OLED Inkjet Printing gives the manufacturer the chance to produce large OLED TV panelsin a cost-effective way. This technology offers sharper and brighter images than traditional Liquid Crystal Displays, and has lower power consumption.

Advantages of Printing Solution (2014)

• Very efficient use of materials with high throughput
• Scalability to large areas
• Less complex process
• Open technolgoy access

Disadvantage

• No established process for mass production
• Requires technology availability and suitable inks

Today’s 2014 Solution Evaporation-Shadowmasks

Poor Yields and High Costs!

OLED schematic

Dupont

For 15 years Dupont has been developing OLED technology. The company focuses on printing materials but also works on process technologies to enable large panels to be produced cheaply.

The DuPont solution is based on organic light emitting diode materials that can be printed and also coated with a very fast innovative process. With this technology Dupont attains their goal of reducing material consumption and lowering equipment costs when compared to the vapor deposition process.

Dupont also extends the lifetime of OLED materials. Their solution combines the printing and coating processes, and is scalable to the motherglass size.

Dupont can deliver Hole Injection Layer (HIL), Hole Transport Layer (HTL), Emissive Layer (EML) and Electron Transport (ETL) materials to their customers.

Merck-Epson

Back in October 2012 Merck and Epson entered into a printing technology partnership. This partnership aims to develop an inkjet technology that can print cheap OLED Displays. In 2013 they showcased their first success when Merck and Epson’s printing and vapor deposition achieved the same level of performance. Both companies demonstrated a prototype able to print high resolution 30 inch displays.

The manufacturing process can be done at room temperature and in a non-toxic atmosphere. Merck thinks that organic light emitting diode technology could capture 10-15 percent of the total display market by 2019!

Now Merck is in discussions with LG-Display to use this new technology for their television and flexible products. The project can be ready in 2015.