Seeking Flexibility From OLEDs
DuPont claims expertise in OLED display panels, flexible substrates, cost-effective printing and organic-TFT technologies. Sarnoff's contribution will be in active matrix TFT designs and video display systems.
The technical venture plans to create a flexible organic-TFT technology. Standard silicon-based TFT backplane manufacturing on glass is costly, incompatible with flexible substrates and involves multiple high-temperature vacuum deposition and photolithography steps that are hostile to plastic. It is hoped that OLED technology can be used to produce bright, high-contrast display panels with fast refresh rates and a wide viewing angle. OLED panels are emissive, eliminating the need for a backlight such as is needed in liquid crystal displays (LCDs).
The development of flexible displays represents DuPont Displays' third generation of OLED product. The technology is expected to be available by 2007. A mass production line in Hsinchu, Taiwan, was announced in August 2002 with plans to manufacture passive matrix, polymer-based OLED displays on glass. These first products will be used in hand-held mobile communication devices such as cell phones and PDAs. DuPont Displays also plans to upgrade its pilot line Santa Barbara facility in California to accommodate the fabrication of flexible polymer-based OLED displays by the end of 2004.
