Category Archives: Displays

February 6, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — During presentations to Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) investors, Wendell P. Weeks, chairman, CEO and president and James B. Flaws, vice chairman and CFO share the company’s new technologies for displays and other applications, as well as Corning’s plan for $10 billion in sales by 2014.

Weeks demonstrated Corning Gorilla Glass 2 in a live product-durability test. Corning has reduced the glass thickness by 20% while maintaining its damage resistance. This is one of Corning’s developments for high-performance displays, along with Corning’s Lotus Glass and ultra-slim flexible glass.

Corning’s proprietary fusion glass manufacturing process will be used to produce flexible glass that is 5x thinner than standard display glass. Device makers can move from batch manufacturing to a continuous roll-to-roll process with this glass. "Ultra-slim glass creates the opportunity to manufacture devices using the same techniques as plastic films, while providing all the advantages of glass in terms of transparency, encapsulation, and high-temperature tolerance," said Weeks.

At the FlexTech Alliance 2012 Flexible Electronics & Displays Conference & Exhibition, taking place February 6-9 in Phoenix, AZ, Corning demonstrated very thin glass moving over rollers and through processing tools. Flexible glass offers significant advancements in optical transmission, dimensional stability, and prevention of water vapor and oxygen permeation; it’s a true “game-changer.” Corning shared a glimpse into the future with a showing of their video — A Day in Glass 2 — illustrating how flexible glass can improve quality of life. See: 2012 Flexible Electronics & Displays: The future is flexible

"Corning is developing a glass that kills drug-resistant bacteria and viruses," Weeks also said, adding that the product is in the early stages and could create a big growth opportunity.

Weeks noted that 2012 brings lower liquid crystal display (LCD) glass prices. James B. Flaws, vice chairman and chief financial officer, echoed this, but expects prices to moderate as glass capacity and demand come into balance.

Increased sales and profits will help Corning reach $10 billion in sales in 2014, Flaws said. The company announced record 2011 sales of $7.9 billion. Corning LCD glass sales are likely to be flat through 2014.

Corning’s cost-reduction program includes bringing price declines in line with manufacturing costs and reducing capital expenses. Future glass-volume growth will come from an accelerated display-replacement cycle and advanced glass technologies, bringing thinner displays to the market,” Flaws said.

Corning’s Gorilla Glass sales, part of its Specialty Materials segment, are expected to grow "materially" through 2014, led primarily by consumer electronic devices and potentially from industries outside this market, such as automotive, appliance, and architectural applications.

Other recent Corning display news:

Corning Incorporated provides specialty glass and ceramics. Learn more at www.corning.com.

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February 6, 2012 — Eastman Kodak Co. and the Conductive Polymers Division of Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG will demonstrate a 3.5” touchscreen panel for cell phone applications using Kodak HCF-225 Film/ESTAR Base as the transparent conductive component at the FlexTech Alliance 2012 Flexible Electronics & Displays Conference & Exhibition in Phoenix, AZ, February 6-9 at Heraeus booth #31.

A conductive pattern is screen printed onto Kodak HCF-225 Film/ESTAR Base using Heraeus Clevios SET S masking polymer. Clevios Etch is then used to create the non-conductive areas, and the masking polymer that protected the conductive pattern is removed. The etch technology enables invisible conductive traces, demonstrated in projected capacitive display designs and in LED displays on curved substrates.

“Today’s PEDOT films are up to 100 times more conductive than they were 10 years ago,” said John Bayley, European Sales & Marketing Manager for Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG’s Conductive Polymers Division.

The companies demonstrated these transparent conductive films first in 2011 on a 14” display at the IDTechEX Printed Electronics USA 2011 show, November 30-December 1 in Santa Clara, CA. Read Kodak, Heraeus touchscreen conductive film proves completely invisible to understand the benefits over indium tin oxide (ITO).

“The advent of invisible patterning technology enables PEDOT-based films to satisfy the design goals of smart phone and tablet makers in markets that require very high optical clarity and multi-touch response,” said Dr. Stephan Kirchmeyer, Head of the Functional Coatings Business Unit from Heraeus Conductive Polymers Division.

“The cost and performance of this new technology opens the door to the production of a new generation of touch screens built for electronic devices using high volume web coating manufacturing processes,” said Brian Marks, General Manager, Functional Printing, Eastman Kodak Company. “It is positioned to utilize in-line patterning processes creating substantial cost advantages compared to the sputtering and patterning techniques required in the manufacture of ITO films.”

Kodak’s Industrial Materials Group offers a portfolio of functional films support customers in the electronic, optical and related industrial markets. For more information, visit http://www.kodak.com.

Heraeus supplies precious metals, materials and technologies; sensors; biomaterials; and medical products, as well as dental products, quartz glass, and specialty light sources. Visit the Conductive Polymers Division of Heraeus at www.clevios.com.

February 3, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) and Samsung Mobile Display Co. Ltd. will establish a new equity venture for the manufacture of specialty glass substrates for organic light emitting diode (OLED) devices. The new business will be located in Korea.

The entity combines Corning’s Lotus Glass substrate technology and Samsung Mobile Display’s OLED display expertise to meet the OLED needs for handheld and IT devices, large TVs, and other applications. It will supply OLED backplane glass substrates for Samsung Mobile Display, as well as for the broader Korean market. Corning’s Lotus Glass substrates deliver the higher processing temperatures and improved dimensional stability needed to produce next-generation high-performance displays.

Samsung uses OLED technology in its Galaxy mobile device products and Super OLED TVs.

Corning and Samsung have partnered in the display industry for almost 40 years, noted Wendell P. Weeks, Corning’s chairman, chief executive officer, and president. The parent companies Corning and Samsung recently renewed major agreements related to LCD glass substrates.

Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd. (SMD) was established in January 2009 as a core Samsung company that provides cutting-edge display solutions. With highly advanced technological capabilities, SMD offers a comprehensive range of displays including those featuring AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) and LCD technologies.

SMD has become a global leader in visual technology and its state-of-the-art AMOLED displays are being widely applied to smartphones, digital cameras, gaming devices and media players.

As a total solution provider, SMD strives to advance the future with next-generation technologies including flexible, foldable and transparent displays. Recognized as a catalyst for visual innovation, SMD continually works to change how we view our world.

For more information about Samsung Mobile Display, visit www.samsungsmd.com.

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February 3, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW), Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. (SCP), and the AMLCD division of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (SEC) renewed, for five more years, the two main agreements for their businesses.

Corning Incorporated and SCP signed a five-year renewal of Corning’s technology license agreement with SCP. This license agreement was effective beginning in January, 2012 and continues the 17-year equity venture’s position as a leading supplier of glass substrates to Korea’s liquid crystal display (LCD) industry. Samsung Corning Precision Materials is a highly successful equity company formed by Corning and Samsung in 1995.

Also read: Samsung plans record investments in 2012

Also effective in January, SCP and SEC signed a five-year renewal of SCP’s long term supply agreement with SEC. Samsung Corning Precision Materials is the majority supplier of the award-winning Corning EAGLE XG glass to SEC. Samsung Corning Precision Materials also supplies LCD substrates to other display manufacturers in Korea.

“Samsung Corning Precision Materials remains a leading supplier of high-quality glass substrates for some of the largest LCD manufacturers in the industry,” said James P. Clappin, president, Corning Glass Technologies. “This licensing agreement renews Corning’s foundational support, providing SCP with our industry-leading technology and glass science for panel makers in Korea. We look forward to helping SCP provide Samsung and other customers in Korea with the advanced LCD glass needed for their next-generation consumer electronics,” Clappin stated.

Corning Incorporated provides specialty glass and ceramics. Go to www.corning.com.

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February 3, 2012 — Tokyo Electron Ltd. restructured its organization, with a new "Organic EL Division" established under GM Takeshi Okubo, as well as other new and consolidating subsidiaries in the semiconductor and liquid crystal production segments. All of the changes announced will take effect on April 1, 2012.

The Next Generation Deposition Development Center will be newly established under TEL’s SPE Process Development Division, led by GM Gishi Chung. The company will do away with its MEMS Development Department (part of the "New Product Development Division").
 
Three departments — New Products Development, FPD Photo Process Equipment, and FPD Dry Process Equipment — will merge to form FPD Process Equipment Department.

The company will establish a new subsidiary in Singapore for sales and services support of semiconductor production equipment and parts in Singapore and South East Asia. The subsidiary will operate as Tokyo Electron Singapore PTE Ltd.

Tokyo Electron Ltd. will merge its Tokyo Electron Korea Ltd. subsidiary into its Tokyo Electron Korea Solution Ltd. to increase operational efficiencies. The merger is expected to be approved this month, with execution in April 2012. Tokyo Electron Korea Solution Ltd. will change its trading name to Tokyo Electron Korea Ltd. The subsidiary manufactures, purchases and sells semiconductor production equipment, liquid crystal production equipment, and related parts, raw materials, and accessories.

The company also made several personnel changes related to these changes; the list can be found on its website at http://www.tel.com/eng/news/2012/0203_002.htm.

Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL) is a global supplier of semiconductor and related production equipment. Learn more at www.tel.com

February 1, 2012 — W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) introduced a 20 nm-rated polytetraflouroethylene (PTFE) filter, available in a high density polyethylene (HDPE) cartridge. The filter is optimized for the bulk processing of high-purity chemicals used in semiconductor and flat panel display (FPD) manufacturing.

Combined with the low metal ion and organic extractables of an all-HDPE cartridge, these filter cartridges enable a drop-in retention upgrade that maintains existing system flow, Gore reports: comparable to a best-in-class competitive 0.05µm-rated PTFE membrane filter (see figure below).

The filters use advanced Gore PTFE membrane structure to boost particle retention and process capacity. Available retention ratings include 0.1µm and 30nm, in addition to the 20nm product. The filter increases open porous area for fluid flow, using the unique structure for retention performance.

GORE PTFE filtration media is used in filters for semiconductor, electronics, ultrapure water and high-purity chemical applications. Visit www.gore.com/hdpefilters.

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January 31, 2012 – PRNewswire via COMTEX — Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM), and e-reader provider Koobe Inc., announced the next-generation Jin Yong Reader uses mirasol micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) display technology. The original Jin Yong Reader had a black and white display. The e-reader is available in Taiwan.

Taiwan is the home for Qualcomm MEMS Technologies’ growing manufacturing base, said Clarence Chui, senior vice president and general manager of Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, Inc. The mirasol display is the industry’s first to use interferometric modulation (IMOD); a micro-electro-mechanical systems-based technology capable of creating color from ambient reflected light. Qualcomm’s mirasol displays are bi-stable, energy efficient, offer refresh rates to support interactive content and are highly reflective, allowing for superb viewing quality in a wide range of environmental conditions, including bright sunlight.

The MEMS-based mirasol display offers a "new and compelling experience by adding color and interactive content without sacrificing outdoor visibility and battery life," said Simon Hsu, general manager of Koobe Inc.

Qualcomm has had design wins in e-readers for the Chinese and Korean markets with the mirasol display.

Also read: Color displays could boost e-reader sales in coming years

The next-generation Jin Yong Reader, named after China’s best-selling living author, comes preloaded with Jin Yong’s acclaimed 15 novel set (compiled in 36 volumes) and includes access to Koobe’s content libraries, which feature thousands of novels, comics, interactive e-books, animated picture books and magazines.

The Jin Yong Reader features a 5.7" XGA format (1024 x 768 pixels) mirasol display (screen resolution of 223 ppi) and Qualcomm’s 1.0 GHz Snapdragon(TM) S2 processor. Koobe’s custom application interface sits atop an Android 2.3 base.

Koobe provides e-reader solutions to the Greater China market. For more information, please visit http://www.koobe.com.tw/.

Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Inc. is a business of Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM), which makes 3G and next-generation mobile technologies. Learn more at http://www.mirasoldisplays.com/.

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January 31, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Cambrios Technologies Corporation, transparent conductor developer, appointed John LeMoncheck as president and CEO, and announced a $5 million Series D-3 financing round from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation. Dr. Michael R Knapp, Cambrios founding president and CEO, led the CEO search and will now become chairman.

Cambrios will use the funding and strategic leadership to accelerate product introductions and commercial growth in multiple consumer electronic device markets.

LeMoncheck’s background includes technology and consumer electronics industries and forging commercial partnerships. As president and CEO of SiBEAM, a pioneer in 60 GHz-based millimeter wave wireless technology, LeMoncheck developed the company into a leader in multi-gigabit communications for the consumer electronics market and successfully led the acquisition of the company by Silicon Image (NASDAQ:SIMG). Prior to SiBEAM, he was vice president of Consumer Electronics and PC/Display Products for Silicon Image, where he led to the company’s successful launch and commercialization of the HDMI standard, now used in over 2 billion devices as the preferred digital conductivity solution for consumer devices. He’s also served in roles at TeraLogic, Arithmos Inc., and Synaptics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from UC San Diego and researched VLSI for imaging and pattern recognition applications at Caltech.

Cambrios’ transparent conductor solutions offer leading-edge optical and conductive properties for the touch, display, photovoltaic and lighting markets, LeMoncheck said.  

Samsung Venture Investment Corporation’s $5 million investment follows close discussions for collaboration on important and valuable projects with the Samsung Group over the past several years. "This is a very important milestone for the overall penetration of ClearOhm materials in our target markets," said LeMoncheck.

Cambrios ClearOhm is a coating material for plastic or glass, and an alternative to vacuum-deposited ceramic materials such as indium tin oxide (ITO). It can consistently achieve better transmission and resistance than ITO, Cambrios asserts. The product is available already deposited on PET film or another substrate, or as a transfer film.

Cambrios makes nanotechnology-based transparent electrodes for consumer device electronics. Learn more at www.cambrios.com.

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PARC, a Xerox Company, is a pioneer in the development and commercialization of thin film transistors, circuits, and sensors. With a 40 year history of commercial innovation, PARC scientists have a deep knowledge of printing technology applied in domains such as displays, image sensors, and medical sensors, PARC’s technical expertise and facility support printed dielectrics, nanoparticle metals, organic, oxide, and silicon (amorphous, polycrystalline, printed nanowire) semiconductors.

Solid State Technology editor Pete Singer caught up with Janos Veres, area manager for printed electronics in the electronic materials and devices laboratory at PARC. Veres’ current interests are in combining disruptive material, process, and device technologies — for printed, flexible circuits; sensor and memory arrays; batteries and display devices — all with a focus on early commercialization opportunities. Janos has experience in components such as novel printed circuits, organic transistors, and printable semiconductors; applications such as OLEDs, displays, and RFID; as well as printing/coating technologies including electrophotography, flexography, and offset printing.

Before joining PARC, Veres was the CTO at PolyPhotonix, where he developed radically new process technologies for OLED devices. Prior to that, he worked at Eastman Kodak as their Program Manager of Printed Electronics, and was a Business Research Associate at Merck Chemicals (formerly Avecia) where he led several of the world’s first demonstrators built using novel electronic materials. Janos also set up unique pilot production lines for solution coating when he was responsible for Organic Photoreceptor development at Gestetner Byfleet. Dr. Veres holds a Ph.D. in Solid State Electronics from Imperial College in London and an MSc in Physical Electronics with distinction from Lviv Technical University in Ukraine.

Veres said described printed electronics as a relatively new field, with the “early years” being only 10-12 years ago. The focus is on materials that can be formulated as inks and deposited over large areas. This is quite useful for applications such as flexible displays, which was the original focus of the work, and more recently on smart cards and printed tags.  Recent progress has printed electronic transistors inching closer to those produced in polysilicon.

“We never believed that they might one day compete with amorphous silicon,” Veres notes. “That’s happened and probably 4-5 years ago, we saw that barrier broken. That means we can now take organic materials and achieve the same kind of performance that you see in displays. That progress is carrying on and at the lab level, you can build devices that are now performing better than what amorphous silicon offers. The progress will not stop there. We might see a significant improvement in mobilities at which point devices we build might be competing with polysilicon.”

This kind of progress could disrupt conventional microelectronics manufacturing. “A factory might look very different than the conventional microelectronics factory. It might look more like a printing press than a microelectronics fab,” Veres said.

Listen to the podcast interview with Veres below:

 

January 30, 2012 — Jenoptik’s Optical Systems division, optical systems supplier to the semiconductor and flat panel display (FPD) equipment segment, received an order from an Asian customer worth several million euros.

The order is for the production of complex optical systems in the field of flat panel display equipment. The systems have already been developed by Jenoptik and will be integrated into a new production system. The order will be delivered in 2012.

Through its Optical Systems division, the Jenoptik Group delivers precision optics and systems. Besides offering customized systems, modules and assemblies, the Optical Systems division is a development and production partner for optical, microoptical and coated optical components – made of optical glasses, IR materials as well as polymers. The Optical Systems division has outstanding expertise in the development and manufacture of optics and microoptics for beam shaping used in the semiconductor industry and laser material processing. The product portfolio also includes optical and opto-electronic systems and components for applications in defense & security, health care & life science, digital imaging, machine vision as well as lighting. Learn more at http://www.jenoptik.com/en-optical-systems.

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