Technical / Research - Page 55

Update: Tianma sent us some technical details about their new panels unveiled at the exhibition.

We just found this video showing a 12" AMOLED display by Tianma from the FPD China 2012 exhibition:

Unfortunately we don't have any more information on this prototype yet. We do know that Tianma is gearing up towards a Gen-4.5 AMOLED fab, and is also reportedly collaborating with Taiwan's Wintek on AMOLED development.

Winstar (a Taiwan-based LCD, e-paper and PMOLED producer) released their OLED technology roadmap for 2012-2013:

It seems that Winstar is developing transparent OLEDs, apparently the technology will be ready in Q2 2013. They are most likely working on transparent PMOLED panels (just like Futaba is). Winstar is also developing OLED lighting panels - the technology will be ready towards the end of 2013.

The Holst Centre and Solvay report advances in flexible OLED lighting panels. They present a bendable 69 cm² OLED panel that features 30 lm/W efficiency at 1000 cd/m²:

A couple of days ago we reported that Audi is experimenting with OLED technologies - with a concept car that has hundreds of Philips-made triangular OLED panels on the car's body. Today we present a video and more details about Audi's OLED designs:

Audi actually has 3 OLED based designs. The first is rather simple - rear lights that are made from four small red OLED panels, and a flashing turn indicator made from 8 panels. Audi actually has a roadmap for introducing OLEDs. They say that OLEDs will be used as rear lights in the "relatively near future". It will take a few more years for OLEDs to be used in brake lights as these need to be about five times brighter than rear lights.

Germany launched a new research project called HARPOON that aims to improve OLED lighting's efficiency in a cost effective way. We don't have a lot of details about this project yet, but it seems that it will involve software simulation and optimizations of vacuum related production processes.

The project's coordinated is Philips, and it is partly funded by the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia. First results will be published in 2014.

Microsoft research has unveiled a new research project that enables a 3D interactive desktop using a Samsung-made transparent OLED and a Kinect camera. The idea is that the user types on a keyboard that sits behind the monitor, and he can also manipulate 3D objects using his hands. The system also uses head tracking (to change the 3D perspective):

This isn't the first time Microsoft is using a transparent OLED in their research. Back in June 2010 Microsoft revealed a concept setup that uses a camera beneath a transparent OLED to create gesture-based interaction.

Philips released a new roadmap for their OLED lighting products. The company decided to split its OLED offering into two families - one for decorative lighting and one for performance lighting. The decorative panels are normally reflective in the off state, and Philips will offer transparent ones as soon as next year. Color tunable and transparent panels will arrive in 2018. And Philips predicts that by then it'll be able to offer 1x1 meter panels! It will sure be interested to see those large, flexible, light emitting panels...

Decorative lighting roadmap

The downside of the decorative panels is the efficiency: In 2015 these panels will offer only 15 lm/W (that's only marginally better than an incandescent lamp). By 2018, those large flexible panels will offer 35 lm/W - which is still very low (Fluorescent lamps today offer 70-100 lm/W).

There's a new European collaboration project that aims to help the organic and large area electronics industry. The COLAE (Commercializing Organic and Large Area Electronics) project is a pan-European initiative with 18 partners from 12 countries. The project partners will jointly develop technology demonstrators and provide services such as training events, access to pilot lines and more. Several of these partners have a range of OLED (both lighting and displays) pilot facilities that can now be accessed by European companies for free.

CPI Printed Electronics center

Partners include the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (which is the project coordinator), the Fraunhofer Institute, CSEM and UK's CPI center which will provide access for its OLED lighting pilot line facilities.

VG Scienta announced a new OLED deposition system, the OFT EDGE. The OFT (Organic Flexible Transparent) system can be used to deposit and analyse organic and inorganic layers on flexible and solid substrate.

The OFT Edge technology provides low temperature deposition of TCO, metals, small molecule deposition for organics, and an interchangeable modular construction with a wide selection of both deposition and analytical tools that can be attached to the systems to further increase the flexibility of the tool. VG Scienta offers ALD modules, XPS/UPS modules, STM, IR, and AFM modules. Modules within the system can be used as either standalone units when combined with a fast entry load lock or can be fully integrated into the multi-purpose cluster tool in conjunction with a central handler.

Konica Minolta has successfully developed a high-accuracy inkjet head capable of 1-picoliter drop size, the first for printed electronics applications. The new print head utlilizes the company's proprietary MEMS technologies for the first time. KM will start offering the new inkjet printhead (the KM128SNG-MB) in sample quantities by this spring.

The new print head is resistant to various inks required for industrial applications and suitable to use with low-viscosity inks. It can be used for all sorts of applications, including OLED display patterning and OLED lighting thin air coating.