Flexible display technologies include flexible AMOLED, flexible LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and flexible e-paper. Each flexible display technology has different limitations and thus the development of their key components has also varied, leading to variant outcomes in terms of the application and development of each flexible display technology, says Chung-yu Yang, an industry analyst with Taipei-based IT research institute MIC (Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute).
"Several key technologies must be assessed when determining the mass production readiness of flexible displays. These development indicators include flexible substrates, transparent conducting electrodes, display films, TFT backplanes, and manufacturing processes."
Structure and Key Development Trends of Flexible Displays
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Structure
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Category
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Technological Requirements
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Feature Requirements
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Display film
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LCD
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Flexible CF and BL, Cell Gap control1
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Prevent cell gap from changing during bending
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OLED
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Packaging technology
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Impermeability to water and air
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EPD
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TFT backplane
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a-Si TFT
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‧Low-temperature TFT processes (to maintain original properties)
‧Can be tuned using existing equipment in the short term
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High electron mobility (especially for OLED)
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LTPS
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OTFT
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Oxide TFT
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Flexible substrate
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Metal foil
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Flat surface
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Plastic film
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Heat resistance, stability, reliable manufacturing processes, and optical properties
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Thin glass
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Surface evenness and flatness
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Manufacturing process
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‧ Roll-to-Roll / Sheet-to-Sheet Processes
‧ Printing Processes
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Note: CF stands for Color Filter, BL stands for Back Light
Source: MIC, March 2017
To see more about this report, please visit: 2016 Recap & 2017 Outlook for Flexible Displays
For future receipt of press releases, or more information about MIC research findings, please contact MIC Public Relations.
About MIC
Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC), based in Taipei, Taiwan, was founded in 1987. MIC is Taiwan's premier IT industry research and consulting firm providing intelligence, in-depth analysis, and strategic consulting services on global IT product and technology trends, focusing on markets and industries in Asia-Pacific. MIC is part of the Institute for Information Industry. https://mic.iii.org.tw/english