FLEX DISPLAYS IN PRODUCTION

FLEX DISPLAYS IN PRODUCTION

After years of hearing about future flexible displays — known as e-paper — it appears that the future is finally here. In late March, LG Display (www.lgdisplay.com) announced that it was starting mass production of "the world's first plastic electronic paper display (EPD) for use in e-books." The device is a six inch extended graphics array (XGA) screen (1024 x 768 resolution) that has a flexible design that allows it to bend as much as 40° from the center of the screen, is only 0.027 in (0.7 mm) thick, and weighs just 0.49 oz (14 g). In addition to the flexibility and weight reduction, the display will be more durable than current rigid ones which often are damaged by accidentally dropping or hitting them with an object.

 LG's tests showed that with repeated drop tests from five feet (1.5 m) above the ground, no damage occurred. Furthermore, whacking it with a "small urethane" hammer created no scratching or breakage. LG wasn't very specific about how it has accomplished this feat, but it was revealed that the company "developed a unique technique to utilize the high TFT process, typically employed in general LCD manufacturing and with temperatures exceeding 350°, in the production of its plastic EPD ... overcoming the obstacles associated with applying the existing production process to heat-susceptible plastic." The displays will be made available to original design manufacturers (ODMs) in China immediately, with completed products to be available in Europe first. Presumably, we will begin to see them here shortly thereafter.