OLED Info
OLEDs: new display technology that promises to deliver thin, power efficient and bright displays. OLEDs have amazing potential - thin TVs, flexible displays, transparent monitors, white lighting, and more.
- Engadget reviews the Tab 7.7: the best 7" tablet, stunning display
- Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:13:10 +0000 -
Engadget posted a review of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7. They say that it's the best 7" tablet - with a stunning display, a long lasting battery, good performance and thin size. The only problem? it's quite expensive. And they sure love the 1200x800 Super AMOLED Plus display - "We could tell you it's vibrant, stunning and breathtaking, but even that wouldn't quite do it justice. The contrast here is so deep, and the viewing angles so wide, that other tablets' screens look washed-out in comparison". Amazon.com is now offering an unlocked model for $749.
The Galaxy Tab 7.7 is the world's first tablet with an OLED display, a 7.7" Super AMOLED Plus panel, offering 1280x800 resolution. Other specs include Android v3.2, Dual-core 1.4 Ghz processor, HSPA+ radio, 16GB to 64GB internal storage and a microSD slot, Wi-Fi, GPS and two cameras (3MP and 2MP).
- Samsung Electronics considers taking over SMD
- Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:57:18 +0000 -
In a filing to the Korean Stock Exchange, Samsung Electronics announced it is considering taking over Samsung Mobile Display. Currently Samsung Electronics holds 64.4% in SMD (the rest is held by Samsung SDI). SMD is Samsung's OLED unit, and they produce over 90% of the world's AMOLED displays.
Samsung Electronics says that this move will improve the synergy within the group. But this can be bad news for other companies who rely on SMD's AMOLED panels, as perhaps the will not want to keep the best displays for their own devices.
- Lux compares display developers for technical value and business execution
- Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:59:08 +0000 -
Lux Research posted an interesting grid that shows how different display developers rate on technical value and business execution. It includes mature technologies (such as OLED and e-paper) and emerging technologies such as electrochromic and electrofluidic displays.
Lux says that OLED materials and equipment developers have a clear head start over other technologies, with notable players such as UDC, CDT, Novaled and Kateeva. The company that stands out in both technical value and business execution is E Ink - with high score in technology and IP and strong partnerships and management team. E Ink is the only company that scores a "strong positive" - with their nearly 100% market share of the electrophoretic market - which is used in products such as Amazon's Kindle and B&N Nook e-readers.
- eMagin awarded $1.12 million to commercialize a 1920x1200 OLED microdisplay
- Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:04:54 +0000 -
eMagin has been awarded a $1.12 million SBIR seven month project from the US's Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to optimize emagin's WUXGA (1920x1200) full color OLED microdisplay for mass production. There's also a six-month option to extend the project further for $435,000.
An eMagin OLED microdisplayThe microdisplay is already available as an engineering sample, and this project will enable eMagin to mass produce it at an affordable price. It was originally funded by the US Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), and features over 10,000:1 contrast ratio and consumes less than 350 mW.
- Corning - a day made of glass 2
- Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:04:11 +0000 -
Back in April 2011 Corning produced a nice video called A Day Made of Glass, showing future designs made with durable, transparent and even flexible glass displays. Now Corning is back with a sequel, showing the same family but with some new ideas in the home, car, classroom, outdoor and work environments:
A lot of these displays can be achieved with OLEDs, although OLEDs aren't specifically mentioned in those video. Just a few days ago Corning announced an OLED glass joint-venture with Samsung. Corning also released an unpacked version of this video- that includes explanations about the technology shown in the video:
- What's behind Nokia's ClearBlack display technology?
- Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:14:59 +0000 -
Nokia's ClearBlack Display technology has been announced in September 2010, and Nokia is using it in several phones (including the Lumia 900, Lumia 800 and older Symbian models such as the X7 and E7). We know that it includes polarizing filters to block incoming light. Today however Nokia finally revealed how it actually works:
A CBD filter includes both a linear polariser and retardation layers between the surface of your phone and the display. When light hits your screen, this is what happens:
- Tokyo Electron established an OLED department
- Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:01:31 +0000 -
Tokyo Electron (TEL) performed a re-organization, and as part of that they established a new OLED department (called the "organic EL division"), to be managed by Takeshi Okubo. This is good news and probably means that the company is putting a greater emphasis on OLED manufacturing equipment development.TEL is developing OLED TV printing equipment together with Seiko Epson. In September 2011 it was reported that the two companies will launch an inkjet-printed OLED TV production plant in 2012 or 2013.
- Samsung invests $5 million in Cambrios
- Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:00:24 +0000 -
Cambrios announces a new CEO and a $5 million investment from Samsung Ventures. Cambrios reveals that they were in close discussions with Samsung for collaboration on "important and valuable" projects over the past several years. Cambrios' first product, ClearOhm is a coating material for plastic or glass that produces a transparent, conductive film by wet processing. Cambrios says that ClearOhm offers significantly higher optical and electrical performance than currently used materials (such as ITO).ClearOhm can be used in OLED panels, LCDs, e-paper displays and solar panels. Perhaps Samsung wants to use this new material in upcoming OLED panel designs. Cambrios is also collaborating with Plextronics on OLED lighting electrodes.
- New video mic flag uses 3 OLED displays, new advertising space
- Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:46:53 +0000 -
Recom group has released the world's first video mic flag - which uses 3 to 4 (depends on configuration) OLED displays. The company reports that the new mic flag is already being used at by CBS, CNET, NBC, ABC, FOX, ESPN, CNN, and Bloomberg and was also used by several broadcasters at the superbowl and the NBA. This mic flag was also used by many broadcasters at CES, and CNN's Katie Linendoll called it one of her top five picks of the show.
The mic flag shows advertisements - from companies such as Ford, Toyota, Subway, Gillette and Pepsi. This brings extra revenue for the broadcasters. Recom says that the flag uses 3 to 4 OLED displays (probably the same ones as on Recom's video name tag - 2.8" 320x240 AMOLED panels) and it lasts 8-10 on a single battery charge. It provides a premium advertising space because it's part of the broadcast. Here's a video of the mic flag in action, from the superbowl:
- Corning and Samsung forms a new OLED glass joint venture
- Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:33:43 +0000 -
Corning and Samsung Mobile Display are going to establish a new equity venture for the manufacture of specialty OLED glass substrates in Korea. The new venture will combine Corning's Lotus Glass substrate technology with SMD's OLED display expertise - and will provide product solutions for current and future OLED technologies.The new venture will produce glasses for all OLED sizes: for small mobile panels to large OLED TV panels. It'll be interested to hear whether this new venture will also develop transparent and flexible glass displays, as envisioned in Corning's"Day made of glass" concept video:
- Developer creates OLED-friendly black Google android apps
- Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:23:44 +0000 -
A modder developed a black-themed version of Google apps (he called this Black Google Apps) that is a much more battery friendly on OLED mobile phones. The application are not just "darker", they are inverted (see the image below).
This idea isn't new of course - when Microsoft developed the WP7 operation system they assumed most phones will sport OLED displays and this effected the user interface design.
- Konica Minolta to split its OLED division into a new subsidiary
- Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:15:55 +0000 -
Konica Minolta announced plans to splits its LA Business division (who is in charge of OLED lighting and new functional materials) into a new subsidiary which will be called Konica Minolta Opto (KMOT). This split will be effective by April 2012.
KM says that the split will aid their ventures to accelerate OLED lighting commercialization. They hope that this move will also optimize its facilities and staff resources.
- MagnaChip sees AMOLED driver revenue grow 700% in 2011
- Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:08:47 +0000 -
MagnaChip reported their financial results for 2011, and they say that AMOLED display driver revenue grew 700% compared to 2010, but they wouldn't reveal exact numbers.MagnaChip is providing 800x580 AMOLED drivers for Samsung's Galaxy SII LTE phone (it has a 4.65" Super AMOLED Plus display) and multiple Microsoft Windows-based smartphones.
- STMicroelectronics announce a new miniature AMOLED power supply chip
- Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:02:05 +0000 -
STMicroelectronics announced the STOD13AS - a new miniature AMOLED power supply chip. The new chip is produced using ST's innovative Silicon On Insulator (SOI) process technology, which ensures outstanding energy efficiency and results in longer battery life. The chip offers high immunity to cellphone-communication noise - and thus minimizes flicker on the display.
ST explains that the new chip is better than the predecessor (the ST0D03A) because it integrates the step-up and inverting DC/DC converters needed to generate the positive and negative supplies on the same chip. It also features increased display-driving capability as well as additional short-circuit and overload protection modes to maximize ruggedness and reliability. When the display is not used, the new chip can be completely turned off which saves more power, and it also features pulse-skipping operation that optimizes efficiency when the display is consuming minimal power.
- AUO and Idemitsu Kosan to collaborate on OLED displays
- Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:30:07 +0000 -
AU Optronics (AUO) and Idemitsu Kosan announced that they will form an OLED strategic alliance - and will collaborate to develop high-performance OLED displays and OLED-related patents. Idemitsu will supply OLED materials to AUO including device structure proposal. AUO committed to reinforce the development of OLED products - both small sized OLED displays for phones and tablets and large sized OLED panels for TVs. The two companies will also study the possibility of collaboration in other fields beside OLEDs.
AUO 32-inch OLED TV prototypeAUO is gearing up towards mass production of 4" - 5" OLED panels in Q2 2012, targeting smartphones. AUO is using LTPS substrates and vapor deposition for the direct-emission RGB OLED sub pixels. AUO will produce these panels in their 3.5-Gen line in Hsinchu, Taiwan. In the second half of 2013, AUO's 4.5-Gen AMOLED Line in Singapore (at AFPD) will start producing panels as well. Towards the end of 2011 AUO unveiled prototypes of Oxide-TFT based 32" OLED TVs, 4" flexible OLEDs and 6" transparent ones.
- IGNIS working on two OLED TV designs, targeted for mass production in 2012
- Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:17:49 +0000 -
Canada's Ignis Innovation posted new job openings for their OLED TV development group, and in the job description they mention that the group is "currently working on two AMOLED television designs, targeted for mass production in 2012".
3.5-inch a-Si AMOLED prototypeIGNIS developed a-Si based AMOLEDs and reportedly RiTdisplay is starting to mass produce AMOLEDs based on this design - but these are 3.5" (320x480) panels - it seems unlikely that they'll be able to scale up to OLED TV size in such a short time frame. But it's also unlikely that either Samsung or LG Display are using Ignis technology in their upcoming OLED TVs (which use LTPS and Oxide-TFT, not a-Si).
- Samsung to unveil the Galaxy S2 successor during the first half of 2012
- Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:42:12 +0000 -
There are already speculations about the Galaxy S III specifications, and now Samsung says they are indeed working on a successor to the Galaxy S2. They won't unveil it at the Mobile World Congress 2012 - but rather in a separate event during the first half of 2012, closer to the commercial availability.
It will be very interesting to see Samsung's new flagship phone, and obviously we're mostly interested in the display. Will it be a Super AMOLED HD, or will Samsung surprise us with some new technology? Maybe the S3 will be the first phone with a plastic based flexible AMOLED? We'll have to wait a few months to find out...
- NTT DoCoMo P-05D
- Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:10:00 +0000 -
NTT DoCoMo's P-05D is a Disney-branded Android phone with a 4.3" 540x960 AMOLED display, and a dual-core 1Ghz CPU. The "Disney-Mobile" phone has access to some exclusive content from Disney (animations, games, wallpapers, etc.).
The P-05D will launch in March 2012 in Japan of course.
OLED type:4.3" 540x960 AMOLED
- Sony's TX200V AMOLED camera now up for pre-order for $499.99
- Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:05:32 +0000 -
Sony's TX200V can now be pre-ordered for $499.99 over at Amazon. There's no official release date yet, but it should be in March. The TX200V is a waterproof and dustproof digital camera with a 18mp sensor, 5X optical zoom and a 3.3" touch AMOLED display. It has a clean glass-covered front design. The TX200V can capture Full-HD videos (and take 13mp stills while doing so) and has a built-in GPS.
- LG Display in talks with Sony to supply OLED TV panels?
- Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:08:09 +0000 -
There are reports that Sony is increasing its LCD panel purchases from LG Display. Sony stopped their partnership with Samsung (Samsung bought Sony's stake in the LCD joint venture). An LGD official is quoted saying that future talks will also cover OLED TV panel outsourcing.
LG 55EM9600LG Display is currently gearing up to start producing 55" OLED TV panels. Their 8.5-Gen pilot line will produce around 48,000 monthly panels - which probably won't be enough to outsource to Sony. But LGD already decided to increase their OLED TV panel capacity (by building a new fab or perhaps converting an LCD line). This will take at least a year and half.
