Flexible OLED

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.

A Japanese consortium of 13 companies (including Sharp and Hitachi) claims that they found a way to make LCDs using plastic film instead of a glass substrate. This means that those displays can be very thin and flexible. They do admit however that this is a very complicated process. They have shown a 3.5" bendable color LCD that just 0.49mm thick and weights 7 grams. They hope to make a better display by 2012, and use this technology to mass produce thin, curved LCD displays.

The companies say that the new manufacturing process is simpler than the one used in current LCDs, and also the new displays will consumer 70% less energy!

More information over at CrunchGear.

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.

Here's the link to Tech-On's article.

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: Here's 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...

ASUS is showing off its new Waveface family of concept devices. Two of these use flexible OLEDs. The Ultra is a wearable (on the wrist) mobile phone that is controlled with hand gestures or by touching the display.

ASUS Waveface Ultra

The Waveface Light has physical keyboard that pops up when folded up into the laptop form factor.

ASUS Waveface Light

Samsung has been showing their 2" flexible OLED for identity cards for a few years now, and this CES is no exception. There's a nice video over at Engadget showing how the OLED is powered by the wireless RFID reader:

The flexible OLED is 2" QVGA 240x320, 260K colors and has 10,000: contrast ratio.

It seems that Sony are very serious about printed flexible OLEDs. In June 2009, they have created a group whose goal is to launch the flexible OLED panel business "as soon as possible". They had several researchers working on organic TFT in several departments in Sony, and now they all work in the same group.

Sony Flexible OLED Prototype (CES 2009)

Sony wants to 'change the fundamental design of equipment" using the new flexible displays. They have already shown us flexible-OLED prototypes (photo abovce, and video below), and some cool concept designs. Hopefully we'll hear more at CES 2010 next week.

Via Tech-On's interesting printed electronics article.

LG has announced a new LED LCD TV, that's only 2.6mm thick. That's even thinner than Sony's XEL-1 OLED TV! The new TV is 42", weights only 4Kg (!) and has a 120Hz refresh rate. A few years ago, one of the advantages of OLEDs were being thin and light, but LCD has advanced very quickly in that respect - although OLEDs can be made much thinner, it doesn't seem to really matter any more, at least for TVs. Unless of course they'll start making rollable, flexible OLED TVs...

LG 2.6mm thick LED LCD

Via Gizmodo

UPDATE: it turns out that this is not an OLED dress at all! It is using EL panels, made by Elumin8 back in 2005. Here's more information...

UK's PolyPhotonix is showing an 'OLED Dress', designed by Gareth Pugh. The dress was exhibited at the launch of the UK's "Plastic Electronics Strategy' (the  $32 million investment in plastic-electronics announced in July). The UK announced that by September 2010, they will begin prototype production of flexible OLED Lighting panels and low-cost long-life solar cells.

PolyPhotonix OLED dress

PolyPhotonix are working toward polymer-based OLED Lighting panels. Their first production line is already active (that's where they made the OLED panels for the dress).

Via Photonics.com

Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is showing a new flexible 4.1" color OLED display. They say that it's more flexible and 'softer' than their previous prototypes.

ITRI is also showing new e-paper displays.

Via PCWorld