Press Release
E INK AND LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES DEMONSTRATE WORLD'S FIRST FLEXIBLE ELECTRONIC INK DISPLAY WITH PLASTIC TRANSISTORS
Innovation Marks Significant Milestone in the Development of Electronic Paper
Cambridge, MA. and MURRAY HILL, N.J. - November 20, 2000 – E Ink Corporation and Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) today announced a major milestone in their effort to develop a flexible, paper-like electronic display, as they jointly demonstrated working prototypes built on thin sheets of plastic. Produced just one year after the development project was announced, these devices prove that electronic ink, driven with printed plastic circuits, is a compelling design for electronic paper and other next-generation displays.
The prototypes consist of a 25-square-inch display area made up of several hundred pixels. The displays were constructed using two ground-breaking developments: E Ink's electronic ink, and Lucent's active-matrix drive circuits printed on plastic, which were developed by Bell Labs, Lucent's research and development unit. The transistors in these circuits are made of plastic materials and are fabricated with a low-cost printing process that uses high-resolution rubber stamps. Their switching properties are similar to typical thin film transistors made with silicon and conventional fabrication methods, but they are mechanically flexible, rugged and lightweight. The electronic ink enables the display's paper-like qualities: extraordinary brightness and contrast under a wide range of lighting conditions; easy viewing from all angles; low power consumption; and plastic film construction.
"True electronic paper has, in many ways, seemed like a futuristic technology," said Jim Iuliano, president and CEO of E Ink. "Today we have brought that concept closer to reality by demonstrating that electronic ink works with Lucent's flexible plastic transistors. With this combination of technologies we believe that we have found a very promising means for achieving paper-like electronic displays."
"The electronic ink display is the first demonstration of a realistic application for plastic transistors, which we believe over time could find use in a variety of low cost electronic information appliances," said Tom Uhlman, president of Lucent's New Ventures Group.
About the Display Prototype
The unique ability of the materials to be printed on flexible substrates offers the potential to simultaneously reach revolutionary lower costs of flat panel displays and achieve paper-like form, look and ease-of-use.
Bell Labs researchers produced the plastic circuits for driving the electronic ink display by using newly-developed high-resolution rubber stamping techniques with associated compatible materials technologies that bypass many of the steps and costs involved in making traditional silicon devices. These methods also have the advantages of being compatible with rapid reel-to-reel printing schemes and they allow patterns to be applied to large sheets of plastic in a single step. Printing on a thin, plastic film also yields a flexible display that are roughly one-quarter the thickness and weight of a standard liquid crystal display (LCD) panel.
The prototype displays demonstrate other paper-like qualities unique to electronic ink technology. Unlike conventional LCDs and other kinds of reflective displays, an electronic ink display is exceptionally bright and is readily viewable under both bright and dim lighting conditions. Its contrast ratio of more than 10 to 1 exceeds that of newspapers, which typically have a contrast ratio of 8 to 1 or less. Because of its bistable and reflective nature and because it only needs to be powered during a switching cycle, the flexible display draws only one-tenth to one-thousandth the power of an LCD of equivalent size. The initial prototype can display both text and simple graphic images while being flexed.
E Ink and Lucent expect that displays incorporating printed plastic transistors could be available within five years and would be able to deliver improved look, portability, flexibility and low cost to handheld displays, as well as very large graphical displays.
About Lucent Technologies
Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, designs and delivers the systems, software, silicon and services for next-generation communications networks for service providers and enterprises. Backed by the research and development of Bell Labs, Lucent focuses on high-growth areas such as broadband and mobile Internet infrastructure; communications software; communications semiconductors and optoelectronics; Web-based enterprise solutions that link private and public networks; and professional network design and consulting services.
About E Ink Holdings
Founded in 1992 by Taiwan's leading papermaking and printing group YFY (1907.TW), E Ink Holdings Inc. "E Ink" (8069.TW) is the pioneer of TFT and ePaper business in Taiwan. Its corporate philosophy aims to deliver revolutionary products, user experiences, and environmental benefits through advanced technology development. This vision has led to its continuous investments in the field of ePaper display as well as its 2008 acquisition of Hydis Technologies, manufacturer of the world's best wide viewing angle LCDs and its 2009 acquisition of E Ink Corp., the worldwide leader in ePaper. Listed in Taiwan's GreTai Securities Market and the Luxembourg market, E Ink is now the world's largest supplier of displays to the eBook market. For corporate information, please visit www.einkgroup.com; for EPD information, please visit www.eink.com / tw.eink.com; and for FFS information, please visit www.hydis.com.