Full-Color OLED Display (Kodak/SANYO Electric innovation)

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Bigger, Thinner, More Energy-Efficient

MAY 10, 2000 —You'll be seeing much more than ever before on digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and other electronic devices with this new full-color display, developed by SANYO Electric and Eastman Kodak Company.

OLED: Display Technology of the Future

Active-matrix OLED displays are expected to replace LCDs in most flat-panel display applications.

By 2001, the first active matrix OLED display products will be available. These hand-held devices will include digital cameras, personal digital assistants, cell phones, and more.

Learn more about OLED displays...

Measuring 5.5 inches diagonally, this active-matrix display combines cutting-edge Kodak proprietary small-molecule organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology with conventional thin-film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) technology.

Since OLED pixels are self-luminous, this display technology requires no backlighting – unlike LCD displays. Therefore, new OLED displays are flatter and lighter than comparably sized LCD displays. They also consume much less energy.

Other advantages:

Unlimited viewing angle
Faster response (100 to 1000 times faster than LCD)
Brighter display (150cd/m²)
High-contrast picture (>100:1)
Wide operating-temperature range
(-80°C to +80°C)

Product Specifications

Size:	5.5 inches (diagonal)
*Number of dots:**	320 x RGB x 240 (QVGA)
*Pitch of dots:**	0.116mm x 0.348mm
*Dot configuration:**	RGB stripe
*Number of colors:**	Infinite
External size of panel:	123.9 mm x 101.2 mm
*Effective display field:**	111.4 mm x 83.5 mm
Brightness:	150 cd/m²

* (horizontal by vertical)

About This Development Effort

Since February 1999, SANYO Electric and Kodak have been working together to develop next-generation OLED technology.

Our first full-color active matrix OLED display (which debuted September 1999) measured 2.4 inches diagonal. We are continuing to work to increase the size, quality, and versatility of OLED displays.

History. In Feb. 1999, Eastman Kodak Co and SANYO Electric signed a joint development agreement to develop next-generation passive-matrix displays, and combine OLED and low-temperature polysilicon TFT technologies for active displays.
Facilities involved. At our Rochester Display Technology Laboratory, Kodak R&D develops materials and processes for OLED display panels. And in Japan, Sanyo develops the low-temperature polysilicon TFT substrates for OLED displays.
Track record. Kodak has more than 50 OLED patents.
Disciplines involved. The disciplines represented in this project include chemistry, physics, optics, process engineering, and electrical engineering.