Aug 2 2005
Eastman Kodak Company is licensing its organic light emitting diode (OLED) display technology to Orion OLED Co., Ltd. of Korea. This brings to more than 15 the number of display manufacturers licensing Kodak’s passive matrix organic display technology.
“We believe OLED display’s brightness and readability will add value to the products we make,” said Jae Hwal Yoo, chief executive officer of Orion OLED. “Kodak’s experience and leadership in OLED materials and displays were important considerations in our decision to license its technology.”
Formerly part of Orion Electric Co. Ltd., Orion OLED manufactures OLED panels and module displays for a variety of consumer products, including cellular phones and MP3 players.
“Orion OLED is the latest manufacturer to explore the potential for Kodak display technology, and we value their decision to license our technology,” said Mary Jane Hellyar, president, Display and Components Group and senior vice president, Eastman Kodak Company. “Orion OLED joins the ranks of producers taking advantage of OLED technology to enhance the benefits of display quality in a variety of applications, from simple sub-displays in cell phones to full color panels in portable media/communication devices.”
Organic solid-state displays offer bright, sharp images that are viewable from almost any angle. OLED displays comprise thin films of organic materials that emit light when stimulated with an electrical charge. Unlike conventional liquid crystal displays, OLED displays do not require a backlight. Benefits over conventional technologies include extended color gamut, higher contrast, wider viewing angle for superb readability in most lighting conditions, faster response time to support crisp streaming video, and thinner design for better ergonomics. These benefits provide direct advantages for a variety of applications such as digital cameras, portable media players, mobile phones, PDAs and other devices.
The royalty-bearing license to Orion OLED covers use of passive matrix OLED modules in a variety of flat panel display applications. The agreement also gives Orion OLED the opportunity to purchase Kodak’s patented OLED materials for use in manufacturing displays.
http://www.kodak.com