AUO Debuts in-cell Touch OLED as it Targets Wearables Market

Display manufacturer AU Optrontics (AUO) has demonstrated the world's first ultra-thin 1.6 inch (41mm) in-cell touch AMOLED panel.

In-cell breakthrough
The new flexible panel is only 0.5mm thick and it has been optimised to use as little energy as possible. AUO think this will make it an ideal component for incorporation into the growing market for wearable electronic devices.

The device was shown to delegates at the Society for Information Display's (SID) Display Week 2014 exhibition on 3-5 June in San Diego.

Flexible 5-inch screen
Taiwan-headquartered AUO also took the opportunity to introduce a new highly flexible AMOLED panel at the event. The 5-inch (127mm) panel is printed on a substrate and encapsulated, but is still only 0.2mm thick. These factors give it a very low bending radius - less than 10mm according to its manufacturer.

AUO believes it too may find a niche in wearable electronics. It could also attract interest from the smartphone market where flexible screens are being touted as one of the major advances for the next two years.

Inkjet showcase
In addition to showing its novel ultrathin wearable OLEDs, AUO also took the opportunity offered by Display Week 2014 to present a series of technical papers. This included a description of a method for inkjet printing a 65-inch (1.65m) full AMOLED television screen.

For more on the potential for AUO OLED displays in the wearable technology and smartphone markets read Plus Plastic Electronics'exclusive subscriber analysis content here.