Cambridge, UK - Cambridge Display Technology (CDT), the British company spearheading the worldwide development of plastic displays, today announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with Delta Electronics, Inc. of Taiwan, to develop displays based on CDT's patented light emitting polymer (LEP) technology.

LEP is described as 'plastic that glows'. This thin, flexible technology is to be used in mobile communications and consumer electronics as well as TVs and computer display screens. LEP displays are constructed by applying a thin film of the LEP onto a glass or plastic substrate coated with a transparent indium tin oxide electrode. A metallic electrode is deposited on top of the polymer. Application of an electric field between the two electrodes results in emission of light from the polymer.

CDT, which was spun out of the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge in 1992, is leading research and commercial development of LEPs. It has developed relationships at all points of the LEP supply chain from materials production through to low and high information content displays. Delta Electronics is CDT's first and only licensee for both high information content and low information content.

Delta Optoelectronics is the world leading manufacturer of merchant switching power supplies and a major manufacturer of video displays, electronic components and networking products for computer, networking, telecommunication and industrial applications. Delta's LEP display development work will be conducted in Taiwan by its subsidiary company Delta Optoelectronics, Inc.

Delta Optoelectronics has focussed on the application of new technologies to develop advanced display systems since it was founded in 1999. "Our technical assessments lead us to believe that LEP will be a leading display technology within the next few years. Securing a license from CDT will enable us to take a leading position in this new technology," said Dr. Tsai, General Manager, Delta Optoelectronics.

"Securing licenses at every point of the supply chain is key to establishing LEP as a dominant display technology. Licensing is key to the commercial exploitation of LEP technology and lies at the core of our business strategy. Securing Delta Electronics as a licensee endorses this strategy," said Danny Chapchal, CEO, CDT. "This announcement demonstrates the pace of growth of the LEP development community," he added.

CDT has granted licenses to Philips and Uniax for low information Content displays and Hoechst for material supply. The company also has joint agreements in place with DuPont to develop flexible substrates for large area displays and Seiko-Epson to develop high-information content displays.

LEP as a Platform Technology
Combining the look and feel of a conventional TV display with then ultra-thin, low weight, compact, low power factors associated with advanced flat panel displays, solid state LEP technology promises to be far more robust that traditional display technologies for use in portable applications.

The performance characteristics of LEP include thin profile, light-weight, low power, wide view angle, fast switching, robust solid state devices. LEP panels can be used in flat panel displays to combine the look and feel of traditional CRT with the profile and light-weight necessary for the next generation of displays.