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8.3.7 Current situation within the EU

Asia is the global leader in display research, reflecting the fact that many Japanese and Korea companies are market leaders in this area. However, Europe has a position of relative strength, with a number of key research groups and active companies.

European Research Centres

The chair of Display Technologies at the University of Stuttgart has worked with Applied Nanotech, Inc to develop an active matrix LCD which uses a CNT network in place of ITO. Applied Nanotech was responsible for supplying the CNTs whilst the Stuttgart group developed deposition methods (in this case spray coating by suspension).

A group at CEA LETI led by Jean Dijon has carried out research into CNT-based FEDs. The group had developed 6 inch displays by 2004 using a CVD method to deposit CNTs on a substrate. This device demonstrated low drive voltages of around 85V.

The Max-Planck–Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz has carried out research with Sony Deutschland GmbH (Stuttgart, Germany) to develop flexible OLEDs. This work was reported at the beginning of October 2008, and had employed upconversion of red or infrared light and novel compounds in the organic layers to improve resolution and to overcome the problems of distortion when the display is flexed.

The new Center for Organic Materials and Electronic Devices Dresden is carrying out a range of research related to organic compounds for devices including OLEDs.

EU Projects

A number of European Commission-funded projects have worked in display-related areas.

The ROLLED project, coordinated by Finland’s VTT, is developing mass production of OLED elements using roll to roll technology. The project has already released the first demonstration OLED displays which are currently capable of displaying a single, static image. The project aims to produce OLEDs at a very low per unit cost.

The FlexiDis integrated project is developing flexible active matrix displays. The project has two technology approaches – OLED displays on a flexible substrate, and an electrophoretic display on a plastic substrate with organic transistor components.

The OLED100 group is coordinated by Philips Lighting and is developing OLED lighting solutions with high power efficiency, a long lifetime, large area and low cost. Another OLED lighting project is the 7-partner CombOLED, which is coordinated by Osram Opto Semiconductor.