Plastic Logic is a leading developer of plastic electronics technology.

The technology has

the potential to revolutionize new applications by printing electronics on thin and flexible
plastic substrates using a process scaleable for large area, high volume and low cost.

Plastic Logic is developing and exploiting world-

class technology for manufacturing printed
plastic electronic circuits. These circuits are
constructed using solution processing and direct-
write techniques and consist of transistors and
other components that are produced from
polymers and a variety of other materials.

The technology is characterized by:

• New solution-based air-stable materials.

• Direct-write manufacturing techniques to
achieve high resolution patterning on
distorting substrates.
• Low processing temperatures allowing the use of flexible and low-cost plastic
substrates.
• Eventual migration from sheet-based to roll-to-roll processing.

This approach enables active electronic circuits to be produced on large flexible plastic
substrates with high yield. In addition, direct-write techniques provide the potential for
rapid design cycles and customization, shorter run-lengths and faster turn-around.

This is achieved without the complexity and capital expense of:

• Multiple mask steps requiring precision alignment

• High temperature processing
• Vacuum deposition

Flexible Displays

Plastic Logic is developing licensable manufacturing solutions for printing thin and
flexible active-matrix displays. When combined with an electronic-paper imaging film,
Plastic Logic's backplane technology enables highly portable, readable and power
efficient displays. The initial application focus is e-readers (e.g. e-books, e-dictionaries,
e-maps, e-newspapers). These displays will often be wirelessly connected to WAN
devices such mobile phones and PDAs, allowing users to access content 'on-the-move'
more comfortably and efficiently than is possible using a small integrated display.

This is the first step towards flexible and plastic backplanes for a range of display
applications and front-plane technologies including LCD and OLED.
Flexible e-Reader Features

• High resolution: up to 150ppi

(pixels per inch)
• Large area: scaleable to A4
(210mm by 297mm) and above
• Greyscale: 4 levels
• Very high aperture ratio / fill
factor
• Bend radius: < 2cm radius of
curvature
• Thin, robust and lightweight
• Bi-stable e-paper enables high
contrast reflective display (sun-
light readable) and ultra-low
power consumption.

Flexible Active Matrix Displays

High information content displays, such as those found in laptops, PDAs and high-end
mobile phones, require an active matrix to achieve high resolution and superior front-of-
screen performance. In an active matrix system, the appearance of each dot on the display
is controlled with at least one transistor (TFT). In color displays, each picture element
(pixel) is normally made up of three dots (or sub-pixels), one each for red, green and
blue. An active matrix display therefore requires a very large array of transistors to be
fabricated (a color VGA display consists of about 1 million sub-pixels). Today, these
TFTs are fabricated in amorphous silicon using a complex and capital intensive process.
The array of TFTs which drive the display is referred to as the backplane and the display
effect which it switches is referred to as the front-plane (e.g. Liquid Crystal, Electronic
Imaging Film (e-paper), OLED).

A flexible backplane has long been the missing component in producing high information
content flexible displays. Using its unique plastic electronics technology, Plastic Logic is
developing the first manufacturable cost-effective solution to this problem.
Tech Products

Plastic Logic, a developer of plastic

electronics, says it has developed the world's
largest flexible active matrix display. The
display consists of a flexible, high-
resolution, printed active-matrix backplane
driving an electronic paper front-plane from
U.S.-based E Ink. The displays are 10"
diagonal SVGA (600 X 800) with 100ppi
resolution and 4 levels of grayscale. The
thickness of the display when laminated
with E Ink Imaging Film is less than 0.4mm.