OLED report shows Samsung tops shipments
DisplaySearch (Austin, TX), a market research and consulting firm specializing in the flat-panel-display market, revealed in its Quarterly OLED Shipment and Forecast Report that the number of OLED suppliers grew from 6 in 2003 to 21 in 2004 and that Samsung SDI (Korea) was the leader in both shipments and revenues.
Currently, OLED technology is finding success in targeting mobile phone subdisplays, car audio displays, MP3 players, and other applications with passive matrix displays. The DisplaySearch report shows shipments and revenues by application, material type, driver technology, and supplier. Total shipments in 2004 were 31.2 million units, up 98% over 2003, and revenues were $446.1 million, up 77%. Samsung SDI shipped the most OLED displays in 2004 (9.7 million), followed by RiTdisplay of Taiwan (8.2 million).
OmniVision strengthens imaging portfolio with CDM Optics
OmniVision Technologies (Sunnyvale, CA), manufacturer and marketer of single-chip CMOS image sensors for consumer and commercial applications, continues to strengthen its presence in the imaging market with the acquisition of CDM Optics (Boulder, CO). Terms of the $30 million acquisition agreement require that $10 million in cash and $10 million in OmniVision common stock be paid to CDM Optics at closing, with a further $10 million payable in cash following shipment by OmniVision of a predetermined number of products that incorporate CDM’s technology.
According to OmniVision, CDM Optics has wavefront coding technology that merges optical design with digital signal processing and can increase the depth of field and correct optical aberrations of photographic images from a digital camera. OmniVision is initially targeting the high-volume digital-camera market. The company also plans to expand with future offerings for the automotive and medical imaging markets.
SPIE Defense & Security Symposium shatters attendance records
A wrap-up release for the Defense & Security Symposium & Exhibition by its sponsor, the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE), announced that total attendance increased 11% from last year to more than 5400 delegates, and the exhibition grew by some 13% to more than 330 exhibitors. The Symposium was held in Orlando, FL, from March 28 to April 1.
SPIE attributes the enthusiasm shown by technical attendees and exhibitors not only to the health of the defense and security industry, but also to the robust technical program featured at the conference.
CMO licensed to use Honeywell LCD patents
Honeywell (Morris Township, NJ) and Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO; Tainan, Taiwan) have signed a license agreement enabling CMO to use several Honeywell technologies relating to liquid-crystal display (LCD) products. The agreement provides CMO a license to use Honeywell’s technology protected by U.S. Patent 5,280,371, which increases the brightness of images and reduces the appearance of certain interference effects on LCD displays.
LG Philips LCD, Samsung Electronics, and NEC LCD Technologies have previously taken licenses under the same patent. Last October, Honeywell filed a lawsuit in Delaware District Court against 34 electronics companies, alleging infringement of the patent.
Also in the news . . .
Delta Optoelectronics (Hsin-Chu, Taiwan) has established Taiwan’s first pilot line for producing full-color polymer light-emitting diode (P-OLED) displays using inkjet printing. The line is based around licensed technology developed at the U.K. firm, Cambridge Display Technology. . . . Dalsa (Waterloo, ON, Canada), maker of imaging equipment, has received contracts worth $2.9 million to supply image sensor chips to two firms in the parcel sorting sector. . . . FLIR Systems (Boston, MA) announced the launch of InfraMation 2005-an annual conference for infrared camera end users and thermography professionals. . . . CEDIP Infrared Systems (Croissy-Beaubourg, France), specialist in thermal IR technology, has supplied the European Space Agency with several advanced infrared camera systems enabling it to monitor and track the recent launchings of ARIANE 5. . . . Radiant Imaging (Duvall, WA) and Royal Philips Electronics have entered into a licensing agreement to commercialize the parousiameter, a novel inspection device for LEDs based on technology developed by Philips. . . . Universal Display (Ewing, NJ), developer of OLED technologies, announced that the grand prize of the 10th annual Advanced Display of the Year award, in the Display Materials and Components category, was won by Universal Display, Nippon Steel Chemical Company, Pioneer, andTohoku Pioneer.