LG Electronics, eMagin Team for Flat Panel Display Development

eMagin Corp. (Hopewell Junction, NY) and LG Electronics Inc. (Seoul, Korea) have signed a collaborative technology development agreement to further advance the progress of LG Electronics' field emission display (FED) technology. As part of this agreement, eMagin will provide microstructure processing steps on parts of LG Electronics' flat panel displays to enhance their performance, and will provide technology consultation. LG Electronics (LGE) will pay eMagin an undisclosed amount for processing services during the next twelve months.

According to a company statement, LGE is evaluating field emission technology for future direct view flat panel display applications and developing the FED technology to commercialization. If so, it will have its hands full; US manufacturers PixTech (Boise, ID) and Candescent (San Jose, CA) have yet to bring product to market.

FEDs operate on the same principle as cathode ray tubes. Arrays of tiny emitters fire electrons that impact a phosphor and generate luminescence. Each microscopic emitter acts as a single pixel of a display. Manufacturers have encountered difficulties maintaining vacuum in devices, and the emitter tips degrade over time.

eMagin, formerly FED Corp., initially focused on developing and commercializing FEDs. The company is now focusing on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) microdisplays, using technology licensed from Eastman Kodak Co. (Rochester, NY).

Edited by Kristin Lewotsky