Merck Exhibits Innovative Display Materials at IMID, FPD International

Guided by its motto “The Perfect Pixel,” Merck KGaA will be presenting its broad range of products for display applications at this year’s International Meeting on Information Display (IMID) in Seoul, Korea from Oct. 12 to 14 and two weeks later at FPD (Flat Panel Displays) International in Yokohama, Japan from Oct. 26 to 28. The Darmstadt-based company will underscore its role as the innovative leader not only in the field of liquid crystals (LC) but also for a wide range of other important materials for displays.

Marketed under the isiphor brand name, Merck offers a broad range of efficient phosphors for LEDs (light-emitting diodes). They support color-on-demand concepts ranging from warm to cold-white light. Merck will be presenting its new YAG 200 portfolio as well as a new generation of LuAG 300 materials. YAG 200 and LuAG 300 cover a broad yellow, respectively green, phosphor portfolio. Both are extremely stable and characterized by outstanding efficiency.

By optimizing various process and production parameters, Merck’s Tool Box Approach has enabled the development of the new isiphor YAG and LuAG generations, as well asisiphor stable BOSE phosphors, which are characterized by efficiency and high stability in all LED applications even under extreme conditions.

isiphor materials are unique in their excellent quality and performance – for LED lighting and backlighting applications.

Merck is the market and technology leader in liquid crystal mixtures. Under the brand name licristal, Merck will exhibit its liquid crystal materials, which are used in all display applications, ranging from mobile phones and tablet PCs to televisions. The product portfolio comprises the well-established TN (Twisted Nematic), IPS (In-Plane Switching) and VA (Vertical Alignment) technologies, as well as in the latest PS-VA technology (Polymer Stabilized Vertical Alignment). PS-VA materials significantly lower the power consumption of LCD televisions because they improve light transmission. As a result, the number of light sources in the backlight unit can be reduced. PS-VA materials also support faster switching times.

Reactive mesogen materials, which may be used for 3D liquid crystal displays (LCDs) based on so-called 3D film patterned retarder products (3D FPR), are marketed as part of the licrivue portfolio. Broad-band Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Reflective Polarizer Films (BB CLC RPF) are another potential application of reactive mesogens. This type of product results in greater display brightness and/or a noticeable reduction in power consumption. This is achieved by decreasing the brightness of the backlight units while maintaining sufficiently high brightness values of the display.

For small-molecule-based OLEDs, Merck’s expanded livilux range now includes a complete new selection of electron and hole transport materials as well as highly efficient matrix materials for phosphorescent emitters. This enables display and lighting customers to further decrease the operating voltage while increasing the overall efficiency of the OLED at the same time. Merck ’s outstanding analytical systems and methods ensure a high degree of reliability and purity for customers.

Under the brand name lisicon, Merck supplies complete organic electronics (OE) material solutions for organic-thin-film transistors (OTFT). Apart from highly sophisticated formulations of organic semiconductors, this also includes dielectrics, materials for surface treatment as well as additional organic process aids. This OE material enables technology for printed and flexible displays and is driving innovation in next-generation display technology, such as OLEDs.

With the isishape range, Merck is showcasing its efficient and environmentally friendly structuring materials. One highlight is isishape HiperEtch, which enables the selective etching of anti-reflex coatings, passivation layers and transparent conductive materials for displays and related applications. Used not only to manufacture touch panels, flexible displays, OLEDs, electroluminescence (EL) backlights and similar products, isishape has also been successfully applied in the photovoltaic industry for many years.