New Cost Structures and R&D Progress Will Be Explored at USDC's Flexible Displays & Microelectronics Conference

New Cost Structures and R&D Progress Will Be Explored at USDC's Flexible Displays & Microelectronics Conference

Presentations by Major Companies, Universities and Start-up Firms Shows Heightening Interest in Silicon Alternatives for Electronics Products

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Display Consortium (USDC), a public/private partnership chartered with developing the flat panel display (FPD) industry supply chain, today announced the preliminary agenda for its fourth annual Flexible Displays and Microelectronics Conference and Tabletop Exhibit, to be held in Phoenix, Arizona, from January 31 through February 3, 2005. The three-day technical and business conference explores the progress made by developers and their suppliers in creating rugged, lightweight and flexible electronics products.

Dr. Kyuha Chung, vice president of the Flat Panel Display R&D Team at Samsung Electronics Corporation, will provide the opening keynote entitled, "Business and Market Trends for Flexible Displays." USDC is joined by corporate sponsors 3M, Applied Films, Covion, DisplaySearch, Dow Corning, Eastman Kodak, GE, Hewlett-Packard, Philips and Universal Display Corporation, who will address their technical and business strategies for flexible displays and flexible electronics products. Academic and government organizations participating include the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Arizona State University, Binghamton University, Lehigh University, Natick Soldier Systems Center, the University of Rochester and the University of Stuttgart.

"Flexible displays and microelectronics open a new field in electronics, away from the silicon-based model currently in vogue," stated Tom McLean, director of business development at Avecia and an invited speaker and co-chair of the USDC conference. "The development of flexible and plastic-based electronics packages enables new cost structures, form factors, and truly a new level of ubiquity in electronics -- all of which, along with industry readiness to move to volume manufacturability, will be addressed at the conference."

With an expected attendance of over 350 participants, the conference features 44 presented papers, 20+ exhibits and many networking opportunities. This USDC conference is a valuable opportunity to share tactical plans, gauge development efforts underway, and identify gaps in flexible displays and microelectronics product design.

"The conference will significantly contribute to pushing forward the status of manufacturing flexible displays," commented Dr. M. Robert Pinnel, chief technology officer at USDC. "The output of the conference will be an enhanced commitment to the R&D necessary to bring flexible displays and microelectronics products to market in the foreseeable future."

In addition to the full 3-day technical conference, an organic light emitting displays (OLEDs) short course will be available on Monday, January 31, 2005, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., conducted by Dr. Ghassan Jabbour of Arizona State University.

The USDC conference returns to the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort, adjacent to the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, in Phoenix, Arizona. A complete agenda and registration information are available at www.usdc.org. For exhibit and sponsorship information, contact Heidi Hoffman via e-mail at heidi@usdc.org or by telephone to 408-277-2400.

About the U.S. Display Consortium

The USDC is an industry-led public/private partnership providing a common platform for flat panel display manufacturers and developers, FPD users and the supplier base. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., the consortium's primary mission is to fund supply-chain projects and share the results with USDC member companies. The USDC also provides a communication channel among industry, government and the financial communities for display issues; sponsors workshops to broaden the impact of technological developments; and educates consumers on the importance of displays in providing access to information technology. More information can be found at www.usdc.org.


Source: U.S. Display Consortium

CONTACT: Heidi Hoffman of U.S. Display Consortium, +1-408-277-2400, or
heidi@usdc.org; or Stacey Voorhees of MCA, +1-650-968-8900, ext. 108, or
svoorhees@mcapr.com, for U.S. Display Consortium

Web site: http://www.usdc.org/


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