Improved lifetime of devices is key to expanded commercialization of LEP displays

Cambridge, UK  – Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) announced today that it has dramatically improved the life performance of display devices based on light emitting polymer (LEP) technology, achieving over 11,000 hours of operation for its blue polymer research devices. Over the past twelve months, CDT has more than tripled the lifetime of its blue research devices. This advancement is a significant improvement and major step towards the commercial exploitation of LEP technology in several full colour active matrix applications such as Internet access devices, computer applications and consumer electronic products.

CDT, the owner of the fundamental intellectual property and the leading researcher and developer of LEP technology, has produced this result at the company’s Cambridge UK R&D facilities. The longer operating life is due to advances in LEP material formulation, improved deposition processes for the polymer and other materials, and innovative device structures. The improvements in processes and structures are directly transferable to red, green, white and other polymer material colors. CDT expects that many of these improvements will be transferable to full manufacturing processes.

“This achievement is a direct outcome of CDT’s ongoing R&D activities that cover the full scope of the technology’s development,” said Dr. David Fyfe, Chief Executive Officer of CDT. “We focused on the blue material since it is vital to providing the full color capability essential for mainstream display markets such as television and personal computing along with the exploding market for multimedia-enabled cell phones, PDA’s and other mobile products.  Even though longer lifetimes are still needed, these results are a significant milestone towards the commercialization of the LEP technology.”

CDT researchers early this year surpassed the 11,000 hours blue material operating mark, measured as the time from initial brightness to half the initial brightness. The method used is based on the industry standard for measuring the decrease in brightness of emissive-type displays, such as plasma, CRTs, and LEPs, which are a type of Organic Light-Emitting Display (OLED). Testing at higher brightness and operating temperature was used due to the long operating time needed to measure the result and correlated with ongoing testing at room temperature and typical commercial display brightness levels of 100 cd/m2.

CDT has been developing LEP technology for use in electronic displays and lighting devices and has focused its research and development on polymer material formulation, internal device structure design, other materials used in device construction, and manufacturing processes and tools. CDT will offer to transfer the methods used to reach this milestone to its manufacturing licensees and polymer material suppliers as part of its ongoing business plan to facilitate the commercialization of LEP technology through intensive research and development of materials, devices, and manufacturing processes and tools.

LEPs generate their own light, eliminating the need for a backlight, which is required in LCD displays. This makes them thinner and lighter weight, as well as more power-efficient.  LEP displays also have higher contrast with richer color, offering superior quality images that can easily be viewed from wide angles. Additionally, LEP materials are plastics that can be dissolved into solvents that allow deposition using ink-jet printing on glass or plastic substrates. This provides a potential manufacturing advantage that could significantly change the way displays are produced and open new markets and opportunities for lower cost displays on flexible substrates that can conform to curved surfaces.

About CDT

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

CDT is promoting LEP and dendrimer technology development and speeding its commercialization through a global business strategy including co-developments with leading companies in a wide range of display and related technology areas. Founded in 1992, the company is headquartered in Cambridge UK and has a manufacturing development centre in Godmanchester UK and dendrimer development facility in Oxford UK.

In 2002, CDT was awarded Britain’s most prestigious engineering prize, the Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award for CDT’s developments in engineering the rapid commercialization of LEP technology and contribution to establishing the UK as a hot bed for innovation in science and engineering on the world stage. Additional 2002 awards include Scientific American 50 – Scientific American Magazine – leader in the General Technology category for work over the last year in the development and commercialization of LEPs, and a winner of the Wall Street Journal Europe Innovation Awards.