For the uninitiated, a flexible display is a paperlike computer display that's made almost entirely out of plastic. According to HP, these displays consume less power than traditional computer displays and of course are more easily portable. They are also said to use up to 90 percent fewer materials than traditional displays by volume.
The press release states that "mass production of such displays can enable production of notebook computers, smart phones and other electronic devices at much lower costs since the display is one of the more costly components," but we'll have to wait and see if costs on these devices are actually lowered because of this technology.
The displays were created via a process called self-aligned imprint lithography (SAIL). SAIL purportedly enables thin film transistors to be fabricated on a flexible, plastic material in a roll-to-roll manufacturing process. According to HP, this allows for a more low-cost continuous production, rather than batch sheet-to-sheet production.
To create the display, FDC produces semiconductor materials and metals on flexible polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrates. Using the SAIL process HP then patterns the substrates and then integrates E Ink's Vizplex imaging film to produce the display on plastic.
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