Technical / Research - Page 114

The U.S. Display Consortium (USDC), an industry-led public/private partnership providing a common forum for flat panel display manufacturers and developers, FPD users and the supplier base, and Plextronics a world leader in developing and delivering active layer technology for printed electronic devices, announced today that Plextronics has received Phase II funding of a $1.8 million contract. This contract supports the continued development of Plexcore™ technology to increase the lifetime and efficiency of organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays. The USDC and Plextronics will continue to share the costs associated with the project. The objective of Phase II is to expand Plexcore HIL development to enable commercial performance of small molecule organic light emitting diode (SMOLED) displays.

During Phase I, Plextronics increased the lifetime and efficiency of OLEDs utilizing commercial polymeric emitters (PLED) with Plexcore HIL. This resulted in Plexcore HIL devices exhibiting greater than 4X the operating lifetime compared to devices made with current commercial hole injection layer (HIL) materials. As a result of this project, Plexcore HIL for OLEDs is currently in qualification with a leading Asian display manufacturer.

The goal for Phase II is commercial ready solution processed HIL formulations specifically designed for SMOLED displays. This project will provide a necessary component for rapid commercialization of high performing SMOLED displays via inexpensive solution processing methods. These results will ultimately improve the Plexcore HIL technology for all solution processed based OLEDs.

Synova today announced tool orders from a Korean organic light-emitting diode (OLED) manufacturer and a leading U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturer's Korean facility. The first order was placed for Synova's Laser Stenciling System, LSS 1200, for OLED mask manufacturing, and the second for the company's Laser Grinding System, LGS 200A, for thin-wafer edge grinding. Both orders mark Synova's penetration into the Korean market, and ultimately, the increased adoption of its Laser MicroJet® for leading-edge electronics manufacturing.

The order wins replace traditional cutting and grinding methods used in each of the manufacturers' respective processes. For OLED mask manufacturing, the LSS 1200 supplants chemical etching for mask cutting. While chemical etching is the dominant approach, the method faces significant challenges in accuracy, feature size limitations, flexibility and fab footprint. As OLEDs continue to advance in both efficiency and size, a novel approach is required to continue to reach new heights while remaining cost effective, paving the way for Laser MicroJet.

Vitex Systems today announced a strategic relationship with Samsung America. Under the agreement, Samsung America will gain exclusive rights to distribute to Samsung-affiliated companies licenses for Vitex's proprietary Flexible Glass and thin-film encapsulation technologies.

Vitex continues to conduct research and development in the ultra-barrier film and thin-film encapsulation fields to enhance its technology and strengthen its IP portfolio while it pursues its new business model.

OSRAM and Philips have signed a patent crosslicense agreement covering optoelectronic semiconductors. The agreement involves the mutual licensing of patents for all inorganic and organic LED.

The agreement relates to patents held by Philips, including the US subsidiary Lumileds, and by OSRAM including its subsidiary OSRAM Opto Semiconductors.

OTB Display today announces that it is able to produce thin film encapsulated OLED devices that meet the shelf-life requirements for commercial use. Not only are these displays manufactured on OTB's in-line mass manufacturing equipment, but also the deposition of the thin film encapsulation has been proven to render the same optical performance as the conventional, more expensive glass-can encapsulated devices.

Barry Young, senior vice president at DisplaySearch, states: "Compared to conventional glass can encapsulation methods, thin film encapsulation substantially reduces costs by eliminating expensive parts such as glass cans, getters and epoxies. Furthermore, thin film encapsulated devices are much thinner, lighter and make more efficient use of the glass substrate, providing the most viable route towards flexible OLED displays."

Bas van Rens, CEO of OTB Display, explains: "Our integrated in-line mass manufacturing equipment now routinely produces displays which pass the accelerated shelf life of 504 hrs at 60oC / 90% humidity. In our development program we observe rapid progress and we expect to be able to announce shelf lifes exceeding 1000 hours at 85 oC/ 85% this year"

OLED-T, a developer and manufacturer of world-class organic light emitting diode (OLED) materials and device structures, and Microsharp, a specialist novel optical films company, have today announced a two year DTI funded project to develop a concept product that combines optical films with OLED materials for backlighting. The total grant for the venture is £225,000.

The aim of the project is to develop a high efficiency white-light, thin, flexible, on-plastic OLED solid state lighting system that will initially be geared towards the flat panel display market, in particular micro and flexible displays.

2007 will be an important year for OLED technology everyone who saw Sony showcasing its OLED TV at the CES show last week could be in no doubt about how superb the technology is for display use.  In addition, OLED technology can also be used for lighting applications including backlighting of LCD’s.  Despite our partnership with Microsharp being the first of its kind, we feel that the commercial benefits of the project are immediately obvious.  Our close relationships with backlight suppliers in the Far East mean that we are well placed to promote and leverage the benefits of this joint venture.  We are looking forward to working on this project and are extremely positive about its possibilities, said Myrddin Jones, Chief Executive, OLED-T, to OLED-Info.

On view were prototypes of a wall-sized, 82-inch BRAVIA flat-panel LCD and a 27-inch Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display capable of full HD performance (1920x1080) in a razor-thin form factor. Sony also showcased 11" OLED TVs.

"The prospect of mass production of the panels for smaller size OLED TVs is close to be cleared, and development on the panels for middle / larger-sized is currently under development. "

Arrowhead Research Corporation announced today that its 5majority-owned subsidiary, Unidym, has entered into a collaborative agreement with the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) in Singapore to develop OLEDs incorporating transparent electrodes made of carbon nanotubes. Under the terms of the agreement, Unidym will provide IMRE researchers with access to its proprietary, carbon nanotube-based, transparent electrodes which IMRE will incorporate into its OLED devices.

Carbon nanotube-based transparent electrodes have the potential to improve the performance of OLEDs while also reducing their production costs.

The 2.2-inch A220A screens boast QVGA resolution (240 x 320) and 262,000 colors.

Our pictures of these OLEDs do not do these little screens justice -- they are amazing, and we want them in our handsets (or portable gaming devices) now.

Nippon Steel Chemical and Universal Display Corporation today announced significant enhancement in the performance of green phosphorescent OLEDs resulting from their ongoing technical collaboration.

By combining Universal Display's green phosphorescent emitter, UDC-GD48, with NSCC's new green host material, the two companies have achieved record operational lifetime for a green phosphorescent OLED device. This green OLED offers 60,000 hours of operational lifetime at an initial luminance of 1,000 candelas per square meter (cd/m(2)). The device also exhibits a high luminous efficiency of 65 candela per ampere (cd/A) and an external quantum efficiency of 18%, at 1,000 cd/m(2), both characteristic features and benefits of phosphorescent OLED technology. The color coordinates for this device in a standard bottom-emission structure are C.I.E. (0.35, 0.61).