David Savastano, Editor09.14.11
There are a lot of promising technologies emerging in displays. Major players such as Samsung and Sony are working on new technologies, some utilizing printed electronics (PE), and start-ups are contributing new ideas that are spurring innovations.
Samsung, the largest global electronics manufacturer, has arguably been the leader in creating new technologies, as well as aggressively working with new companies to add to their wealth of display knowledge. One major move came in January 2011, when Samsung Electronics acquired Liquavista BV, an electrowetting display specialist, which became a fully owned subsidiary of Samsung.
“The acquisition of Liquavista by Samsung was driven by the fact that Liquavista's electrowetting display technology offers a lot of user and technical benefits compared to existing and emerging display technologies,” said Kurt Petersdorff, commercial director for Samsung LCD Netherlands R&D Center. “These benefits will make it possible to create new business and market opportunities and spark a revolution in the display industry.”
Liquavista, now the Samsung LCD Netherlands R&D Center, is utilizing its partnership with Samsung to bring its electrowetting color display technology to the market.
Founded by its CEO, Johan Feenstra, Liquavista was spun-out of Philips Research in 2006. It utilizes electrowetting, which involves modifying the surface tension of liquids such as colored oil on a surface using a voltage. When a voltage is applied to the display pixel, the colored oil is displaced and the pixel becomes transparent. When different pixels are independently activated, the display can show content like a photograph or a video.
The efficiency, video capabilities and color performance of electrowetting displays are some of the keys to its potential in the market.
“Electrowetting displays based on Liquavista technology are two to three times more light efficient than LCD displays of comparable performance,” Mr. Petersdorff noted. “This makes it possible to create vivid displays that consume a fraction of the power of today's LCD displays. Compared to display technologies in the reflective display space ,electrowetting displays based on Liquavista technology bring vivid color and video performance to low power, outdoor readable displays. Due to the large facsimile in production process to LCD, the technology is easily scalable and does not require proprietary production techniques.”
Another key advantage is the ability to fabricate these displays on flexible substrates.
“Due to the nature of the display technology, it is also possible to manufacture electrowetting displays on flexible substrates,” Mr. Petersdorff added.
The company has earned much attention during its five years outside of Philips. At FPD International 2009 in Yokohama, Japan, Liquavista’s first active-matrix technology platform, LiquavistaBright, was showcased. LiquavistaBright offers outstanding brightness and high contrast in all lighting conditions, coupled to an intrinsic video capability.
At the 2010 Flat Panel Display show in Japan, Liquavista displayed a 6” color version of its technology, which is noteworthy as color displays are critical for the market.
Petersdorff said that with the acquisition of Liquavista, Samsung can now develop further innovation in electrowetting display technology, thus resulting in generation of new IP.
By providing exceptional color and video rate capabilities, Petersdorff said that Liquavista’s electrowetting technology is ideal for portable devices and much more.
“Due to the fact that electrowetting displays allow for the creation of reflective displays with color and video rate performance, the portable device market will be a good first step for the technology,” Petersdorff said. “As time goes by, you can imagine that there will be more applications that will call for the use of an energy efficient technology that can be used in reflective, transmissive, transflective and transparent modes.”
All in all, Petersdorff believes that printed electronics is well positioned to make significant inroads in the display field.
“There is a lot of potential to utilize PE in future applications,” Petersdorff concluded. “As portable devices get bigger and more ubiquitous, there is a clear need for more lightweight, robust display modules. PE can help to fulfill that need.”
Liquavista, now the Samsung LCD Netherlands R&D Center, is utilizing its partnership with Samsung to bring its electrowetting color display technology to the market.
Founded by its CEO, Johan Feenstra, Liquavista was spun-out of Philips Research in 2006. It utilizes electrowetting, which involves modifying the surface tension of liquids such as colored oil on a surface using a voltage. When a voltage is applied to the display pixel, the colored oil is displaced and the pixel becomes transparent. When different pixels are independently activated, the display can show content like a photograph or a video.
The efficiency, video capabilities and color performance of electrowetting displays are some of the keys to its potential in the market.
Another key advantage is the ability to fabricate these displays on flexible substrates.
“Due to the nature of the display technology, it is also possible to manufacture electrowetting displays on flexible substrates,” Mr. Petersdorff added.
The company has earned much attention during its five years outside of Philips. At FPD International 2009 in Yokohama, Japan, Liquavista’s first active-matrix technology platform, LiquavistaBright, was showcased. LiquavistaBright offers outstanding brightness and high contrast in all lighting conditions, coupled to an intrinsic video capability.
At the 2010 Flat Panel Display show in Japan, Liquavista displayed a 6” color version of its technology, which is noteworthy as color displays are critical for the market.
Petersdorff said that with the acquisition of Liquavista, Samsung can now develop further innovation in electrowetting display technology, thus resulting in generation of new IP.
By providing exceptional color and video rate capabilities, Petersdorff said that Liquavista’s electrowetting technology is ideal for portable devices and much more.
“Due to the fact that electrowetting displays allow for the creation of reflective displays with color and video rate performance, the portable device market will be a good first step for the technology,” Petersdorff said. “As time goes by, you can imagine that there will be more applications that will call for the use of an energy efficient technology that can be used in reflective, transmissive, transflective and transparent modes.”
All in all, Petersdorff believes that printed electronics is well positioned to make significant inroads in the display field.
“There is a lot of potential to utilize PE in future applications,” Petersdorff concluded. “As portable devices get bigger and more ubiquitous, there is a clear need for more lightweight, robust display modules. PE can help to fulfill that need.”