Rohm and Haas Adds OLEDs

Specialty materials provider Rohm and Haas Co. announced it has broadened its Display Technologies business by acquiring Gracel Display Inc., a South Korea-based maker of organic LED (OLED) materials, for $40 million.

Rohm and Haas manufactures TFT (thin-film transistor) photoresists and related materials as part of its Display Chemicals group, and added optical display films when it acquired Eastman Kodak's Light Management Films business in June 2007. Rohm and Haas launched SKC Haas Display Films in December 2007, a new joint venture that manufactures advanced films and filters for LCD and plasma displays. Including the acquisition of Gracel, Rohm and Haas said it has invested $270 million during the last 12 months to build its Display Technologies business unit.

"Gracel has an excellent track record of innovation and an established customer base. In fact, its advanced OLED materials are used today in devices that are manufactured by leading display companies. The future of this technology is very bright, and we look forward to bringing a new generation of OLED materials to the growing display market," said Yi Hyon Paik, PhD, vice president and business group director, Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials.

Advanced OLED technology offers many performance benefits to improve the brightness, clarity and efficiency of flat panel displays. OLED consumes a fraction of the power compared to traditional display technologies (an important consideration in portable devices), and offers higher brightness and contrast for ultraclear pictures, wider viewing angles and an extremely thin design. OLED technology has recently gained traction, and is being commercialized in an increasing number of applications. The use of OLEDs in displays is expected to grow significantly in the next 10 years.

Pierre Brondeau, PhD, Rohm and Haas executive vice president, business group executive, said that OLED is an important addition to the company's display materials portfolio. "OLED is a smart addition to our growing stable of display products -- it's a strong technology that's in a great position to lead the industry in a new generation of ultrathin, crystal-clear displays," he said.

For more information, visit: www.rohmhaas.com