Spotlight
ITRI’s Display Technologies at 2016 Touch Taiwan
ITRI exhibited 36 of its most prominent flexible display and touch panel technologies at the August 24th-26th Touch Taiwan exhibition in Taipei. Featuring key technologies in both hardware development and software applications, ITRI offered an array of comprehensive solutions for the exhibition’s visitors. Check out some of ITRI’s highlights below.
High Temperature (350 ˚C) Flexible Transparent Substrate
This inorganic compound-based transparent substrate has successfully overcome traditionally unsolvable obstacles prevalent in existing models such as uneven mixing, fragility and poor transparency. ITRI’s non-yellowing model is lightweight, very strong and corrosion resistant, and can withstand temperatures of up to 350 ˚C. Also possessing exceptional performance in transparency, durability and dimensional stability, the technology can be widely used in flexible electronic devices as well as flexible substrates requiring extreme temperature resistance.
High Contrast Ultra-Thin Circular Polarizer
At this year’s exhibition, ITRI showcased an ultra-thin circular polarizer technology that greatly enhances the legibility contrast of OLED displays, especially for flexible OLEDs. In traditional OLED displays, a poor legibility contrast is caused by the ambient-light interference reflected from the underlying metallic electrode structure. A circular polarizer can effectively block the ambient light reflection. However, current circular polarizers are too thick to bend and lack thermal durability. ITRI’s coating-type circular polarizer is a mere 30 μm thick, half the thickness of traditional models, and is capable of enduring 100 ˚C thermal reliability. Moreover, it can withstand 100,000 cycles of flexibility test at a bending radius of 3 mm.
Anti-Scratch Layer Material for Foldable Displays
Flexible displays are the next big thing, and ITRI has come up with the perfect protection to keep them in good condition. Covered with wet coating and further strengthened with a layer of ultra-violet solidification, ITRI’s ultimate scratch-free screen protector is the safeguard for flexible panels. Manufactured at temperatures of just 80 ˚C or lower, the technology holds the advantages of low cost and simple production. In addition to offering optical protective film for displays, it can also provide anti-scratch coating for furniture, building materials, and other electronic products.
Highly Thermal Stable and Transparent Passivation Layer Material for OLED Applications
ITRI has developed a transparent layer material with high thermal stability based on organic materials. The layer material is created by using a wet coating process (e.g. inkjet or screen printing) or a dry film thermal transfer printing. The layer material can provide a
40 μm plastic protective film to seal a 10 μm layer of dust; after solidifying, it becomes a flat surface and the water-oxygen blocking layer requires just two to three deposition procedures to form. This is a significant improvement compared to the five to six procedures required by traditional models. The layer material helps save manufacturing time and cost and allows for a low processing temperature of 90 ˚C. As it is created using organic materials and is completely solvent-free, ITRI’s highly thermal stable and transparent passivation layer material avoids any harm to OLEDs traditionally caused by solvents.