Truly flexible displays are not yet ready for market

Phil Curry - 17 Nov 2011

A presentation by the Flextech Alliance and Lux Research has sought to calm the expectations, raised by recent announcements, that flexible displays will reach the market shortly.

The presentation, Sorting Hype from Reality in Flexible Display Technologies, looked at the current state of flexible display technology, and how it may advance in the future.

Investigating how far display technology has come, the presentation looked at the future of electrophoretics and small molecule (SM)OLED screens, and how they can offer individual, community and public displays as one product. The conclusion, however, was that a truly flexible display is not likely in the short-term.

Flexible displays imminent

A number of media sources have reported a statement made by Samsung about flexible displays being available in 2012. From this announcement it has been concluded that foldable, bendable and rollable mobile phones may soon be available to consumers.

In reality, this is a concept that is far from being realised.

Jonathan Melnick, research analyst at Lux Research, says: 'Whilst the display may indeed be flexible, it will be held behind a rigid glass substrate. The advantage is that the display can be curved within the glass for novel form factors, [which is] not possible with direct deposition on glass. However, it is not capable of being bent, nor does it add robustness.'

Yet flexible displays are already on the market. The Plastic Logic 100 uses an e-paper display, yet it is encased in a rigid frame. It adds robustness to the device by avoiding rigid structures (such as a glass cover) elsewhere in the device though, which is beneficial to the target market of schoolchildren. This is a unique selling point for a flexible display, according to Melnick.

The future of the technology could see electrowetting displays as a challenger to electrophoretics in the long-term, while polymer OLEDs will take over from SMOLED displays. However, as more development is needed with SMOLED, it is seen as a medium-term technology, as performance is improved.

The presentation also stated that the technology could offer cost savings in the future, as flexible displays will use plastic substrate instead of glass, and will allow for a move to roll-to-roll manufacturing, a more cost-effective option.

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