“Unbreakable” Displays
I’ve been following the whole e-paper thing for a few years now. Part of it is my interest as a journalist, of course. Most of the initial applications I’ve seen it in development for are for newspapers and magazines and the like, moving the printed page to a much more customized, digital solution that never needs to be thrown away, that gets constantly updated throughout the day with new items based on a predetermined set of variables—previous interests, search histories, etc.
It’s an interesting concept and we’ve already seen these kinds of applications pop up on the newer cell phones that are now available. Granted, even I would not want to spend any great length of time reading an article on a screen smaller than the size of a playing card, but the concept is certainly interesting.
But then earlier this week, HP and the Flexible Display Center (FDC) at Arizona State University (ASU) announced the first prototype of a flexible electronic display. These displays are made entirely of plastic and are paper-like—which adds to their portability.
According to HP, these displays use up to 90 percent less materials by volume and can be used to produce notebook computers, smart phones, and other electronic devices at much lower costs since the display is one of the more costly components.
The displays were created by the FDC and HP using self-aligned imprint lithography (SAIL) technology invented in HP Labs, HP’s central research arm. SAIL is considered “self aligned” because the patterning information is imprinted on the substrate in such a way that perfect alignment is maintained regardless of process-induced distortion.
SAIL technology enables the fabrication of thin film transistor arrays on a flexible plastic material in a low-cost, roll-to-roll manufacturing process. This allows for more cost-effective continuous production, rather than batch sheet-to-sheet production.
The first practical demonstration of the displays was achieved through the efforts between the FDC and HP as well as other FDC partners including DuPont Teijin Films and E Ink.
But it’s certainly interesting to think about the other applications of this kind of technology, especially in our market. What about billboards or window displays? Or on a consumer front, how about an affordable television screen that takes up your entire wall?
It would certainly change the way you thought about home movies now, wouldn’t it?
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Denise, I found your chart on inks very informative and I’m sure helpful to the end user.How did LiqueColor, one of the nations largest suppliers get overlooked