CDT ramps shipment of first LEP displays from  UK Manufacturing Development Centre

CAMBRIDGE, UK,  – Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) today announced the first sales order for Light Emitting Polymer (LEP) display products from its Godmanchester UK manufacturing technology development centre. The 1.7 in. diagonal, 5 x 7 pixel segmented display module uses a yellow polymer with an operational lifetime to half luminance of 20,000 hours from an initial brightness of 250 cd/m2.  CDT plans to increase the product range by offering displays in a variety of colours, sizes and configurations for diverse industrial, transportation and electronics equipment markets.

The first shipment will go to Trident Displays, a UK distributor of liquid crystal, EL and plasma displays technology and support products. Trident Displays are active in the passenger information display market where CDT’s LEP displays offer distinct advantages such as wide viewing angles, high brightness and low power consumption.

CDT’s manufacturing technology development centre began initial operation in January 2002 based on the company’s investment of $25 million. Since start-up, CDT has commissioned equipment from major suppliers such as Tokki, Ulvac and SSEC, and ramped-up operations for LEP manufacturing technology development using 350 mm by 350 mm glass substrates. Recent arrival of model 140P first generation production ink-jet printers from Litrex, a wholly owned subsidiary of CDT, is establishing the centre as a world-class colour LEP display manufacturing and technology development facility. In addition to the production of display devices, work at CDT’s Godmanchester facility has resulted in the offering of a manufacturing process package for spin-coating displays. A full colour ink-jet printing package is in development as well as of other manufacturing technology offerings. The process packages have been developed to support licensees and new entrants into the LEP display market and to speed the technology into the market place.

David Fyfe, CEO of CDT, said “ the sale of first products is an important milestone for CDT’s development centre, not only because it demonstrates the evolution of our technology to a commercial manufacturing scale, but because we utilized the same tools and processes to produce these displays that we have successfully used to advance the technology that we are offering to our licensees. This is the reason we invested in the centre and reinforces CDT’s commitment to its licensees and to commercialising LEPs as a major display technology.

About CDT
Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) is a privately held company leading the research, development and commercialisation 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 substrate. 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 commercialisation through a global business strategy including co-developments with leading companies in a wide range of display related technology areas. Founded in 1992, the company is headquartered in Cambridge, UK with dendrimer development facilities in Oxford, UK.

In 2002, CDT was awarded Britain’s most prestigious engineering prize, the Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award for CDT’s development in engineering the rapid commercialisation 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 commercialisation of LEPs, and a winner of the Wall Street Journal Europe Innovation Awards.

About Trident Microsystems Ltd Group
Formed in 1967, the group has become a leading flat-panel displays and printer specialist in the UK through successfully managing customer projects, through signing key franchises and by investing in skilled people.

The group includes a dedicated displays and SBCs supplier, a division focused on selling and supporting printer, card reader and smart card products and an e-business operation selling high-tech office equipment at keen prices over the Internet.

The company maintains ISO approval through rigorous management of quality and logistics, run from the company’s purpose-built 32,000sq.ft. headquarters near Gatwick.

Backed by the Abacus Group plc, Trident is expanding in Europe, taking its solutions expertise locally to European electronics industries.

See: www.tridentmicrosystems.co.uk for further information on Trident Microsystems and its divisions.  Email sales@tridentdisplays.co.uk, or visit: www.tridentdisplays.co.uk. for information on Trident’s Displays division.