Seiko Epson in OLED breakthrough

Seiko Epson Corporation has developed inkjet technology that represents a major breakthrough in realising 37-inch and larger full-HD OLED TVs by resolving the uneven layering that had previously been an issue with the inkjet method.

 

OLED televisions are believed to be the next generation of TVs to supersede current technologies. One of the major challenges in preventing mass production of large-screen OLED TVs has been the lack of a technology capable of reliably forming uniform organic layers on large substrates.

 

Currently the Vacuum thermal evaporation (VTE) process is the most widely used process of depositing organic materials, but this method is surrounded by technical hurdles that have prevented it from solving the layer uniformity issue and making the jump to mass production of large panels. An inkjet process that deposits organic material in liquid form has long been viewed as the ideal alternative.

 

Epson has developed a solution in the form of an OLED display fabrication process that leverages the company's proprietary Micro Piezo inkjet technology to achieve markedly greater accuracy in organic material deposition than conventional technology. Extremely uniform layers (volume error < 1%) are achieved by precisely controlling the selection and ejection of multi-size droplets of ink material on a substrate so that only the required volume of material is deposited. The company has already manufactured a 14" prototype OLED display with the same resolution as a 37" full HD display using the new inkjet process which they plan to exhibit early next month.

 

Meanwhile Panasonic is expected to join forces with Sumitomo Chemical Co to develop and manufacture 40-inch or bigger OLED panels by 2010 whilst according to recent rumours Japanese rival Sony is set to launch a 27" OLED TV in time for Christmas following their earlier 11" version, at a price of $7500. Samsung already have prototypes.

 

To learn more attend Printed Electronics Asia 2009  or Printed Electronics USA 2009 .

 

Also read Displays and Lighting: OLED, e-paper, electroluminescent and beyond .