August 2006

news archive

Universal Display, Novaled Announce Development of Record-Breaking Red PHOLED Devices

EWING, N.J. and DRESDEN, Germany - Phosphorescent organic light-emitting diode (PHOLED) developer Universal Display Corp. (UDC) and OLED research company Novaled AG have created a record-breaking red PHOLED device that achieves new milestones in power efficiency and operating voltage, the two companies announced on Aug. 16. The device has a luminous efficiency of 15 cd/A at an operating voltage of less than 4V, resulting in record power efficiency of 12 lumens per watt, according to a joint press release.

The device was achieved using a combination of UDC's proprietary PHOLED technology, which offers up to 100% internal quantum efficiency that is as much as 4 times higher than that of conventional OLED technology, and Novaled's proprietary doping technology and materials, which offer up to 3 times lower operating voltage than conventional OLEDs, the press release stated.

The red PHOLED device has a peak external quantum efficiency of 16% and a drive voltage of less than 4V at 1,000 cd/m², and demonstrates excellent projected operational lifetimes of over 150,000 hours at an initial luminance of 500 cd/m² with a luminous efficacy exceeding 15 cd/A, according to the statement.

eMagin, U.S. Army Team Up to Develop New Methods for Assessing OLED Lifetimes

BELLEVUE, Wash. - Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) microdisplay manufacturer eMagin Corp. announced on Aug. 8 that it would begin work with the U.S. Army to develop better ways of assessing the applicability of active-matrix (AM) OLED displays in military systems based on the length of their usable lifetimes. eMagin will work specifically with the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) of the Army's Research, Development and Engineering Command's (RDECOM's) Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CRDEC), according to a company release.

According to eMagin, current methodologies for measuring the lifetime of non-emissive displays such as liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) do not apply to OLEDs. OLED-based devices depend on the specific application and can be much longer than most conventional models can predict, the company said. In addition, device color, video content, and temperature and luminance ranges all affect usable lifetime.

NVESD and eMagin co-developed an initial usable lifetime model for a joint paper presented at SPIE Defense and Security Conference in March 2005. This project will extend that work, eMagin said.

"This project lays the groundwork for performance and measurement standards so that the government can make more informed decisions about the utility of OLED technologies," eMagin Executive Vice President Susan Jones said in a company statement. "Working to meet these standards will enable us to develop our OLED capabilities in ways that will prove most useful to our customers."

Pioneer Corp. to Build New Plasma TV Plant in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - Pioneer Corp.will buy 10 hectares of land in Minami-Alps City, Yamanashi prefecture, to build a new plasma TV plant, according to an Aug. 6 story on www.forbes.com.

"Details of the plant, including the scale of output, investment and the timing of the launch of production have not been decided yet," Pioneer Spokesperson Akira Muneto told Forbes.

Pioneer hopes the move will help in its goal of capturing 10% of the global plasma TV market in sizes over 40 in. by 2008, according to the report. The investment in the new plant is reportedly about 30 billion yen, which Pioneer may share with a partner company, the article said. A report in the Japanese business publication Nihon Keizai Shimbun stated the plant would begin operations by March 2008, initially producing more than 300,000 TVs a year and eventually boosting that number to 1 million, according to the Forbes article.

Sanyo, Quanta to Form New Global TV Business

OSAKA, Japan and TAIPEI, Taiwan - Sanyo Electric and Quanta Computer will join together to create a new global TV business, according to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press. The joint venture, tentatively titled Sanyo Visual Technology, will be established in October, according to the reports.

Sanyo Visual Technology will cover development and purchasing of Sanyo's TV business worldwide, including Japan, North America, Europe and China, the Associated Press reported. According to Reuters, Quanta will take a 19% stake in the new ¥100 million spin-off.

Sanyo and Quanta, the world's largest designer and manufacturer of laptop computers have been in talks for a joint liquid-crystal display (LCD) venture since March, according to both reports. It is unclear what role AU Optronics (AUO) will play in this partnership; AUO bought Quanta Display Inc., the computer company's display arm, in April.

The two companies told Reuters their alliance would include unified platforms and joint procurement of parts and materials.

"What we are announcing today is just a first step in our cooperation," Sanyo Director Mitsuru Honma is quoted in the Reuters report. "We aim to make our joint business more powerful. We are deep in talks to raise the level of our cooperation early next year."

According to the Associated Press Report, Sanyo also announced that it will move its TV division headquarters to the United States, hoping that the relative independence from the rest of the company in Japan will help accelerate decision-making and restructuring.

AUO, Toppan Printing Form Alliance in LCD Color Filter Supply

HSINCHU, Taiwan - AU Optronics (AUO) and Toppan Printing Co. Ltd. announced on Aug. 8 they had formed a strategic alliance to combine efforts in color-filter supply and business operation and technology for liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) in Taiwan. AUO will take a 39.7% stake in Toppan as a result of the alliance, according to an AUO press release.

This partnership between the Taiwanese display manufacturer and the Japanese color filter supplier marks a synergy of the ties between two leading multinationals in the global flat-panel-display industry, and also enhances AUO's supply chain in the color-filter business and its long-term cost competitiveness, the release stated.

The two companies said the agreement will strengthen their collaboration by maximizing capacity usage, economic benefits and technology cooperation. Toppan is anticipated to ensure its position and leading market share in Taiwan's color-filter business, while AUO will solidify its supply in color filters and enjoy cost benefits and cutting-edge technology support from Toppan, according to the statement.

Starting with AUO's Oct. 1 merger with Quanta Display Inc., AUO will have an increased need for color filters for all generations of LCDs, AUO said.

As a result of the alliance between Toppan and AUO, two board members from Toppan Printing's parent company Toppan CFI will be appointed by AUO. Toppan Printing will appoint the Chairman and President, while the Chief Financial Officer will be appointed by AUO, according to the release.

Univision Will Expand OLED Capacity by End of 2006

HSINCHU, Taiwan - Univision Technology will expand its organic light-emitting-diode (OLED) manufacturing capacity by adding a third line in response to rising demand from markets in Europe and the United States, according to information from the company Web site and Taiwanese news service, DigiTimes.

Volume production will begin in 2007, with an eventual maximum monthly capacity of 1.2 million units, according to the reports. The company hopes to ship more than 1 million OLED panels per month in 2007, Univision Vice President Chien-Chih Chiang told DigiTimes.

Univision's two existing OLED lines mainly produce passive-matrix (PM) OLEDs, and the company has been seeing orders from handset makers in Europe and the U.S. rising to in excess of 100,000 units per maker in the third quarter, according to the report. About 80% of Univision's OLED panel shipments are for handsets and MP3 players, mostly in the 1.5-in. size, although the company will eventually migrate to 1.8-in. panels in 2007 and has also developed 2.2-in. panels, Chiang said in the report.

Chiang told DigiTimes Univision hopes to eventually supply OLED panels for such applications as game consoles, vehicle displays and digital still cameras.

LG.Philips LCD Scores Two Wins in Patent Dispute With Chunghwa Picture Tubes

SEOUL, Korea - LG.Philips LCD (LPL) scored two victories last week in its on-going series of patent disputes with Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT).

On July 24, a New York arbitration panel ruled in favor of LPL in its dispute with CPT over LCD side-mount technology ownership. LPL expects this ruling to give the company an advantage in the patent dispute currently pending with CPT over the technology, according to a press release issued by LPL.

Four days later, the U.S. District Court in Delaware ruled in favor of LPL in a separate patent dispute (USP 5,019,002) against CPT, according to the Taiwanese News Service DigiTimes. CPT said in a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) that it would appeal the decision, saying that the jury failed to fully understand the range the patent covers.

According to Digitimes, LG.Philips LCD accused CPT of infringement of its USP 6,738,121 and USP 5,019,002 patents last November and the Delaware District Court ruled in favor of CPT for the dispute over the USP 6,738,121 patent, which caused LG.Philips LCD to cancel the suit this May, CPT said.

The New York arbitration panel ruled that LG.Philips LCD holds exclusive ownership rights for its side-mounting technology, over which CPT filed arbitration in July 2004, the release stated. The side-mounting technology enables LCD modules to be attached to their cover using screws driven from the side rather than from the front, producing slimmer LCD modules, LG.Philips LCD said. The company maintains ownership of its numerous side-mounting technology patents and patent applications filed around the world.

"In addition to officially cementing LG.Philips LCD's ownership of side-mounting technology patents, the ruling effectively ends any dispute on technology ownership rights," the head of LG.Philips LCD Intellectual Property Center, Joo Sup Kim, said in a company statement. "This dispute was interfering with our initial patent infringement lawsuit against CPT."

CPT responded via a filing last week with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) that LG.Philips LCD is merely casting shame on the panel industry by offering its one-sided claim, according to DigiTimes.

LG.Philips LCD has also filed a separate lawsuit for patent infringement against CPT in federal court in California, according to the statement. The patent infringement case is scheduled for October 2006.

AUO Produces Taiwan's First Gen 7.5 LCD TV Panel

TAICHUNG, Taiwan - AU Optronics (AUO) announced on Aug. 1 that it has successfully developed Taiwan's first 42-in. liquid-crystal display (LCD) TV panel at the company's 7.5 generation plant, distinguishing AUO as the world's second and Taiwan's first Gen 7.5 thin-film-transistor (TFT)-LCD manufacturer.

AUO produced the panel at its Gen 7.5 TFT and color-filter facility in the Taichung Science Park. The panel is regarded as a landmark in the history of the development of Taiwan's new-generation TFT-LCD fabrication, the company said in a statement.

The panel has WXGA (1366 x 768) resolution and is equipped with AUO's Advanced MVA technology for low color washout and high contrast (greater than 1200:1), according to the company's press release. A testing and pilot run have been carried through and the schedule for mass production is targeted for October 2006 in anticipation of the growing demand in the 40-in.-plus LCD market, AUO said.

The company's Gen 7.5 motherglass substrate is 1950 x 2250 mm and can be cut into eight 42-in. or six 48-in. panels. The line has an anticipated initial monthly capacity of 10,000 substrates by the end of 2006 and an expected full capacity of 60,000 substrates per month in the future, AUO said.

Light Blue Optics Secures US$2.5 million Seed Funding, Appoints CEO

CAMBRIDGE, UK - Light Blue Optics (LBO), a developer of miniature projection technology, announced on July 31 that it had closed $2.5 million round of seed funding to accelerate the development of its PVPro™ miniature projection technology and aid rapid company expansion. Global venture capital firm 3i plc led the round of funding, which also included investment from NESTA, the Cambridge Capital Group, and local business angels, the company said in a statement.

Founded in 2004, Light Blue Optics has developed a novel, patented laser projection technology, PVPro, using laser light sources and diffractive techniques. PVPro offers compact size, focus-free operation, low power consumption, robust design with no moving parts and simple low-cost manufacturing, Light Blue said.

"Light Blue Optics offers a unique and very elegant solution which meets the needs of a rapidly growing market," Dr. Nic Lawrence, co-founder of the company, explained in a press release. "PVPro has enormous potential in a wide range of business and consumer applications such as stand-alone projectors, games consoles, mobile phones, media players and head-up displays."

The seed funding will enable Light Blue Optics to accelerate its product-development plans by expanding its internal engineering team and building relationships with its strategic customers and development partners, the company said in a statement.

"We are very excited to be backing Light Blue Optics. The business has the features we look for in an early-stage start-up, including a talented and creative technical team, world-class technology, and large market opportunity," said Laurence Garrett, 3i Partner. "At 3i, we have always prided ourselves on investing in cutting-edge early-stage technology companies that have the potential to be the market leaders. We look forward to working closely with the team as the company grows and develops."

Dr. Chris Harris, former president of Plasmon Inc. and current 3i Entrepreneur-in-Residence, has been working closely with Light Blue Optics over the past few months and now joins the company as interim CEO.

"I am delighted to be involved with Light Blue Optics at this important phase of the company's growth and development," Dr. Harris said in the company's press release. "LBO has developed a truly unique projection technology that has the potential to deliver many of the features requested by our customers. I look forward to helping the company realize its potential by building a successful world-class business."

One Laptop Per Child Program Receives First Order

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program, a non-profit organization headed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Nicholas Negroponte and aimed at providing inexpensive laptop computers for children in developing countries, has received its first order from the Nigerian government, according to the Nigerian Vanguard newspaper.

The order is for 1 million computers at a price of roughly $130-$140 each, according to a report from CNET. However, Taiwan's Quanta Computer won't start building the ruggedized laptops until orders have been placed for at least 5 million units, though the Nigerian government has already issued payment. This could mean waiting until the end of this year or early 2007 for delivery, the Web site reported.

OLPC, whose Chief Technology Officer Mary Lou Jepsen spoke about the program during a luncheon at the Business Conference at SID 2006 in San Francisco, will manufacture brightly colored laptops using a modest LCD screen, a hand-crank for power, and no hard drive, according to the report.