Light Emitting Polymers

Organic light emitting diode (OLED) display technology has been grabbing headlines in recent years. Now one form of OLED displays, LIGHT EMITTING POLYMER (LEP) technology is rapidly emerging as a serious candidate for next generation flat panel displays. LEP technology promises thin, light weight emissive displays with low drive voltage, low power consumption, high contrast, wide viewing angle, and fast switching times.

One of the main attractions of this technology is the compatibility of this technology with plastic-substrates and with a number of printer based fabrication techniques, which offer the possibility of roll-to-roll processing for cost-effective manufacturing.

LEPs are inexpensive and consume much less power than any other flat panel display. Their thin form and flexibility allows devices to be made in any shape. One interesting application of these displays is electronic paper that can be rolled up like newspaper.

Cambridge Display Technology, the UK, is betting that its light weight, ultra thin light emitting polymer displays have the right stuff to finally replace the bulky, space consuming and power-hungry cathode ray tubes (CRTs) used in television screens and computer monitors and become the ubiquitous display medium of the 21st century.