Technical / Research - Page 90

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.

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.

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.).

Remember Samsung 14" transparent OLED laptop? PlusPlasticElectronics says that Samsung actually plans to release this laptop as a real product within 12 months. They also reveal that the IceTouch MP3 player will sell for around $330 and will be released in the US in the first half of 2010.

Samsung 14-inch transparent OLED laptop

Samsung wants to dominate the transparent display market, and plans to introduce a range of new products with such displays within the next year. They will even consider products not normally produced at Samsung - such as a transparent automobile navigation system that can be placed on a windscreen. Now how about a transparent OLED TV?

Samsung Mobile Display announced that they will begin to produce AMOLED panels with integrated touch function. They will begin to produce the first panel, a 3.3" WVGA, 480x800 one in March. Samsung brands these display Super-AMOLED.

Samsung makes Super AMOLEDs by layering a touch-sensor (on-cell) over the OLED display and evaporating it. The thickness of the touch sensor is just 0.001mm - which should allow the screen to provide better images than normal AMOLEDs with an external touch layer, especially under direct light.

Tech-On has posted an interesting article about OLED TV status. They discuss the situation of the technology, why is it so difficult to make a large OLED panel, and how are the various TV makers trying to solve the issues.

I think the two most interesting points are:

• They suggest that because LCDs have got so good in terms of efficiency,thinness and quality, it'll be hard for OLEDs to compete. Instead companies try to open new markets with transparent or flexible OLEDs, things that cannot be done with LCDs. Indeed we can see Samsung, Sony and LG all showing these kinds of displays. I think we may also add 3D OLED TVs to the mix here.
• They say that LG plans to volume produce 20" OLED panels in 2010. This is the first time we hear of such plans (beside a promise for 'larger panels' a few weeks ago). LG also plans 30" OLED TVs in 2011, and 40" in 2012.

So 2010 is here, and we're still waiting for a real commercial OLED TV. While OLEDs are advancing quickly in smart phones and digital cameras, it seems that no one is willing to commit to large panels - OLEDs are still very expensive to make. Another problem facing OLED TVs is LCDs - in the past few years LCDs have gotten thinner, cheaper, more efficient and they look better.

One area in which LCDs do not shine, though is 3D. This was the hot topic at CES - many companies (including Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Toshiba and more) have shown their 3D Displays, and announced future models. However it seems that LCDs are not so good for 3D viewing. In fact Plasma (and OLED) TVs are much better. LCDs has problems with fast switching of photos, and there's "crossover" between the left and right image. OLEDs is even faster and better than Plasma, and is said to be the best way to view 3D. Both Sony and Samsung have unveiled new OLED 3D TV prototypes in CES.

A couple of days ago we reported the Lumiotec plans to start shipping sample OLED Lighting panels next month. Now we have some more information, and a photo, too. The sample kits will include one OLED panel, a controller and an AC adapter:

The OLEDs are 142mm by 142mm, 4.1mm thick. The brightness is 4,000cd/m2, and the lifetime is said to be 30,000 at 1,000cd/m2. The power consumption is 14.1W (the voltage is 9.4V).

Dr J Devin McKenzie, Add-Vision's CTO was interviewed about Printed-Electronics today. He gave the following comment on their goals for 2010:

Add-Vision is supporting it's licensees as they scale up to pilot manufacturing and begin commercialization of printed flexible OLEDs. AVI R&D groups are focused on increasing efficiency of the manufacturing process and refining performance of printed devices towards product specifications.

As far as we know, Bayer AG is the only Add-Vision licensee (announced in June 2009). So he is probably talking about them. it's great news to hear they are gearing up towards pilot manufacturing, and perhaps even commercialization of printed flexible Polymer-OLEDs. These will probably be small and cheap displays, as Bayer said they want to address the active packaging and labels, gift cards, electronic toys and games, promotional products or point-of-sale signage markets.

Update: in another interesting interview with Add-Visions' CEO, he says that they actually have 4 licensees - Bayer, Toppan Forms, Alps Electric and CDT. So we're not sure now who's actually the one to start a pilot line in 2010...