CDT and Semprius to develop new OLED backplane technology

Durham, NC - December, 2008 - Semprius, Inc., has announced that it has entered a joint development agreement with Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) to develop new technology for the manufacture of OLED (organic light emitting diode) backplanes for flat panel displays.

 

The goal of the two-year collaboration is to apply Semprius' patented semiconductor printing technology to improve performance of backplanes, which hold the electronic components that drive display screens for computers, televisions and a host of other devices. CDT, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical, is a leader in the research and commercialization of polymer OLEDs and their application in displays.

 

Semprius' micro-transfer printing process allows transfer printing of high-performance semiconductors onto virtually any surface, including glass, flexible and rigid plastic, metal and other semiconductor materials. Semprius will focus on using its patented process to transfer single crystal silicon semiconductors onto the backplane, thereby increasing overall display performance.

 

"Our technology provides higher performance at equal or lower cost," said Joe Carr, CEO of Semprius. "The agreement with CDT gives us the opportunity to apply micro-transfer printing to advance backplane performance and manufacturing efficiencies."

 

CDT will integrate this new backplane technology into their 14-inch development line at the company's Godmanchester campus near Cambridge, UK.

 

"High-quality, high-mobility TFT backplanes are essential to achieve optimal performance from OLEDs," said David Fyfe, CEO of CDT. "The Semprius technology, using single crystal silicon semiconductors, offers potential for a low-capital, low-cost approach to achieving this, and we are very excited to be exploring its application to polymer OLED displays."

 

 

Cambridge Display Technology (CDT), headquartered at Cambourne near Cambridge in the UK, is a pioneer in the development of polymer organic light emitting diodes (P-OLEDs) and their use in a wide range of electronic display products used for information management, communications and entertainment.

 

P-OLEDs are part of the family of OLEDs, which are thin, lightweight and power efficient devices that emit light when an electric current flows. P-OLEDs offer an enhanced visual experience and superior performance characteristics compared with other flat panel display technologies such as liquid crystal displays, and have the key advantage that they can be applied in solution using printing processes.

 

CDT was acquired by Sumitomo Chemical in September 2007. Together, CDT and Sumitomo lead the research and commercialization of light emitting polymer technology used in displays and lighting applications. More information on CDT can be found at: www.cdtltd.co.uk .

 

 

Semprius, Inc., is developing low cost, high performance concentrator photovoltaic modules (CPVs) for the generation of solar power. Semprius is using its patented semiconductor printing technology to create CPV modules that provide a high level of performance and reliability, with low cost and scalability for high-volume production. Semprius also licenses its core micro-transfer printing technology to advance a wide variety of electronics.

 

Micro-transfer printing enables the printing of high-performance, single crystal semiconductors onto virtually any surface, including glass and plastic. Transfer printing provides huge gains in performance at equal or reduced manufacturing costs, and has commercial applications in backplanes for OLED and LCD flat panel displays, flexible digital X-ray detectors, flexible printed electronics, and high frequency radio semiconductors for mobile communications.

 

Semprius is headquartered near Research Triangle Park, NC. For more information, visit www.semprius.com.