All-plastic display demoed

February 11/18, 2004

Researchers from Philips Research in the Netherlands have demonstrated a fast, flexible computer display that is nearly as thin as paper.

The five-centimeter-square prototype is a little less than a third of a millimeter thick and still functions when rolled into a tube as narrow as a centimeter. The key to the flexibility was making the screen from plastic transistors, which are also relatively inexpensive.

The researchers' prototype 64-by-64-pixel display contains 1,888 organic transistors that control each pixel in the active matrix display. The plastic transistors allow for the display's flexibility, and they are also less expensive than silicon transistors because they can be made in a relatively simple room-temperature process.

The display combines the flexible organic backplane with the E Ink Inc. electronic ink scheme, which switches oppositely-charged particles of black and white pigment suspended in fluid-filled microcapsules. The Philips backplane switches the ink as quickly as 5 kHz, which is quick enough to run video, according to the researchers.

The researchers are working on extending the lifetime of the backplane and improving its resolution. The displays could be used commercially in two years, according to the researchers. The work appeared in the January 25, 2004 issue of Nature Materials.


Page One

Light-storing chip charted

Coincidences set up mental error

Noise boosts nanotube antennas

Web users re-visit in steps

Briefs:
All-plastic display demoed
DNA sorts nanotubes
Electricity teleportation devised
Mechanical storage goes low power
Scientists brew tree-shaped DNA
Magnets tune photonic crystal




Research Watch blog

View from the High Ground Q&A
How It Works

RSS Feeds:
News  | Blog

Ad links:
Buy an ad link


Advertisements:



Ad links: Clear History

Buy an ad link

 
Home     Archive     Resources    Feeds     Glossary
TRN Finder     Research Dir.    Events Dir.      Researchers     Bookshelf
   Contribute      Under Development     T-shirts etc.     Classifieds


© Copyright Technology Research News, LLC 2000-2010. All rights reserved.