Kateeva announces strategic partnership with Pixelligent
Kateeva (Newark, California) recently announced a strategic partnership with Pixelligent (Baltimore, Maryland). The collaboration is focused on improving light output efficiency in OLED mobile phones by optimising an inkjet-printed planarization layer over microlens arrays. Both companies lead in their respective display sectors—Kateeva with its inkjet printing equipment solution that leads the market for OLED thin film encapsulation (TFE), and Pixelligent as the pioneer of fully formulated high-refractive index materials engineered for sustainability.
Light intensity and brightness in smartphones, TVs, and other OLED products are controlled by the amount of electric current applied. For mobile phones, reducing power consumption is essential to maintain battery life. One method to lower power consumption is to extract more light without applying higher current. This can be achieved by using a patterned structure followed by an inkjet-printed high-refractive index filling and planarization layer which enables more light from the OLED layer below to reach the top surface. This can substantially increase light output efficiency without impacting battery life.
Display manufacturers are turning to inkjet printing as a mass-production solution for microlens planarization. Given that every manufacturer’s process specifications are unique, fine-tuning of both inks and inkjet printing equipment are required to accommodate for varying ink capabilities, film thicknesses, curing conditions, and other technology imperatives.
The Kateeva/Pixelligent partnership intends to simplify the process. With a focus on increasing the refractive index of their materials to extract higher efficiencies, Pixelligent brings the ink innovation. Kateeva delivers the hardware and advanced algorithms that direct and drop the formulations with extreme precision and accuracy.
“Pixelligent shares our commitment to extend inkjet’s capabilities to enable emerging technologies that fuel continuous consumer electronics innovations,” said Kateeva’s CEO, May Su. “By working closely together we can help our customers optimise their YIELDjet inkjet solutions with custom-blended formulations for microlens planarization and other applications. It’s a natural partnership for Kateeva.”
“Our partnership with Kateeva has enabled Pixelligent to optimise our PixJet high-refractive index formulations for the inkjet equipment being used by the leading display manufacturers,” said Pixelligent’s CEO, Craig Bandes. “Both companies’ ability to tune the properties and processes for each customer’s application allows us to deliver one-of-a-kind solutions on a mass-production scale.”
Caption: Kateeva’s YIELDjet technology (photo: Kateeva)