Technical / Research - Page 10

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati have demonstrated that regular paper can be a flexible host material for Electrowetting displays. These new displays can theoretically be almost as cheap as printing a normal magazine. They say that in 3-5 years this can actually be commercialized, but these estimates are always optimistic...

The researchers say that paper is the "perfect substrate" for Electrowetting displays: it's flexible and cheap, and shows the same performance as glass.

BnF-Lab is showing a new e-paper drawing tablet this week. It uses an A4-sized e-paper panel, although we're not sure who made this panel: as Bridgestone, Epson and Samsung are all mentioned as sponsored, and these three use different e-paper technologies.

Delta Electronics says that 3D e-paper is possible. They just need to solve a couple of issues first (such as the brightness when switching from 2D to 3D). 3D Displays will be one of Delta's major development focuses in 2011.

Delta will soon start mass-producing color e-paper displays (based on Bridgestone's technology) - in fact they plan to release a color e-reader in December 2010 (or at least they planned this back in June).

LG Display is showing a 19" flexible E Ink display. It's only 0.601mm thick including the protective film. LG are using amorphous silicon (Si) TFTs formed on a stainless substrate. The resolution is 2560x1600 at 163ppi, it supports 16 levels of grayscale, it features 40% reflectance and the viewing angle is 140 degrees.

LG unveiled those display back in January 2010, and in August they said they plan to mass produce them "soon".

AUO is showing a new 6" flexible Oxide-TFT e-paper, made on plastic (PEN). The resolution is 800x600. Hopefully we'll have some new details and photos soon.

Update: The investment will total $700 million (!), and the new plant will go online in 2013/2014.

Russia's RUSNANO (Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies) announced a 'major' investment in Plastic Logic. Plastic Logic will create their second volume production facility (for next-generation plastic displays) in Russia. Those displays are based on E Ink, and are thin, lightweight and flexible.

Interestingly, Plastic Logic says that those displays will be used in Plastic Logic's first consumer electronics product, a next-generation electronic reader for business that is currently under development. The Que E-reader was canceled back in August, so it's good to know they are working on a new reader.

Liquavista is showing a new flexible electrowetting display prototype. They say that it's unbreakable. They wouldn't say when such displays can be commercialized though:

Seiko Epson has developed a new platform for e-paper display control that enabled high-speed refreshes for 300ppi resolution displays. The platform includes a display controller, application processor and power-supply chip and will be released in April 2011.

There are reports that Nemoptic declared bankruptcy. That's a shame, they seemed to have very interesting technology. Hopefully someone will pick it up and continue development...

Nemoptic has developed the world's first display that combines a color OLED with a monochrome Bistable Nematic LCD (Binem). The idea is that you can choose whether you want to have an OLED displays, or a e-paper like display, depending on the application and lighting condition (this somewhat reminds us of Pixel-Qi displays).

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and startup Gamma Dynamics have developed a new Electrofluidic display. The display can retain images without power consumption (like e-paper), has a >70% white reflectance and is fast enough for video. The idea is to use a colored fluid between the front and the backside of a reflective sheet.  The space  above and beneath this special sheet is similar in geometrPixel Structurey enabling the fluid to remain stationary in any position without an applied voltage.

The concept has been realized years ago, but the manufacturing process was only developed recently - in a collaboration between the Univ. of Cincinnati, Gamma Dynamics, DuPont and Sun Chemical.