Epson Inkjet Technology Enables Uniform Light Emission for Big-Screen OLED TVs

May 26, 2009 15:23 Nikkei Electronics Asia

Seiko Epson Corp said it has established an inkjet technology that enables the uniform deposition of organic material in the production of large-screen organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs. The technology is said to represent a major step toward the realization of 37-inch and larger full-HD OLED TVs by resolving the uneven layering that had previously been an issue with the inkjet method.

This OLED display fabrication process leverages the company's proprietary Micro Piezo inkjet technology to achieve greater accuracy in organic material deposition than the conventional technology. The process has been used in trial production to fabricate a highly uniform prototype panel. Extremely uniform layers (volume error <1%) are achieved by precisely controlling the selection and ejection of multi-size droplets of ink material on a substrate so that only the required volume of material is deposited.

An inkjet printing process is theoretically the better solution for larger display sizes because it enables thin-film layers to be formed via the deposition of liquid organic materials. Employing the same drop-on-demand approach as an inkjet printer, Epson's process accurately deposits organic materials in the precise locations and amounts required. Since inkjet systems use materials extremely efficiently, manufacturers can cut production costs. Used as an OLED TV fabrication system, inkjet technology, which does not require masks and thus involves fewer process steps than VTE, is widely expected to increase production throughput.

24 Hours | 7 Days