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What could be more convenient than downloading an e-book to your computer? The only drawback is it forces you to read it on a computer. If you want to use it like a traditional paperbound book, by slipping it into a purse or backpack, you would have to either print it to paper or load the file into a pocket device; such as a Blackberry, an iPod, a PDA, or a mobile phone. Unfortunately, doing so makes the text so small it becomes nearly impossible to read. But, now with the advent of flexible active-matrix displays from Plastic Logic, reading electronic documents like you would read a book will be possible.
“Plastic Logic is the outstanding leader in plastic electronics manufacturing, a revolutionary new technology for printing electronic devices. The company will be the first to apply the new technology to a fully commercial application: flexible active-matrix displays.”
Below is information from their website on how the process works.
PROCESS
Plastic Logic’s backplanes enable thin, light, robust and flexible electronic reader products.
To address the market opportunity for flexible active-matrix displays, Plastic Logic has developed the first process for printing electronic circuits on plastic substrates to be ramped-up to an industrial scale. Not only is the process capable of making incredibly thin, light and robust displays, it is considerably simpler than conventional amorphous silicon based processes.In an active-matrix display, each dot on the display is controlled by an active switching element, usually a thin film transistor (TFT), and by the signals on an array of intersecting row and column electrodes. Up to now, the TFTs have been fabricated with amorphous silicon deposited at high temperature on a rigid glass substrate. This requires a complex process of multiple mask-based photolithography steps.
The array of switching elements and the row and column electrodes are fabricated on a substrate to create an active-matrix backplane. The backplane can be combined with many display frontplane technologies such as LCD, OLED or electrophoretic ‘electronic paper’ to make a display.
In the case of electronic readers, the most attractive frontplane technology is electronic paper. This has the appearance of paper and is bi-stable so that it only uses power when the image changes. A number of electronic reader products have been launched using electronic paper such as the Sony Reader and the iRex Illiad which both use electronic paper laminate from E Ink (E Ink Imaging Film® ).
Even though electronic paper is typically thin and flexible, a rigid display results when it is combined with a glass-based amorphous silicon backplane. Plastic Logic’s flexible backplane technology enables the display, and therefore the reader device itself, to become flexible, thin, light and robust so that it feels much more like a sheet of paper.
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From their January 3, 2007 press release:
New volume manufacturing facility to ramp-up in 2008
Cambridge, UK – 3rd January 2007 – Plastic Logic announced today that it will build the first factory to manufacture plastic electronics on a commercial scale. The facility will produce flexible active-matrix display modules for ‘take anywhere, read anywhere’ electronic reader products. It will utilize Plastic Logic’s unique process to fabricate active-matrix displays that are thin, light and robust; enabling a reading experience closer to paper than any other technology.
| Plastic Logic “take anywhere, read anywhere” display using E Ink Imaging Film High resolution images and videos available at www.plasticlogic.com/hi-res.php |
To fund this comprehensive commercialization program, Plastic Logic has completed a first closing of $100 million of equity finance led by Oak Investment Partners and Tudor Investment Corporation. Existing investors Amadeus, which led the seed financing of Plastic Logic, Intel Capital, Bank of America, BASF Venture Capital, Quest for Growth and Merifin Capital also participated. The financing is one of the largest in the history of European venture capital.
Bandel Carano, Managing Partner at Oak, said “Plastic Logic has created a pioneering technology that will revolutionize the way that people interact with their media on the move. This investment is a perfect fit with Oak’s vision of future media interaction through handheld devices.”
Rob Broggi, Vice President and Director of Technology, Media and Telecommunications Equity Research at Tudor, added “This investment meets our objective to find and participate in the most exciting investment opportunities globally, particularly in mobile and nanotechnology sectors.”
Hermann Hauser, Director of Amadeus commented “Having backed Plastic Logic from day one, I am delighted that the first full commercialization of plastic electronics is now firmly in our sights. With this investment we are not only scaling up a great company - we are also creating a new electronics industry that will become a significant addition to silicon.”
The facility will produce display modules for portable electronic reader devices – a product category that is predicted to grow to 41.6 million units in 2010. It will have an initial capacity of more than a million display modules per year and production will start in 2008. Dresden in the ‘Silicon Saxony’ region of eastern Germany has been chosen as the facility location following an extensive worldwide site selection process.
“Our displays will enable electronic reader products that are as comfortable and natural to read as paper whether you’re on a beach, in a train or relaxing on the sofa at home.” stated John Mills, Chief Operating Officer at Plastic Logic. “Wireless connectivity will allow you to purchase and download a book or pick up the latest edition of your newspaper wherever you are and whenever you need it. The battery will last for thousands of pages so you can leave your charger at home.”
“Even in this age of pervasive digital content, our research shows that consumers are very reluctant to read on laptops, phones and PDAs,” said Simon Jones, Vice President of Product Development at Plastic Logic. “We still carry around enormous amounts of paper. However, people are making less room in their lives for the weight and bulk of paper and are becoming more sensitive to the environmental impact of printing to read. We believe there is a substantial unfulfilled need that Plastic Logic can meet by making digital reading a comfortable and pleasurable experience.”
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To learn more about electronic readers visit:
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This is really cool, Sara. I didn’t know such a thing really existed. It could spark a new book revolution. I can’t help enjoying the idea to see a number of booksellers disappear!