Cambridge Display Technology Acquires Litrex Corp.; Purchase of Tool Supplier Will Speed Commercialization of Light Emitting Polymer -LEP- Inkjet Manufacturing Technology.Business Editors & High-Tech Writers CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 2001 Cambridge Display Technology (CDT CDT abbr. Central Daylight Time CDT Central Daylight Time CDT n abbr (US) (= Central Daylight Time) → hora de verano del centro; (BRIT ) today announced that it has acquired Pleasanton, Calif.-based Litrex Corp. from Gretag Imaging of Regensdorf, Switzerland, for an undisclosed amount. Litrex is pioneering Piezo "Piezo", derived from the Greek piezein, which means to squeeze or press, is a prefix used in:
CDT, which owns the fundamental Intellectual Property (IP) and know-how portfolio for LEP technology, has been leading LEP research and commercial development for applications in electronic displays and lighting. To date, inkjetting of high-resolution, full-color polymer displays has been demonstrated at the R&D level. The next step is to scale to volume manufacturing to offer a complete solution to display manufacturers. The acquisition of Litrex will allow CDT to speed inkjet technology development and promote the commercial sale of production-grade tools for inkjet printing LEP displays, which are part of the growing Organic Light Emitting e·mit tr.v. e·mit·ted, e·mit·ting, e·mits 1. To give or send out (matter or energy): isotopes that emit radioactive particles; a stove emitting heat. 2. a. Device (OLED (Organic Light Emitting Device, Organic Light Emitting Diode) A thin film light-emitting technology that is expected to compete with LCD and plasma TVs as well as LCD monitors and readouts. ) market. "Litrex has developed a technology and production solution that is very strategic to CDT's business plan," stated David Fyfe, chief executive officer of CDT. "Inkjetting of polymer displays has great promise to fundamentally change manufacturing methods currently used for flat panel displays A thin display screen for computer and TV usage. The first flat panels appeared on laptop computers in the mid-1980s, and the LCD technology became the standard. Stand-alone LCD screens became available for desktop computers in the mid-1990s and exceeded sales of CRTs for the first time . "Additionally, it is potentially compatible with roll-to-roll processes for plastic substrate display manufacturing. CDT is now in an excellent position to actively support Litrex's PMD technology and the introduction of inkjet tools into the LEP display manufacturing arena as part of our continuing commitment to our licensees and partners." Litrex was formed within Gretag's Professional Imaging Division in January 2001 in San Jose San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. , Calif., to lead the development of PMD technology as an alternative to etching etching, the art of engraving with acid on metal; also the print taken from the metal plate so engraved. In hard-ground etching the plate, usually of copper or zinc, is given a thin coating or ground of acid-resistant resin. and/or photolithography A lithographic technique used to transfer the design of circuit paths onto printed circuit boards as well as the circuit paths and electronic elements of a chip onto a wafer's surface. A photomask is created with the design for each layer of the board or wafer (chip). deposition techniques in the emerging LEP display manufacturing industry, as well as for precision manufacturing of electronics devices. "We started Litrex to take advantage of the technical maturity of inkjet technology in the printing industry," said Chuck Edwards, president of Litrex. "We have been able to adapt it for use in non-traditional printing applications like electronic displays and offer a production tool with improved yield, higher throughput, better materials utilization, greater scalability and lower capital costs. "The purchase of the company by CDT fits directly with the vision we have for Litrex, as well as CDT's plan to offer complete technology solutions to its LEP licensees and strategic partners." PMD systems are high precision machine tools, similar to an intelligent robot on a semiconductor production line. They are capable of dispensing precise droplets less than one-sixth the thickness of a human hair onto an exact programmed area where the material needs to be applied. For LEP displays, this precision is critical for accurate positioning of the high-resolution pixels that make up a full-color display. Litrex's PMD technology incorporates optical recognition software and digital microscopy microscopy /mi·cros·co·py/ (mi-kros´kah-pe) examination under or observation by means of the microscope. mi·cros·co·py n. 1. The study of microscopes. 2. for tool diagnostics and automatic alignment, inspection and quality control of inkjet drop formation. It also provides real-time control Real-time control is a popular term for a certain class of digital controllers. For effective digital control, it is critical that sample time be constant. Real-time control achieves nearly constant sample time. See also
Litrex has recently relocated their offices to Pleasanton and has delivered several units of the first generation R&D tool, designated the 80L, to display manufacturers. Development of a scaled-up production-grade unit, designated the 140P, is in progress. About CDT Cambridge Display Technology (CDT), is a privately held company privately held company A firm whose shares are held within a relatively small circle of owners and are not traded publicly. leading the research, development and commercialization of polymer technology for flat panel displays and lighting. CDT's light emitting polymer See LEP. (LEP) technology is targeted for use in a wide range of electronic display products used for information management, communications and entertainment. Features include reduced power consumption, size, thickness and weight, very wide viewing angle, superior video imaging performance and the potential to produce displays on plastic substrates. To date, licenses have been granted to Delta Electronics, DuPont Displays, OSRAM, Philips and Seiko-Epson, who have either announced imminent start of production or are actively implementing their manufacturing strategies. CDT is promoting LEP technology development and speeding its commercialization through a global business strategy including co-developments with leading companies in a wide range of display and related technology areas. Founded in 1992, the company has headquarters in Cambridge. More information about CDT is available at www.cdtltd.co.uk. About Litrex Corp. Litrex's mission is to develop inkjet technology for precision manufacturing of electronics and electronic displays and become the world's leading manufacturer of Piezo Micro Deposition(TM) (PMD) equipment. Litrex is pioneering Piezo Micro Deposition, a precision inkjet technology used in manufacturing the next generation of electronics and color displays. Litrex PMD technology is proving critical for manufacturing light emitting polymer (LEP) displays, the latest breakthrough in "plastic" flat panel color displays. Litrex is located in Pleasanton, where it maintains its headquarters, R&D and manufacturing offices. More information can be found at www.litrex.com. |
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