Sony develops "rollable" 80 μm-thick 4.1" OTFT OLED Display

[RPGWiZaRD]

Sony Corporation ('Sony') announced today that it developed a super-flexible 80 μm-thick 4.1-in 121 ppi OTFT*1-driven full color OLED display which can be wrapped around a thin cylinder.
To create the display, Sony developed OTFTs with an original organic semiconductor material (a PXX derivative) with eight times*2 the current modulation of conventional OTFTs. This was achived due to the development of integration technologies of OTFTs and OLEDs on an ultra-thin 20 μm thick flexible substrate (a flexible on-panel gate-driver circuit with OTFTs which is able to get rid of convetinal rigid driver IC chips interfering roll-up of a display) and soft organic insulators for all the insulators in the integration cuircuit. By combining these technologies, Sony successfully demonstrated the world's first OLED panel*3 which is capable of reproducing moving images while being repeatly rolled-up - around a cylinder with a radius of 4 mm - and stretched. Sony will unveil the results of this development on May 27 at "SID (Society for Information Display) 2010 International Symposium" in Seattle, WA (May 23-28).

Specification of the OTFT
organic semiconductor : peri-Xanthenoxanthene(PXX) derivative
hole mobility : 0.4 cm2/Vs
current on/off ratio : 106
channel length : 5μm
threshold voltage : -5V

Specification of the rollable OTFT-driven OLED display
size of a panel : 4.1 inch wide
number of pixels : 432 x 240 x RGB pixels
size of a pixel : 210μm x 210μm
resolution : 121 ppi (pixels per inch)
number of colors : 16,777,216
peak luminance : >100 cd/m2
contrast ratio : >1000:1
minimum bending radius : 4 mm
driving scheme : 2T-1C voltage programming with OTFTs
thickness of a panel : 80μm

Source

Specs may not be so impressive for this sample but focus is put on thickness and flexibility in this case and there it's quite impressive. There is surely a use of such technology in the future for ultra-thin portable devices for example and the feature being so flexible adds quite a lot room for creativity.

[Metroid]

Another source based on the original source http://www.dailytech.com/Sony+Unveil...ticle18511.htm

I wished some of these websites had web 2.0 features.

[Ket]

That is SO cool. Soon we will be able to carry a 42" TV home like a poster

[RaZz!]

what use does a flexible display have? i really can't come up with an idea of where it'd be useful to have a flexible display. i want a display to see and use an interface, watch movies or play games etc. - i don't want to do such things on a display that's curved, shapeless or amorphous in any way

[Manicdan]

what use does a flexible display have? i really can't come up with an idea of where it'd be useful to have a flexible display. i want a display to see and use an interface, watch movies or play games etc. - i don't want to do such things on a display that's curved, shapeless or amorphous in any way

there was a phone, i believe samsung has it, that was on demo a year ago which was a 5-6" squarish screen, that was able to fold in half, so u close the phone up and its protected, think of it like the nintendo DS, but with connected screens.

the possibilities are endless when you get flexible screens

[FischOderAal]

what use does a flexible display have? i really can't come up with an idea of where it'd be useful to have a flexible display. i want a display to see and use an interface, watch movies or play games etc. - i don't want to do such things on a display that's curved, shapeless or amorphous in any way

Wristcomputers

[Eastcoasthandle]

what use does a flexible display have? i really can't come up with an idea of where it'd be useful to have a flexible display. i want a display to see and use an interface, watch movies or play games etc. - i don't want to do such things on a display that's curved, shapeless or amorphous in any way

Billboards, lots and lots of billboards. Heck they are using LCD billboards over where I live. It's cool to look at as the quality of it is very good. But the wow factor wears off quickly.

[Ket]

Wristcomputers

[Manicdan]

Wristcomputers

i see a major problem when that happens and one company uses the slogan "so powerful, it burns"

[Helmore]

what use does a flexible display have? i really can't come up with an idea of where it'd be useful to have a flexible display. i want a display to see and use an interface, watch movies or play games etc. - i don't want to do such things on a display that's curved, shapeless or amorphous in any way

This brings us a step closer to phones that work like this for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX-gTobCJHs
I'm not saying that we/I would want a phone that's exactly like that, but use your imagination. You could also think about things like flexible/fold-able e-readers, or if you're crazy enough you could work it into clothes, or you could finally have a large TV in your tent or instead of a beamer you just roll out a large display from the ceiling. Just use your imagination. I'm sure there will be many many places where this is useful/nice to have.

[NKrader]

i see a major problem when that happens and one company uses the slogan "so powerful, it burns"

only when they add GTX480m to it

[Aerwidh]

This brings us a step closer to phones that work like this for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX-gTobCJHs
I'm not saying that we/I would want a phone that's exactly like that, but use your imagination. You could also think about things like flexible/fold-able e-readers, or if you're crazy enough you could work it into clothes, or you could finally have a large TV in your tent or instead of a beamer you just roll out a large display from the ceiling. Just use your imagination. I'm sure there will be many many places where this is useful/nice to have.

Cool concept!

Edit -

only when they add GTX480m to it

When will we get the first flexible GPU?

[Manicdan]

it dosnt have to be flexible, it can just be many very small gpus with flexible wires between them. if they are given a rule of 3" diameter, i think it can be done pretty easily to make a cell phone work being shaped like a wristband using todays technology

[Helloworld_98]

it dosnt have to be flexible, it can just be many very small gpus with flexible wires between them. if they are given a rule of 3" diameter, i think it can be done pretty easily to make a cell phone work being shaped like a wristband using todays technology

until you realise that having burn marks on your wrist not only looks dodgy but also will hurt like hell.

[Manicdan]

a cell phone is built around 1W, i think u will be safe, especially if they have an aluminum band on the inside for heat dissipation and for a frame.

[clayton]

Bring out the rollable laptops with touch screen!

[Dragy2k]

this is probably where its heading ...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtN_TkZUOt4

[FischOderAal]

i see a major problem when that happens and one company uses the slogan "so powerful, it burns"

YMMD

[annihilat0r]

You can embed displays in clothing this way, and walk around as an advertisement

[Manicdan]

You can embed displays in clothing this way, and walk around as an advertisement

id pay someone to wear an add that says "new flexible displays so strong u can punch them, go ahead and try"

[RPGWiZaRD]

You can embed displays in clothing this way, and walk around as an advertisement

Exactly my thoughts... this will unfortunately probably be a replacement for the stickers on athlete's in future.... could become annoying with different ads rolling non-stop on their chest or whatever.

[Starscream]

You can use it to make newspapers out of it and stream the news to your paper. And ofc very thin displays, the fact that its rollable is only to show that it is very thin and is flexible.

[Helmore]

You can use it to make newspapers out of it and stream the news to your paper. And ofc very thin displays, the fact that its rollable is only to show that it is very thin and is flexible.

And now you can use that display as a flyswatter without breaking the display...

[saaya]

now they just need to make one that actually looks good

[Caparroz]

Portable Holodeck here we go.