Flexible electronic ink display using plastic transistors demonstrated

News

24 January 2001 News

E Ink Corporation and Lucent Technologies have demonstrated working prototypes of a flexible, paper-like electronic displays built on thin sheets of plastic. Produced just one year after the development project was announced, these devices prove that electronic ink, driven with printed plastic circuits, is a compelling design for electronic paper and other next-generation displays.

The prototypes consist of a 161 cm² display area made up of several hundred pixels. The displays were constructed using two ground-breaking developments: E Ink's electronic ink, and Lucent's active-matrix drive circuits printed on plastic, which were developed by Bell Labs, Lucent's research and development unit.

Bell Labs says that the transistors in these circuits are made of plastic materials and are fabricated with a low-cost printing process that uses high-resolution rubber stamps. Their switching properties are similar to typical thin film transistors made with silicon and conventional fabrication methods, but they are mechanically flexible, rugged and lightweight. The electronic ink enables the display's paper-like qualities: extraordinary brightness and contrast under a wide range of lighting conditions; easy viewing from all angles; low power consumption; and plastic film construction.

According to the researchers, its contrast ratio of more than 10 to 1 exceeds that of newspapers, which typically have a contrast ratio of 8 to 1 or less. Because of its bistable and reflective nature and because it only needs to be powered during a switching cycle, the flexible display draws only one-tenth to one-thousandth the power of an LCD of equivalent size. The initial prototype can display both text and simple graphic images while being flexed.

See www.lucent.com or www.eink.com

Share this article:

Strengthening industry through strategic partnerships at KITE 2025
Specialised Exhibitions News
The KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Technology Exhibition is not just an exhibition, it is a powerhouse of industry collaboration where visitors and exhibitors gain access to authoritative insights, technical expertise, and high-impact networking opportunities.

Read more...

Solar Youth Project calls on industry to step up
News
With the second cohort completed training and the first cohort returning for their final module, host companies are urgently needed to turn the training into a long-term opportunity.

Read more...

Conlog powers SA’s future with national smart meter rollout
News
Conlog recently secured the RT29-2024 contract from National Treasury, which is seen to be a major milestone towards modernising SA’s utility infrastructure.

Read more...

Zuchongzhi-3 sets new benchmark
News
This latest superconducting quantum computing prototype features 105 qubits and 182 couplers to operate at a speed 10¹5 times faster than the most powerful supercomputer currently available.

Read more...

Automatic device attestation certificate for Panasonic
News
DigiCert recently announced it has partnered with Panasonic Industry Europe to integrate DigiCert Device Trust Manager with Panasonic’s PAN-MaX intelligent manufacturing service for seamless Matter certification of interoperable smart home devices.

Read more...

From the editor's desk: Are we really being ripped off?
Technews Publishing News
To the surprise of many customers, installing solar panels does not always eliminate their utility bill – and in some cases, the power utility may impose additional charges on solar-powered homes.

Read more...

Winner of the Advanced Electronics Challenge
Avnet Silica News
Avnet Silica has named Hydronauten winner of the Advanced Electronics Challenge for breakthrough AI-driven vibration damping technology.

Read more...

Categories

News

Flexible electronic ink display using plastic transistors demonstrated

Further reading:

Publications by Technews