Graphene - Page 5

Researchers from Turkey demonstrated a display prototype that is printed on paper (using graphene inks). This was a very simple device, but potentially such a technology could be used to create a foldable display with interesting optoelectronic properties.

To create this display, the researchers used electro-modulation of the optical properties of the multilayer graphene via blocking the interband electronic transitions. The researcher report that the paper display has high optical contrast and a fast response time.

In 2011 the University of Florida announced a new organic-TFT backplane/emitter technology called CN-VOLET. The University spun-off the technology into a company called nVerPix, with funding from Nanoholdings.

We have talked to nVerPix in the past and updated on the technology back in 2013. The nVerPix team presented their technology at SID's DisplayWeek - and it won the "best prototype" awarded. nVerPix demonstrate a working mono-color (green) 320x240 2.5" display. The aperture ratio is 70% and the brightness is over 500 nits.

Researchers from Korea's KAIST institute developed a rollable OLED device that uses graphene-based electrodes. The researchers say that the new OLED is much more durable when bent compared to current devices made with ITO electrodes.

The electrodes were made from a stack of materials - titanium oxides, graphene and conductive polymers. The new OLEDs were also brighter than current devices, and with a higher color gamut. This was achieved by maximizing the resonance within the OLED.

A China-based company (maybe called Interim, it's not clear) has demonstrated a new fully-bendable smartphone. The company claims that this smartphone has a "graphene-based screen", 5.2" in size.

It's not clear what the meaning of a "graphene-based" display is, in this case. While graphene can theoretically be used to make light emitting devices, it's highly unlikely that this is the case here. My guess would be that this is a flexible OLED display (could also be a flexible LCD, but that's unlikely) with a graphene-based touch panel.

We're happy to announce a new market report, Graphene for the Display and Lighting industries. This report, brought to you by the world's leading OLED and Graphene experts, is a comprehensive guide to the applications of graphene in these two important markets. Graphene is an exciting material that promises to revolutionize entire industries - as it provides unprecedented conductivity, heat conduction, flexibility and strength. Graphene has a bright future in the display and lighting industries.

Reading this report, you'll learn all about:

• Graphene applications in LED and OLED lighting
• Graphene's adoption as a backplane for AMOLEDs
• Transparent graphene electrodes
• Graphene-based encapsulation development

Other topics include:

• Graphene companies involved with display and lighting
• An introduction to graphene
• An introduction to lighting and displays
• Details about graphene for QDs, lasers and thermal foils

The OLED Association posted an interesting article, summarizing 2015 and giving its projection for 2016 and onwards. So first of all, they conclude that 2015 was a great year for the OLED display industry, with shipments up 53% over 2014 to reach almost 275 million units. AMOLED Revenues grew to almost $13 billion - up 40% over 2014.

The growth was mostly due to Samsung Display's effort to commercialize flexible OLED displays for mobile phones and the expansion of AMOLED customer beyond Samsung Electronics. LG Display also contributed to the OLED display market, and the OLED association estimates the LG sold over 400,000 OLED TVs. They also say that they shipped around 14,000 flexible OLEDs, but they probably mean around 14 million - as that about makes sense for the Apple Watch.

Researchers from ETRI (Korea's Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute) developed transparent graphene based electrodes specifically for OLED displays.

The researchers say that current metal (mostly silver) based electrodes have a limited viewing angle because of their internal light reflection, and the external light reflection affects the image quality. Graphene electrodes are more transparent and reduce the reflectance by 40-60 percent.

Graphene 3D Lab just announced a new patent for a process of 3D printing an OLED lighting device that uses a graphene-based top electrode. The company developed a unique multi-functional 3D printer that can be be used to print 3D structures as well as thin films - like the ones used in this recent patent.

Graphene 3D Labs did not just wrote the patent, the company also demonstrated a working printed OLED prototype as you can see in the above image. The company is currently evaluating contract manufacturing and partnership opportunities to support commercialization of the printer.

The UK launched a new project called Gravia that aims to investigate the feasibility of producing graphene-based encapsulation films for next generation flexible OLED lighting and display products.

The Gravia project is a 12-month effort, and the partners in the project expect to deliver a feasible material and process system by the project's end. Drawing on the unique properties of graphene, 'Gravia' will aim to achieve barrier materials that are not only flexible, but also transparent, robust, and very impervious to many molecules.

Finding an alternative for ITO as a transparent electrode is one of the major flexible OLED challenges. A few days ago, The Faunhofer Institute FEP demonstrated an OLED device that has a graphene electrode, developed as part of project GLADIATOR.

The Fraunhofer developed the device in collaboration with Spain-based Graphenea, which supplied the CVD-produced monolayer graphene. Graphene-Info posted an interview with the project's coordinator who further explains the technology, why graphene is promising and what are the challenges that still has to be solved before graphene transparent electrodes can be commercialized.