eMagin Corp. Awarded $3M Government Grant for Development of High-Brightness OLED Microdisplays

eMagin Corp. (Hopewell Junction, NY), developer of microdisplays and virtual imaging technology, has succeeded in renewing its Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the US Air Force. The SBIR grant (sponsored by the Small Business Administration) will provide $3 million to fund research involving the development of high-resolution active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) microdisplays for incorporation into military head-mounted displays. The contract renewal period runs for approximately 8 months beginning July 2000.

Under the contract agreement, eMagin will continue development of a 1280 x 1024 (SXGA) military-oriented flat panel display technology capable of providing high-brightness at high-energy efficiencies. As a result of efforts funded by prior phases of the SBIR Program, eMagin unveiled the world's first AMOLED-on-silicon microdisplay at the Society Information Display (SID) Conference last May. The 0.77-inch display featured over 1.3 million tiny 12 micron-sized pixels in an area smaller than a postage stamp, demonstrating real time video with 256 gray shades at less than 400 mW, with a brightness of 200 cd/m2.

"Head mounted displays are becoming critical components of most military aircraft and are becoming an important part of nearly all military functions, including infantry, intelligence, command and control, and global positioning," said Susan Jones, executive vice president of eMagin. "We are proud that the US Air Force has affirmed its confidence in our ability to develop this critical technology for our country's military personnel."

AMOLEDs have an unsurpassed ability to provide high brightness and resolution, wide temperature operating ranges, shock resistance, and wide viewing angles allowing ease of viewing for long periods of time. Preliminary plans are to demonstrate the new technology in F-15C and F-15E fighter jets equipped with helmet-mounted displays and panoramic night vision goggles, pending USAF Air Combat Command approval. The Visual Display Systems Branch of the US Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio is managing the SBIR Phase III program which includes development, integration and demonstration of this new miniature display technology.

Edited by Winn Hardin, VerticalNet