When mass-produced, the organic displays are expected to cost about 20 percent less than LCDs because the manufacturing process is more streamlined. The next-generation displays require fewer materials and fewer manufacturing steps than LCDs, Young said. Bruce Berkoff, executive vice president of marketing at LCD maker LG Philips, also sees the technology spreading slowly. Consumers just aren't buying new displays all the time. They have a better chance with smaller devices like cell phones, which are growing like crazy.
Manufacturers apparently agree.
Philips Components announced this week at the show that its 1.4-inch OLED display is available for small mobile devices such as cell phones and pagers. Other manufacturers are likely to develop OLED displays in the same small sizes, Young said. Young added that manufacturing efficiencies tend to be higher in smaller displays, partly because companies can get more screens out of one piece of glass. However, the technology industry has been known to break a few speed records in the past, especially when major players, such as Toshiba, Sony, Samsung, Philips, Eastman Kodak and DuPont, have committed themselves to this emerging market. 2001 Excite Canada Inc. All rights reserved.