JANUARY 21--Universal Display Corporation (Ewing, NJ), a developer of flat-panel-display technology, has been awarded a $69,850 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract by the US Department of the Army to demonstrate the feasibility of building active-matrix, organic light-emitting device (AMOLED) displays on durable metal foil for use in military applications where size, weight, and ruggedness are critical. Universal Display is a pioneering developer of flexible OLED (FOLED) technology on plastic substrates. During this SBIR Phase I Program, Universal Display will use this technology to design and develop a flexible AMOLED display on flexible thin metal foil. While most OLED displays require the use of a transparent substrate such as glass, the company's proprietary, top-emission OLED (TOLED) technology enables this novel use of an opaque metal substrate. In addition to providing added ruggedness for demanding military applications, the use of durable metal foil may accelerate the development of flexible poly-silicon thin film transistor (TFT) backplanes, which today is considered the limiting factor for the commercialization of flexible AMOLED displays.
Based on Universal Display's recent development of high-efficiency phosphorescent OLED (PHOLED) technology, OLEDs are becoming well-recognized for their power consumption benefits, in addition to providing excellent brightness and viewing angle performance that are critical features for many military applications. Beyond these military applications, there is a growing interest in incorporating these display features in numerous commercial, mobile communication products. Additionally, the Company's FOLED and TOLED technologies have the potential to create a host of novel display products and market opportunities, including wearable electronics and transparent displays on windows and windshields.
For more information on the company, see www.universaldisplay.com.
