SBIR-STTR Award

Development of an Ultrahigh definition (>5 megapixel) active matrix OLED microdisplay with high dynamic range and refresh rate, and which provides 20/20 acuity with a digital near-eye visualization system, has the potential to significantly increase warfighter effectiveness without requiring compromises between resolution, field of view and digital capability. Active matrix OLED has been proven to be a reliable technology for microdisplay applications ranging from night vision to situational awareness to a variety of commercial uses. The use of CMOS technology to build the underlying drive electronics on the same substrate is a key benefit of the emissive properties of OLED, and offers a high potential for the design of very high pitch displays. In Phase I we will define the requirements for a 4-micron monochrome OLED pixel driver circuit capable of high dynamic range and a 96 Hz refresh rate, evaluate one or more design concepts that meet these requirements, simulate the most promising designs, and assess the manufacturability of a 5 mega-pixel OLED microdisplay based on such a design. The project will define design parameters for the world’s highest resolution OLED with the highest dynamic range for use by the US Air Force and other demanding dual use applications.

Benefit:
The US Air Force has defined a need for a high-resolution microdisplay (5 Mpx threshold) combined with wide FOV optics for high visual acuity helmet mounted systems such as the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) as well as helmet mounted display (HMD) systems for pilots and dismounted soldiers throughout the Armed Services. In addition, there are strong opportunities for commercialization of the Ultrahigh definition microdisplay for a diverse array of applications ranging from first responders/security and medical imaging to personal communication devices and electronic gaming.

Keywords:
Microdisplay, Oled, Active Matrix Oled, Hmd, Dynamic Range, Ultrahigh Definition, Ultrahigh Refresh Rate, Angular Visual Acuity

Commercialization of a very high definition (HD) (> 2.3 megapixel) color Active Matrix OLED microdisplay has the potential to significantly increase warfighter effectiveness without compromises in resolution, field of view and digital capability. Warfighters require high performance virtual displays that provide 20/20 visual acuity with high information content, suitable for today’s/future network centric battlespace. Combining OLED technology with advanced CMOS semiconductor processes has led to the successful development of a HD WUXGA microdisplay. The inherent high contrast and fast response of OLED technology have contributed to the superior image quality/video performance of AMOLED displays. These attributes of OLED technology facilitate a path to a higher dynamic range than currently available, as well as provide a refresh rate high enough to eliminate motion artifacts. eMagin will bring the HD WUXGA prototype display to a TRL 7, at which time the display will become a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product for dual use applications, will be listed and promoted as an eMagin Corporation catalog item and will be optimized for volume production. This effort includes a commercial qualification plan that will stress the microdisplays over several environmental parameters, and culminate with the validation of the WUXGA microdisplay as a volume production ready unit.

Keywords:
Wuxga, High Definition (Hd) Microdisplay, Active Matrix Oled, Trl 7 Oled Display, Digital Capable Oled Display, Swap Reductions Through Oled Microdisplay,