Daily News Briefs

Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) and Delta Optoelectronics Inc. (Delta-Opto), a Hsin-Chu, Taiwan, display-making subsidiary of Delta Electronics Inc., said they have established Taiwan's first pilot line for the production of full-color polymer light-emitting diode (P-OLED) displays using inkjet printing. The new facility, in Hsin-Chu, featuers three Litrex 142P inkjet printers that are able to print 370- by 470-mm glass substrates at approximately two- to five-minute intervals; these were commissioned with the support of CDT field engineers based in the region. The companies said the facility will pave the way for Delta-Opto's full-scale production of color displays, enabling the production of low-cost, larger displays using OLED technologies. The initial phase of the technology transfer program, announced last October, has been completed with the production of 5.6-inch, full-color active matrix display prototypes at CDT's Technology Development Centre in the UK. . . . Photonics World 2005, an exhibition to be held May 4-6 at Suntec City, Singapore, is intended to promote awareness of the photonics industry in that region, which according to analysts has less than a 1 percent share of the global photonics market. Economists say Singapore can still become competitive, however. "With clever selection of niche markets, local companies can practically jump to the forefront without going through a medium development, which is done in other countries," Manfred Witt, head of technical development at Singapore-based Zugo Photonics, said in a China News Alert article published online today. He said Singapore's manufacturers need to focus on specialized areas -- high-tech, high-precision manufacturing and design -- if they are to meet the growing competition from China and India. Photonics World will take place concurrently with Nanotech World 2005 and OptoElectronics World 2005. Sponsors include the Photonics Association of Singapore, the Arizona Optics Industry Association, the British Columbia Photonics Industry Association, the Hong Kong Optoelectronics Association and the Korea Association for Photonics Industry Development.