Seiko Epson expanded OLED lifetime, to start making OLED panels (8" to 21")

Seiko Epson has a production line at its Nagano plant and aims to take orders for OLED panels by the end of the year. The plant is capable of manufacturing several thousand OLED panels a year, the daily said. The company has expanded the life span of OLED panels to more than 50,000 hours compared with the maximum life of standard OLED devices, which is typically 30,000 hours, Nikkei said.

OLED panels, which emit light when an electrical charge is passed through the surface, are lighter and thinner than existing LCD panels or plasma displays, and boast higher contrast pictures, but are also more expensive.

The company plans to start making an eight-inch business-use OLED monitor that is 2.8 millimeter thick at its thinnest part. The production line is also capable of manufacturing larger models of up to 21 inches, the daily said.