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Aug 21, 2008 11:34 pm US/Eastern
The Future Of Television: OLED Technology
EWING, N.J. (CBS 3) ―
Imagine a television screen as thin as a piece of paper
that weighs no more than a few ounces.
Or, so flexible it could be worn around your wrist and is virtually
indestructible.
Those ideas have been
part of the world of make believe, showcased in magical movies like Harry
Potter and the futuristic thriller Minority Report. Now, scientists at Universal Display
Corporation in Ewing New Jersey are turning
fantasy into reality.
The company's vice president Janice Mahon says it's all
made possible with OLED technology, which stands for Organic Light Emitting
Diodes.
"It's not science fiction today. Five years ago there was a big if, but today
it is clear that it's only a matter of time," said Mahon.
Mahon gave us a tour of the labs where the OLEDs are
created: The process starts by producing
organic molecules, which are then sandwiched in thin layers of plastic or
metal, and when energized can create light or images. At the lab at Universal Display Corporation
it actually takes half a day of work in a clean room environment to create just
one.
That's why manufacturers are
struggling with putting capacity in place to make the products. Despite that hardship, major companies like
Sony Dell Panasonic and Toshiba are already on board. One reason is because OLEDs use one-fourth
the energy of LCDs. That's why OLED cell
phones available in Asia last so much longer
than ours. They also look a lot better.
Mahon
explains why, "OLED technology compared to LCD is brighter and has a faster
operating rate and wider viewing angles.
The only word for it is wow!"
With OLEDs the light source isn't behind the display, it is the display. We got a look at the first television of it's
kind, made by Sony. It's extremely thin,
but straight and sturdy.
OLED displays can also be flexible, leaving open many
alternative options. The possibilities
of different designs got the interest of the Military, and now it's funding
much of this research
Mahon
explains, "What we're talking about is converting several pounds of glass to
ounces of plastic or foil, which is a dramatic difference when you're thinking
about a soldier with 40 pounds of stuff on his back!"
One prototype has a paper thin display, pulling out of a
pen. The idea is that the display could
hold a mini computer screen. Another
would use a traveling mirror, allowing the user to change it into a display at
the touch of a button.
The displays can also be transparent. The see through displays can also be dual
purpose. Universal display is working on
putting OLED technology into windows.
They could be transparent by day and a light source at night.
All the possibilities have scientists predicting that this
thin, flexible, see through technology is on the edge of transforming our
outlook on life.
If you want to learn more about the OLED products made at
Universal Display, you can just go to their website: www.universaldisplay.com
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
