The Future Display Market -Major Discontinuities or More of the Same?

摘要

The quest for visual perfection moves forward, inexorably from the present technologies that continue to incrementally innovate onto future visions of new technologies that attempt to overcome present barriers and limitations. Much work is going on. The credibility of LEP displays, currently making the transition from future promise to present reality, is growing through validation of products in the marketplace, continuing progress in materials performance, increasing participation by the major display manufacturing corporations, and increased technology advancement on all fronts. The range of possible applications for LEPs in electronic displays actually extends beyond the current markets for conventional displays: new uses for simple lighting devices and more futuristic displays are growing over tune with increasing demonstration of the technology. These range from simple test devices for bio medical screening and replacement of electro-mechanical displays to tiled large area passive displays and wristwatch TVs (Figure 9.). To add additional fuel to the LEP technology development fire, application to lighting systems and photovoltaics is under way. While not intended to directly replace conventional incandescent and fluorescent lighting technologies, LEPs are being developed for area lighting applications, including accent, architectural, emergency, and novelty lighting. Philips and Osram, both CDT licensees, are major suppliers of lighting products. Modifying the formulations and device structures of LEP devices can reverse the energy conversion process used for displays, which converts electrical energy to light energy. Using incident light energy to produce a current raises the prospect of significantly lower cost battery charging and auxiliary power supply films and components that could enable further expansion of the application of mobile devices, e.g., a cell phone or PDA integrated with such a capabilities could augment current batteries, extend tie for recharging as well as battery life. The net effect of these developments is that the momentum for LEPs is increasing and a critical mass of technology developers, infrastructure and supply-chain providers in lighting, displays, printing, semiconductors, energy systems, and manufacturers will drive the technology to its ultimate potential. Given the similarities with LCD processing, the relatively easy conversion of LCD production lines, LEPs differentiating and superior performance capabilities, the large pool of developers and manufacturers, and the wide range of other applications for LEPs to fuel investment and technology advancement, the foundation is in place for a shift in market share on a scale that is potentmlly much larger than for any other new technology since LCDs. The cooperation of many organizations and companies around the world the al1 of the necessary endeavours of the necessary endeacours of technological support can bring reality to this revolution.