USDC and Applied Materials Collaborate to Develop Advanced Films for Next-generation Display Products
(Technology News, 11 Jul 2008 )
The U.S. Display Consortium (USDC), a public/private partnership chartered with developing the flat panel display and flexible electronics supply chain, has announced a cost-shared contract award with Applied Materials, Inc. to develop metal-oxide films for next-generation thin-film transistors (TFTs). Oregon State University (OSU), a pioneer in transparent electronics, will work with Applied’s Display Business Group, AKT, in this USDC- sponsored program—bringing together the U.S. government, private industry and university research to enable critical innovations for future display technology.
The R&D program will address two main challenges for future displays—to significantly improve device performance and reduce display cost per area. New metal-oxide films are one of the promising disruptive technologies for next-generation panels since they have higher electron mobility and the potential to reduce costs through lower temperature processing. Metal oxide films are also expected to be used for fabricating flexible displays and backplanes for OLED applications.
The USDC program is expected to take a year to complete. Additional support will be provided by the U.S. Army’s Flexible Display Center at Arizona State University.
