Flexible Displays

Japanese researchers recently began shipping samples of a new, optically clear sheet made from wood microfibers. Because it’s made from the same chemical constituents as conventional paper, it can be mass produced using essentially the same processes. The difference is that the cellulose nanofibers are much smaller – only one 20,000th the diameter of a human hair – and therefore, more densely packed.

The result is a transparent paper with high strength and high foldability that doesn’t shrink at high temperatures. A mass production test facility is already operational, with plans to commercialize the product as early as 2016. Target applications include flexible organic electroluminescent (OEL) displays.