IIT Madras to develop next generation AMOLED displays for digital devices

Chennai, Dec 23: The Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Madras on Monday launched a new research centre that aims to develop the next generation of AMOLED displays for smartphones, tablets, watches, and wearables. The AMOLED Research Centre (ARC), funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), will support the nation's initiative to develop a display manufacturing industry in India.

“The Centre is working to develop a technique to manufacture AMOLED displays, which can be used in digital devices including smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, etc. It is envisioned that the new method, which is based on the ‘economies-of-speed’, will enable a modular micro-factory concept of manufacture of these devices,” said Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY.

Located in the Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras, the ARC consists of cleanrooms with ‘class 100’ and ‘class 1000’ ratings. The major fabrication system is an OLED cluster where multilayer OLEDs can be grown with precise control of the growth parameters. The system has a state-of-the-art pixel patterning system that has been designed by a team at IIT Madras.

Krishnan said that the “Centre is also working to develop the prototypes of OLED lighting and OPV power source for mobile phones”. “The ARC will innovate novel techniques to develop AMOLED displays for the Indian and global market,” he noted. In the ARC, researchers are working on a novel patterning technique to create AMOLED displays. The new technique promises to lower capex costs for display manufacturers.

The Centre aims to create a technology that will enable the growth of modular display factories (micro-factories). It has capabilities of both current and next-generation growth processes. It currently focuses on small size displays such as those used in tablets, smartphones, and watches. The system also has the next-generation ultra fast growth and patterning technique, which is this centre's key focus of study. The Centre has facilities to characterise the devices where the optoelectronic properties are studied.

“The ARC is a unique centre in India, which will develop next generation AMOLED displays. This Centre will support the nation's initiative to develop a semiconductor industry in India. The global AMOLED display business is currently worth around $15 billion and is expected to grow,” said Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras.