E Ink Unveils Ultra-Thin Active-Matrix Display

Posted on June 27, 2002

E Ink Corporation, a developer and marketer of electronic ink technology for paper-like displays, announced its demonstration of the world's thinnest active-matrix displays. Prototypes were first exhibited to industry leaders at last month's Society for Information Display Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition, in Boston, Massachusetts. The release of the prototypes is timely considering Minority Report, a recently released science-fiction movie based on a Philip K. Dick short story and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film showed people using very thin monitors and display panels in the year 2054.

E Ink has demonstrated two display sizes targeting highly portable, rugged information appliances. At less than half the thickness of a credit card, these development prototypes have a total display thickness of just 0.3 mm.

"These displays are an important milestone for E Ink," stated Dr. Michael McCreary, vice president of Research and Development at E Ink. "These prototypes are the first of their kind on steel foil, and their thinness and flexibility opens many exciting application possibilities."

Traditional active-matrix display panels measure 2 mm thick and often require a backlight for a combined thickness of 4 mm or more. E Ink says its prototypes are roughly 90% thinner and lighter than typical glass-based, liquid crystal displays.

"Today, `anywhere, anytime' information enabled by the latest advances in wireless, broadband and processor technologies places new demands on mobile displays. Enhanced information access and readability are required, while not compromising device portability and battery life," stated Dr. Dan Button, vice president of Business Development at E Ink. "These displays represent an ideal solution. They offer not only the great ink-on-paper look of electronic ink, but begin to take on the form and utility of paper with ultra-thin, flexible structures and ultra-low power."

The first display prototype is targeted at card-sized mobile applications such as SmartCards and cell phones. With a 1.6 inch diagonal and 80 pixels per inch (ppi), the display has a resolution of 100 x 80 pixels. The second display prototype measures 3.0 inches diagonally and is targeted at handheld devices. These include PDAs, two-way pagers and novel communication devices such as mobile display appliances or handheld monitors that are peripheral to cell phones or other wireless `servers.' The resolution of this display is 240 x 160 with 96 ppi. E Ink envisions the unveiled prototypes will enable new design freedom for device makers -- such as curved surfaces and bendability -- while providing end users with highly portable and rugged information appliances.