Kateeva Introduces Equipment Solution to Mass Produce OLED Manufacturing
Flexible consumer electronics products are closer to fruition thanks to a new manufacturing tool from Kateeva. At the Printed Electronics USA conference in Santa Clara, Calif., the provider of technology-driven deposition equipment will introduce the YIELDjet FLEX, a high-performance mass-production solution for flexible Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs).
The company claim that OLED is the only technology that can enable the ultra-light, paper-thin displays that make bendable electronic gadgets possible. And with key proprietary innovations, the YIELDjet FLEX is the only customer-proven technology of its kind that can enable cost-effective manufacturing of flexible OLED displays in high volume.
The first system for mass production will ship later this month to a customer in Asia.
Kateeva President and Co-founder Dr. Conor Madigan called the YIELDjet FLEX the first real gateway tool for flexible products. He noted: "Flexible OLED panels will give shape to amazing consumer experiences. For example, pocket-sized tri-fold smart phones that unfurl to triple the screen size for immersive viewing; curved and flexible smart watches that are richly functional and comfortable to wear; and vehicles featuring paper-thin, surface-conforming displays that enhance aesthetics and improve usability. We're excited to give display manufacturers new horsepower to cost-effectively mass produce flexible OLED panels that make such imaginative products possible."
The YIELDjet FLEX tool was developed to enable Thin Film Encapsulation (TFE), which is the process that gives thinness and flexibility to the OLED device. It is the first product to emerge from Kateeva's YIELDjet platform, a breakthrough precision deposition technology platform that uses innovative inkjet printing to cost- effectively deposit coatings on complex applications in volume-manufacturing environments.
The system debuts as the power of OLED technology surges. Its advantages can already be found in rigid OLED displays featured in smart phones and other mobile devices. Flexible OLED is the next frontier. Until now, though, encapsulation has been a major challenge for the commercialization of flexible OLED displays, says IDTechEx Technology Analyst Guillaume Chansin. He added: "The launch of an inkjet deposition tool is a significant milestone for the display industry. Recent announcements by the leading OLED manufacturers show there is strong momentum in mass production of displays that are thinner, lighter, and bendable. IDTechEx forecasts the market for plastic or flexible OLED displays will grow to $16 billion by 2020."
