USDC TO SPONSOR 3RD ANNUAL FLEXIBLE DISPLAYS & MICROELECTRONICS CONFERENCE ON FEBRUARY 10-12, 2004

Presentations by Dow Corning, DuPont, GE, Philips and 3M demonstrate growing industry interest in conformable displays

SAN JOSE, California - December 15, 2003 - The U.S. Display Consortium (USDC), a public/private partnership chartered with developing the flat panel display (FPD) industry supply chain, today announced the details for its third annual Flexible Displays and Microelectronics Conference. The USDC event, which will be held on February 10-12, 2004 at the Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix, AZ, is expected to draw over 200 participants.

The conference will feature the first public presentation on the U.S. Army's Flexible Displays R&D Center. Conference co-sponsors are the Army Research Laboratory, Dow Corning, Kodak, Natick (MA) Soldier Center, Philips, 3M and Vitex Systems.

The conference will open with a strategic focus on the markets and applications for flexible display products, featuring presentations by iSuppli, Lockheed Martin, SAIC and USDC. Then, new technology directions for the display's electro-optic front plane and backplane will be addressed by leading academic and industrial organizations, including Avecia, Dupont Displays, E Ink, Honeywell, Lehigh University, Northwestern University, Philips Research and Universal Display Corp. Finally, innovative approaches to materials and manufacturing for flexible substrates will be discussed by Applied Films, Dow Corning, GE, HP, Schott Glass, 3M and Vitex Systems, among other companies. The conference will include forty-four (44) presentations.

Dr. M.R. Pinnel, USDC's chief technical officer and the program chairman, noted that "The scope of the conference will significantly contribute to gauging the status of manufacturing flexible displays. I expect the output of the conference will be an enhanced commitment to the R&D necessary to bring flexible displays and microelectronics products to market in the foreseeable future." The conference will expand to three full days in 2004 in response to demand for presentation slots and networking opportunities.

A conference highlight will be the first public discussion of the U.S. Army's Flexible Displays R&D Center. The center is being formed - in a cooperative fashion among industry, the U.S. Army, USDC and leading research universities - to further develop technology for flexible displays and flexible electronics manufacturing. Prototype displays for insertion into military platforms will be one of the Center's outputs. An award by the Army to a university to host the center is expected in early 2004.

The complete conference agenda and registration information are available on the USDC website, www.usdc.org, or by calling 408.277.2400. The conference registration fee is $595 through January 12, 2004 and $695 afterwards and onsite. For exhibit and sponsorship information, contact Heidi Hoffman via e-mail to heidi@usdc.org.

For more information, please contact:
US Display Consortium
Heidi Hoffman
84 W. Santa Clara Street, Ste. 790
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 993-8111
heidi@usdc.org

About the U.S. Display Consortium
The U.S. Display Consortium is an industry-led public/private partnership providing a common platform for flat panel display and flexible microelectronics manufacturers and developers, FPD users, and the supplier base. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., the consortium’s primary mission is to fund supply-chain projects and share the results with USDC member companies. The USDC also provides a communication channel among industry, government and the financial communities for display issues; sponsors workshops to broaden the impact of technological developments; and educates consumers on the importance of displays in providing access to information technology. More information about the USDC can be found at www.usdc.org