Product category:
Other OEM Display Modules and Meters
News Release from: Cambridge Display Technology | Subject: LEP displays
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 31 March 2003
Longer operating life for LEP displays
Cambridge Display Technology is claiming a dramatic improvement in the life performance of display devices based on light emitting polymer technology.
Cambridge Display Technology has dramatically improved the life performance of display devices based on light emitting polymer (LEP) technology, achieving over 11kh of operation for its blue polymer research devices Over the past 12 months, CDT has more than tripled the lifetime of its blue research devices
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 15 Nov 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Research sheds new light on LEPs
The nature of one of the fundamental processes for light generation in light emitting polymer (LEP), materials has now been experimentally demonstrated by scientists from Cambridge and Oman.
OLED displays provide massive contrast boost
Opsys has produced the first passive matrix organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays from its new prototyping line in Fremont, California.
This advancement is a significant improvement and major step towards the commercial exploitation of LEP technology in several full colour active matrix applications such as Internet access devices, computer applications and consumer electronic products.
CDT, the owner of the fundamental intellectual property and the leading researcher and developer of LEP technology, has produced this result at the company's Cambridge UK R and D facilities.
The longer operating life is due to advances in LEP material formulation, improved deposition processes for the polymer and other materials, and innovative device structures.
Further reading
Organic LED displays show up at CeBIT
UK-based technology innovator Opsys will show its first red, green and blue passive matrix organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays at CeBIT 2002.
Organic materials are made for P-OLED displays
CDT is to supply customised formulations of Starck organic materials used in the manufacture of P-OLED displays.
Inkjet printing solution for Brazil
Cambridge Display Technology has entered new geographical territory with the sale of inkjet printing equipment to the Genius Institute of Technology in Brazil.
The improvements in processes and structures are directly transferable to red, green, white and other polymer material colours.
CDT expects that many of these improvements will be transferable to full manufacturing processes.
"This achievement is a direct outcome of CDT's ongoing R and D activities that cover the full scope of the technology's development", said Dr David Fyfe, Chief Executive Officer of CDT.
"We focused on the blue material since it is vital to providing the full colour capability essential for mainstream display markets such as television and personal computing along with the exploding market for multimedia-enabled cellphones, PDAs and other mobile products.
Even though longer lifetimes are still needed, these results are a significant milestone towards the commercialisation of the LEP technology".
CDT researchers early this year surpassed the 11kh blue material operating mark, measured as the time from initial brightness to half the initial brightness.
The method used is based on the industry standard for measuring the decrease in brightness of emissive-type displays, such as plasma, CRTs, and LEPs, which are a type of organic light-emitting display (OLED).
Testing at higher brightness and operating temperature was used due to the long operating time needed to measure the result and correlated with ongoing testing at room temperature and typical commercial display brightness levels of 100cd/m2.
CDT has been developing LEP technology for use in electronic displays and lighting devices and has focused its research and development on polymer material formulation, internal device structure design, other materials used in device construction, and manufacturing processes and tools.
CDT will offer to transfer the methods used to reach this milestone to its manufacturing licensees and polymer material suppliers as part of its ongoing business plan to facilitate the commercialisation of LEP technology through intensive research and development of materials, devices, and manufacturing processes and tools.
LEPs generate their own light, eliminating the need for a backlight, which is required in LCD displays.
This makes them thinner and lighter weight, as well as more power-efficient.
LEP displays also have higher contrast with richer colour, offering superior quality images that can easily be viewed from wide angles.
Additionally, LEP materials are plastics that can be dissolved into solvents that allow deposition using inkjet printing on glass or plastic substrates.
This provides a potential manufacturing advantage that could significantly change the way displays are produced and open new markets and opportunities for lower cost displays on flexible substrates that can conform to curved surfaces.
• Cambridge Display Technology: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page
