Flat-Screen Displays Revolutionize the Electronics Industry

Strategic Insights -

A visit to Tokyo's Akihabara district showcases the progression of flat-screen display technology, with companies like Sharp, Pioneer, and Fujitsu marketing flat-screen televisions, although at a high cost of around £10,000 each for larger displays. Various technologies are competing for dominance, including gas-plasma and liquid crystal display (LCD) technology. Pioneer has announced plans to launch flat-screen colour displays using Organic Electroluminescence (Organic EL) technology, which involves passing an electrical charge through an organic material to produce light. Scientists at Princeton have discovered a method to produce brighter flat-screen displays by "stacking" organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), tripling resolution with minimal power increase.

Key Takeaways:

  • Pioneer has been developing Organic EL technology since 1988, with the basic patents held by Eastman Kodak.
  • Organic EL displays offer advantages such as brightness, wide viewing angle, low power consumption, high picture quality, and fast response to input data.
  • Existing organic EL displays have an operating life of only 2,000 hours, with Pioneer aiming to extend it to 10,000 hours.
  • Pioneer plans to launch the first devices with colour Organic EL screens around 2000.
  • The stacked OLED development could sharply increase resolution on computer monitors, enabling flat panel displays to curve and be placed on plastic.
  • The exclusive licence to the Princeton patents is held by Universal Display Corporation.
  • Commercial products are expected to be launched in 2000, with prices comparable to existing LCD screens.

Statistics:

  • £10,000: the cost of larger flat-screen displays sold by companies like Sharp, Pioneer, and Fujitsu.
  • 2,000 hours: the operating life of existing organic EL displays.
  • 10,000 hours: the target operating life for improved organic EL displays.
  • 30-50,000 hours: the operating life of an LCD display.
  • 10 volts: the voltage required for stacked OLEDs.
  • 8 volts: the voltage drawn by a single LED.
  • 10in: the typical size of displays targeted by Organic EL technology.

Sources:

  • "A walk around Tokyo's Akihabara district..." (Source: No specific publication or date mentioned)