regular OLEDs, but curved. The material used (made by Merck) are soluble, and the production process is described as "web printing" by Philips (I'm not sure what is meant by that).

It turns out that Futaba's booth at SID 2013 was quite interesting. The company showed off their transparent and flexible PMOLED panels, and they also show the new OLEDry-S desiccant. Check out this nice video tour of their booth:

The first item they show is the Lenovo S-800 that uses Futaba's 40% transmissive 2.4" QVGA (240x320) PMOLED panel. The S-800 was unveiled towards the end of 2010, and sadly it seems that it's the only device to use Futaba's transparent OLEDs.

Researchers from Northumbria University and PolyPhotonix developed a new OLED-based "sleep mask" that can be used to treat sight loss noninvasively. The researchers say that this new device is the world's first noninvasive primary-care treatment for diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The researchers are already doing extensive clinical trials (at the home). They say that if this proves useful, it will be much cheaper than current treatments (and it's also non-invasive).

Samsung reported their preliminary financial results for Q2 2013. While they posted a record operating profit (over $8 billion, up 47% compared to Q2 2012), they missed analysts estimates, mostly due to disappointing GS4 sales.

According to reports, Samsung already sold 20 million GS4s in just over two months - about 70% faster than the GS3. But still analysts expected more. Hopefully when Samsung actually reports the final results, they'll comment on the GS4 sales. Samsung plans to sell 100 million units of their flagship smartphone.

A few days ago we reported about new research from Dankook University (DKU) that developed the world's most efficient blue OLED emitter. Today I talked with Professor Lee Jun Yeob, who's in charge of that research at DKU, and he explained his research further.

It turns out that in that particular research, they developed a new host material for blue OLEDs, and not a new emitter. The 30.1% efficiency they quote is external quantum efficiency. The blue emitter itself is a phosphorescent OLED - a common emitter known as FIrpic (Iridium based). Universal Display were not involved in this work.

The German government launched a new 34 million Euro (about $44 million) two years project called OLYMP ("Organic Light-emitting sYstems based on energy and cost-efficient Materials and Processes") that aims to improve OLED lighting efficiency and lifetime. 

The project partners are Osram (the project coordinator), Merck, BJB, LEDON, KG and Trilux. It follows a complete approach that covers all value-creation levels.

Update: It turns out that these displays aren't made by RitDisplay at all. Hopefully I'll be able to provide more information soon...

Since CMEL stopped producing AMOLEDs in 2009, it was impossible to get low-volume AMOLED as Samsung and LG will only ship to large-volume applications (mobile phones, cameras, etc). But today Densitron informed us that they started shipping new HVGA (320x480) 3.5" a-Si AMOLEDs panels.

Densitron says that the DLA320480AB035F module features 10,000:1 contrast ratio, near 180-degree viewing angle and a brightness of over 200 Candela. It uses Himax's HX5227-A AMOLED driver and includes a MIPI-DBI 8/16/24 bit MPU parallel interface. For applications where high quality video streaming is required, the 8/16/24 data line parallel video (RGB) interface option is available.

LG Display released an interesting press release today in which they re-affirm their commitment to OLED as the future display technology: "What is crystal clear, is that LG Display, from the beginning, has made a commitment to fulfilling the potential of OLED and stayed true to it".

LG says that "certain industry players" (i.e. Samsung. They won't say it per se, but they did link to Samsung related news) are sending different messages and causing confusion: they continue to tout OLED and release new products but they also "downplay their once strong commitment".

Samsung launched the GS4 towards the end of May. They sold 10 million units in less than a month, and now Korean media report that sales reached the 20 million mark - in just over two months. Even though sales have reportedly slowed down, the GS4 is still selling about 70% faster than the GS3.

Samsung still plans to sell 100 million units of the GS4. Samsung's flagship phone features a 4.99" Full-HD (1920x1280, 441 PPI) Super AMOLED display, an Octa-core (Quadcore in some models) 1.6Ghz CPU, 2GB of memory, 13 mp camera and a 2,600 mAh battery. The GS4 includes a lot of new software features and special UI controls, include the Adapt Display which allows extensive display calibration adjustments.

Beneq signed an agreement with the UK's Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) to deliver an ALD roll-to-roll unit for their thin-film barrier development platform. The equipment will be delivered to CPI in England in Q2 2014. CPI have been looking at R2R ALD technology for several years, and their first goal now is to develop full system technologies and processes to the field of clear flexible barrier encapsulation and substrate materials.

CPI OLED production line

CPI's current OLED system supports both small evaporized and soluble OLED materials. Their pilot production line uses slot die technology to allow the coating of substrates (4", 6" or 8" in size) in a highly repeatable and reproducible manner with a uniform film thickness of under 50 nm.