THE U.S. DISPLAY CONSORTIUM AWARDS R&D
CONTRACT TO LITREX CORP.
New Technologies for Ink Jet Print
Heads and Manufacturing of LEP Display Is the Focus of $5.8 M Contract
- The U.S. Display Consortium (USDC), a public-private partnership supporting the electronic display industry, announced today that it is awarding a contract to Litrex Corporation (Pleasanton, CA), a manufacturer of industrial ink jet systems to complete a two-phased development project for ink jet manufacturing of Light Emitting Polymer (LEP) displays. Litrex is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cambridge Display Technology (CDT). The $5.78M project will be cost shared between Litrex and the U.S. Display Consortium.
Ink jet manufacturing provides a crucial alternative for developing the next generation of "plastic" flexible flat panel displays. Current display manufacturing equipment incorporating lithography or other forms of masking cannot apply liquid polymers in a way that works effectively for full color Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs). Moreover, resist and etching materials used in the masking process for traditional display manufacturing are incompatible with LEPs. Consequently, this contract award is one of USDC's largest financial commitments to date and an investment of great significance for the display industry.
"The primary objectives of this project are in line with USDC's current focus to develop manufacturing capabilities for OLEDs and for fabrication on flexible substrates," said Dr. M. Robert Pinnel, chief technical officer for USDC.
"By supporting this project, we will develop new capabilities that fulfill the outstanding requirements for successful ink jet deposition of LEP materials for full-color OLED displays."
Litrex will subcontract portions of this project to Spectra (Hanover, NH), an ink jet head manufacturer, and to Avecia (Manchester, UK), a polymer light emitting diode materials manufacturer. The two contractors will share in the cost of the project, as well as the contract award.
"Litrex, Avecia and Spectra have the combined expertise that is essential to carry this project through to fruition and open up the potential for roll-to-roll manufacturing on flexible substrates," commented Dr. Pinnel.
The objective in Phase I of the project is to create a new LEP display production process and tools. This includes custom print heads, ink and surface design rules, ink jet production hardware, and electronics and software specifically designed to overcome the technical challenges facing LEP display ink jet production.
In Phase II the contractors will create a custom roll-to-roll prototype system. The system will be capable of testing various materials and ink jet processes for fabricating LEP displays. In addition, the contractors will compare alternative printing techniques and materials to establish the viability and best technical approach for roll-to-roll LEP display fabrication on flexible substrates.
"Precision industrial ink jet technology represents a breakthrough in developing cost-effective manufacturing systems for color LEP displays," said Charles Edwards, president of Litrex. "We have been able to adapt ink jet technology for use in non-traditional printing applications, like electronic displays, to offer a product tool with improved yield, higher throughput, better materials utilization, greater scalability and lower capital costs. We're pleased to be working with the U.S. Display Consortium to bring this new method of manufacturing to the color display market."
Representative Ellen O. Tauscher (D-CA) said, "Congratulations to Litrex for leading this project and for their selection by the U.S. Display Consortium for a $5.76M contract to develop processes that will literally revolutionize the way electronics are manufactured. I am delighted that companies like Litrex continue to maintain California's reputation for innovation in technology."
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
Litrex Corporation's mission is to develop inkjet technology for precision manufacturing of electronics and electronic displays and become the world's leading manufacturer of precision industrial ink jet equipment. Litrex is pioneering precision industrial ink jet technology for use in manufacturing the next generation of electronics and color displays. Litrex technology is proving critical for manufacturing light emitting polymer (LEP) displays. Located in Pleasanton, CA, Litrex is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cambridge Display Technology (CDT), of Cambridge, UK. For more information on Litrex, please visit www.litrex.com.
Spectra is a leading developer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art piezoelectric ink jet print heads and related hardware and consumables. A MARKEM company and based in Lebanon, NH, Spectra has developed multiple generations of proprietary drop-on-demand ink jet print heads capable of producing high performance digital images. For more information on Spectra please visit www.spectra-inc.com.
Avecia Ink Jet Printing Materials was founded in 1985. Avecia's has established itself in pioneering, developing, registering and manufacturing ink jet colorants. The company's leading position in ink jet colorants has been based on skills in building centers of excellence around core research, technology and manufacturing of organic chemistry. For more information, please visit www.avecia.com |
