Nov 2 2007
Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) has developed heat-resistant, transparent sheet and film for displays, utilizing its proprietary resin.
The newly developed sheet is characterized by its high thermal deformation temperature of more than 250°C: higher than that of conventional acrylic or polycarbonate sheets. The new sheet also provides high total light transmittance of more than 90%. Furthermore, its surface is 3H or more in pencil hardness and highly resistant to chemicals, including acids, alkalis and organic solvents.
Thus, the newly developed sheet is expected to help improve the safety of display components and reduce their weight. SDK will start this month shipments of sheet samples with thickness of 1.0 mm. SDK will also produce samples with different levels of thickness at customers’ request.
Meanwhile, the newly developed film (thickness: 100 ¦Ìm) is characterized by its low linear expansion coefficient of 20 ppm/°C. The use of this film as base material will enable the production of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) transparent electrodes that resist heat up to 200°C and have low electrical resistance comparable to glass-substrate electrodes. The ITO electrodes thus produced will be used in various types of flexible displays, including electronic paper and organic EL displays. SDK will continue improving the film quality and start sample shipments next year.
The newly developed heat-resistant, transparent sheet and film will be exhibited at the Advanced Materials Show to be held from November 6 through 9 in Tokyo.
Under the ongoing medium-term consolidated business plan, the Passion Project, SDK is actively engaged in R&D for new products that will follow the present “growth driver” businesses, such as hard disk media and semiconductor-processing materials, and “new growth drivers” such as ultrabright LEDs and carbon nanofiber. SDK is preferentially allocating resources into R&D projects pertaining to strategically selected six market areas, including electronic chemicals.