The growing demand for sharper, clearer images in the consumer electronics market as well as precision imaging applications, scientific research, and engineering is driving the development of advanced display materials. Existing display materials are being improvised by formulating polymer films with superior optical properties and devising deposition processes to create more uniform layers of coatings that will deliver superior image quality at lower costs. New groundbreaking materials such as electrophoretic fluids or "electronic inks" that hold the promise of truly paperless publishing and naturally light emitting polymers are also receiving attention.

This Technical Insights study explores leading advanced display materials, ranging from those still in the laboratory, through prototypes being field tested, to fully commercially available products making an impact in a variety of fields. It defines key applications, reports on technology drivers and obstacles in the way of commercial success, and also identifies key companies and developers.

Advancing Technology Spawns New Applications

"Advanced display materials are used in technologies that begin where cathode ray tubes leave off, among them, displays based on liquid crystal, organic light emitting device, and plasma," says Michael Valenti, the research analyst for this study. "They can be as large as a 61-inch diagonal flat panel display, as small as a thumbnail sized microdisplay, as round as a globe for 3D imaging, or as flexible as a map in a military project under development."

This flexibility has opened doors for advanced display materials in a wide range of applications. Among these are microdisplays used in digital cameras, combination radar and instrument displays retrofit into aircraft cockpits, and a spherical 3D display used in design engineering.

Organic Light Emitting Devices (OLEDs) and Microdisplays Make In roads Into Commercial Market

"One of the strongest areas of advanced display material investment is OLEDs," says Valenti. These devices are inherently luminescent and do not require the backlighting of liquid crystal displays. There has been a flurry of licensing agreements to spread this technology around the world, specifically to the major display manufacturers of the Pacific Rim.

Microdisplays are small devices that are becoming popular as head mounted displays. They are designed to aid technical workers to concentrate on performing tasks that require all their attention while receiving instructions. Many advanced display technology developers are joining forces with display makers to scale up their technology to commercial uses. This is often international in scope, enabling a company that develops the technology to reach the markets of the display manufacturer.