Planar Systems announces $5M DARPA contract award to develop organic light emitting diode technology

Business Wire, Oct 17, 1996

BEAVERTON, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 17, 1996--Planar Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: PLNR) announced today it was awarded a $5 million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract to develop and advance the commercial viability of organic light emitting diode (OLED) flat panel display technology.

Under the agreement, Planar will manage a research project to develop the world's first full-color VGA-resolution OLED active matrix display. Eastman Kodak Company will provide the OLED materials and processing, and the David Sarnoff Research Center will provide the design and fabrication of the polysilicon active matrix circuitry. Princeton University will assist Sarnoff in process integration.

OLED technology uses organic light emitting thin films that have potentially higher efficiency than inorganic thin film phosphors. "Planar's thin film electroluminescent (TFEL) technology and manufacturing process are similar to what is expected for successful OLED manufacturing, so it is a natural progression for Planar," said Mark Hartney, DARPA Program Manager for Display Technology. "Planar has assembled a team of world-class technology organizations that will contribute to the program," he concluded.

"Planar is pleased to be teamed in this effort with these leading-edge technology organizations in a program to develop an OLED display technology which may provide an alternative path for the realization of very low power and color emissive displays," said Jim Hurd, Planar's president and CEO. "Planar will be particularly interested in understanding how this technology might serve various display applications, including our own established flat panel display markets," he concluded.

Dr. James Meyer, Kodak's chief technical officer stated, "Kodak has developed a strong technical and patent positions in Organic Electroluminescent technology over the last 10 years. We believe the combination of polysilicon active matrices and OLED technology could become the next generation of flat panel displays. This contract will allow us to work with Planar and Sarnoff to establish the commercialization viability of a key Kodak technology."

Dr. Jim Carnes, Sarnoff's president and CEO, said, "This active matrix OLED technology promises to deliver the high-efficiency, brightness, and affordability needed to dominate the portable display markets in the 21st century. Sarnoff looks forward to integrating its active matrix processing and design into this program."

Planar Systems Inc. is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of high-performance flat panel and CRT-based display products. The primary market sectors that Planar serves today are medical, industrial, instrumentation, defense, communications, transportation and business/office. The company competes on a global basis with full development, manufacturing and marketing operations in both the United States and Europe. -0-

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CONTACT: Planar Systems, Inc.

Christopher King, Ph.D., 503/690-7206