USDC Awards Contract to Symmorphix
to Develop OLED Encapsulation and Barrier Layer Processes
Development Project Continues Consortium's
Efforts
to Build Supply Chain for Advanced Display Production
- Advancing the manufacturability of organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays is the focus of the latest USDC contract that is being awarded to Symmorphix Corporation of Sunnyvale, CA. The objectives of the $2,190,000 cost-shared development agreement are 1) developing materials and film deposition processes for direct encapsulation of OLED displays on glass and 2) the development of these materials into barrier layers for processing on plastic substrates. The USDC is a public/private partnership chartered with developing the flat panel display (FPD) industry supply chain.
OLED technology is attracting significant attention and corporate investment from many firms. Unlike high performance liquid crystal displays (LCDs), which require backlights to function, OLEDs self-emit light when an electrical current is applied. The nascent state of OLED technology, however, will require a robust manufacturing infrastructure in order to commercialize new display products. According to iSuppli, a display industry consulting firm, the long-term concept is that OLED emissive and encapsulation layers will cost less than processing an LCD, plus its color filter and backlight unit. Some companies expect 15-20 percent savings.
"Our patented deposition technology puts Symmorphix in a unique position to address OLED barrier requirements. This, coupled with our capability to deliver up to Gen III (600x720 mm) production equipment, enables Symmorphix to deliver the complete solution to our customers. We are pleased that the USDC contract will allow us to continue our progress in supporting the OLED industry," states Hash Pakbaz, vice president for business development at the company. "Symmorphix's dense, inorganic films developed with our existing production equipment have the potential to offer a simple barrier solution and allows us to investigate repeatable processes and address the issues of scalability and throughput early in the contract," adds Mux Narasimhan, director of applications development.
Dr. Bob Pinnel, USDC's chief technical officer, notes that "monolithic encapsulation is a preferred solution to the current metal or glass lids that now protect the OLED devices. By extension, this technology has the potential to serve as a barrier layer for building displays on plastic substrates if more stringent mechanical properties and requirements can be met." Specific activities involved in the Symmorphix project are evaluation of alloys for encapsulation, development of barrier layers for plastic substrates, and process development and reproducibility, including identification and confirmation of optimal deposition conditions. The USDC-sponsored project will run for approximately fifteen months at Symmorphix.
"I am pleased to support the partnership between the U.S. Display Consortium, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, and Symmorphix in strengthening our high-technology industrial base," said Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
"Flexible displays and OLED technology are areas with great potential for the commercial and military markets," said U.S. Representative Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA).
"They are also areas where U.S. companies have an excellent opportunity to establish development and manufacturing leadership. That's why I'm very pleased to see this cutting-edge research undertaken in America's technology center, Silicon Valley." The USDC program is a collaborative effort of private industry and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, located in Adelphi, MD.
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
Symmorphix
408-541-5900
408-541-5901
hash_pakbaz@symmorphix.com
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
Symmorphix develops processes and products based on unique high-quality amorphous dielectric films for physical barrier, dielectric and optical layer applications. The films are deposited using a unique, proprietary wide-area, low temperature physical vapor deposition (PVD) process. Symmorphix works with strategic partners to develop specific materials and process technologies, and licenses the technology, sells the capital equipment and markets end-use products as appropriate for the specific market opportunity. For more information visit www.symmorphix.com.
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