CDT Ltd

Cambridge Display Technology (CDT), headquartered in Cambridge UK, is a publicly owned company (listed on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol OLED), which was spun out of Cambridge University in 1992. Today it leads the research and commercialisation of polymer light emitting device (P-OLED) technology, designed for use in flat panel displays, lighting and photovoltaic applications.

CDT holds an extensive patent and know-how portfolio relating to the use of conjugated polymers and the manufacture of devices based on them.

CDT's technologies are based on organic chemicals that emit light when stimulated electrically, and the resulting devices are used in electronic displays for information management, communications and entertainment, potentially including the next generation of large panel televisions.

Features that drive consumer adoption of the technology include extreme thinness and lightness, lower power consumption, very wide viewing angles, high contrast and very fast video response.

CDT continues to develop the technology with its team of around 100 scientists, and has made dramatic breakthroughs in improved lifetimes and colour values. It also develops P-OLED manufacturing processes at its Technical Development Centre near Cambridge, and supplies ink jet equipment and materials for printing of P-OLEDs.

CDT's business model is broad, including licensing, technology development and technology transfer, skills development and the supply of manufacturing and test equipment. Licenses have been granted to Delta Opto Electronics (Taiwan), DuPont (USA), Dai Nippon Printing (Japan), Eastgate (Singapore), MicroEmissive Displays (UK), Osram (Germany), Seiko Epson (Japan), Sumitomo Chemical (Japan) and others.

CDT has a joint venture operation with Sumitomo Chemical called Sumation, which is the focus for the development and supply of materials used in P-OLED displays.

Many of the world's display makers have active P-OLED research and development programmes and CDT works with a number of them to jointly develop the technology.