GE Global Research awarded second R&D contract from USDC

May 27, 2005, San Jose, CA--The United States Display Consortium (USDC) recently signed a $1.96 million R&D contract with GE Global Research in Niskayuna, NY. The purpose of the cost-shared project is to transfer GE's graded barrier technology from a batch process to a roll-to-roll (R2R) process. The USDC (San Jose, CA) is a public/private partnership chartered with developing the flat panel display (FPD) industry supply chain.

Under its first USDC contract, GE Global Research developed and evaluated a high temperature LEXAN plastic substrate film and transparent coating system that provides a high resistance permeation barrier to oxygen, moisture and chemicals both in the manufacturing and during lifetime use of flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays and backplane microelectronics. That project met its technical objectives for substrates produced in a batch-style processing operation.

In order to enable lower cost and highly functional electronic devices that are area-scalable and mechanically flexible, however, it is crucial to develop viable R2R process methods and equipment that are capable of manufacturing coated plastic substrates in large quantity. Through a detailed understanding of the materials, processes, and infrastructure needed to create a barrier coated plastic substrate in a R2R process, GE will demonstrate compatibility of its substrate system with the economic and functional needs of the OLED display industry.

The GE R&D project will last approximately two years. Development of an effective, optically transparent, barrier coating in a R2R process will be accomplished by evaluating the compatibility of GE's barrier technology with different polymer substrates and fabrication methods. During the course of the project, GE will provide small quantities of improved R2R ultrahigh barrier coated substrates to USDC member companies for testing purposes.