Eastgate Technology, to manufacture displays using CDT’s OLED technology using state-of-art manufacturing line designed by OTB Engineering.

Singapore, SG, Eindhoven, NL and Cambridge, UK – Eastgate Technology of Singapore, OTB Engineering B.V. (part of the OTB Group) of Netherlands and Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) of UK announced today that they have signed an agreement for manufacturing organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays. Eastgate Technology has acquired a manufacturing license from CDT for use of light emitting polymer (LEP) technology by its subsidiary INNOLED. OTB Engineering will supply the state-of-art manufacturing equipment.

OTB Engineering will develop full inline manufacturing equipment including inkjet printing, fast cathode deposition and thin-film encapsulation processes. The result will be a low-cost production line, offering a total manufacturing solution to INNOLED and achieving a throughput of 30 OLED substrates/hour but requiring no clean room.  CDT will supply separately inkjet printers from its subsidiary LITREX as well as a full colour inkjet printing process package and technology know-how to OTB Engineering, which will be implemented in the manufacturing line at INNOLED.

Acquiring manufacturing equipment for the production of OLEDs underlines Eastgate’s intentions to diversify its business. “Choosing CDT and OTB Engineering as our partners is not only based on the fact that they can offer unique solutions for the manufacturing stages of an OLED display, such as inkjet printing and thin film encapsulation”: explains Mr Goh, Chairman of Eastgate Technology Ltd.”. “They are also able to deliver the next generation equipment for the inline production of OLEDs guaranteeing higher throughput, yield and improved product quality resulting in considerable reduction of the total cost of ownership”.

David Fyfe, CEO of CDT, said: “It is very gratifying that Eastgate Technology has decided to license CDT’s OLED technology to enter the display market and we welcome them to our rapidly increasing family of licensees. Eastgate has a strong reputation for manufacturing excellence and they excel in bringing high quality products to market in the shortest possible time. CDT is particularly pleased to be involved in this project because the partnership of Eastgate and OTB will result in a major advance in manufacturing technology for LEP displays and the display industry in general”.

“Choosing INNOLED as a new entrance in this business is not only based on the fact that INNOLED is willing to be the launching customer for this new and challenging technology but also that they can play a substantial role in this emerging market, which mainly will take place in the Far East region. The cooperation with CDT means that OTB Engineering is able to offer not only the equipment but a total manufacturing solution including the development and delivery of the product design, manufacturing process and equipment” say Mr. Ron Kok, president of the OTB Group.

Products incorporating LEP displays are expected to offer distinct advantages over other display solutions such as thinner and compact displays, with significantly sharper contrast and brightness.  The worldwide market for OLED displays is currently valued at 112 million USD and it is forecasted to grow to 2.3 billion USD by 2008, having an average CAGR of 65% according to Stanford resources. LEP technology is anticipated to be one of the leading display technologies for next generation displays. 

About Eastgate Technology

Eastgate Technology is a leading manufacturer and distributor of digital storage products in Asia. Specifically, we manufacture, package and distribute compact discs ROMS (CD-ROMs), digital versatile discs (DVDs) and compact disc cards for our clients from the audio and video as well as the information technology industry. At Eastgate Technology, we can provide a one-stop solution for all our clients. We provide the full range of services from mastering, replication, printing, packaging to finally, distributing

At Eastgate Technology, we employ the latest state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and processes to ensure that our customers receive the best services from us. We seek to deliver quality goods cost effectively and on time to ensure that our customers can meet their production and shipping schedule.

About CDT

Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) is a privately held company leading the research, development and commercialization of light emitting polymer (LEP) and dendrimer technologies for flat panel displays, lighting, sensors and photovoltaics. These technologies are targeted for use in a wide range of electronic display products for information management, communications and entertainment. Features include reduced power consumption, thickness and weight, very wide viewing angle, superior video imaging performance and the potential to produce displays on plastic substrates. To date, manufacturing licences have been granted to Delta Optoelectronics, DuPont Displays, MicroEmissive Displays, OSRAM, Philips, and Seiko-Epson. Founded in 1992, the company is headquartered in Cambridge, U.K. and has a LEP manufacturing development center in Godmanchester, U.K. 

About OTB Engineering

OTB Engineering designs, develops and realizes breakthrough inline production equipment that enables customers to get the best out of their business. The unique combination of process know-how and equipment building skills enables our customers to attain cost leadership in the market. To achieve these objectives, we reduce production steps and eliminate clean rooms. OTB Engineering is part of the privately owned OTB Group, having proprietary technology in the Optical Media, Ophthalmic, Solar and Flat Panel Display markets. OTB Engineering works closely with innovative companies like Bayer, Fuji Film, Hewlett Packard, Johnson &Johnson, Philips, RWE Solar and Shell Solar. OTB Engineering is based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands with service organizations in Europe, United States, Near East and Far East. For more detailed information please visit www.otb.nl