Pre-production display R&D facility: A framework for developing flexible display systems reducing the war-fighters' load

There is an ever increasing need for lightweight, flexible, inexpensive integrated systems encompassing displays, sensors, computers, and other electronics to provide unprecedented information capability to a broad range of warfighters. During the next few years, a team of experts will be engaged in an intensive development program pursuing a two-pronged goal: (1) to integrate and fabricate reflective and emissive systems such as organic light emitting devices on flexible substrates including plastics, and (2) to develop materials and structural platforms that allow flexible backplane electronics to be integrated with ancillaries and display components, as well as to be mass-produced economically. An underlying theme of this effort continues to be leveraging emerging processing techniques, for example a-Si and poly-Si thin film transistor (TFT) technologies, but also advanced micro-contact pattern transfer techniques for producing low cost product with molecular structures for combined communication and electronic appliances. The initial technology integration target is a 4″ diagonal active matrix QVGA display on conformal plastic substrates. These advanced developments will be realized through a unique collaborative effort between the U.S. Army, Arizona State University (ASU) in close collaboration with its academic partners, and industry partners, who are united in our shared commitment to optimize the necessary production technologies for large area/large scale, low cost, cutting-edge display products and state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities. The newly formed Flexible Display Center (FDC) at Arizona State University provides a one-of-a-kind environment fully dedicated to fulfill the major technical challenges not addressed by display manufacturers producing glass-based flat panel displays.