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36 SMT Magazine • August 2014 PE: tRaDItIONaL PROCEssEs ENaBLINg NEXt-gENERatION ELECtRONICs continues FEaTuRE nical performance and value, relative to com- peting reflective displays and thin film transis- tors (TFTs). Printed electroluminescent displays have already made inroads into mobile phones and e-readers/tablets. There is huge potential for printed displays in television. Samsung and LG are reportedly working on printed displays for TVs after introducing their bendable phones. The ongoing technology advancements in manufacturing methods, materials, conductive inks, and transistors, are expected to lower the cost of OLEDs to a level suitable for the mass- volume TV market. Leading advantages printed displays are its new form factors, which include flexibility, light-weight, and thin structure, en- abling a variety of applications, such as wear- able devices. Printed displays are highly energy efficient as the displays are self-emitting and no energy is thus wasted because of filtering, which al- lows higher power efficiency and lower power consumption. Printed displays also have vari- ous performance advantages that include high contrast ratio, improved brightness, a swift re- sponse time and enables a wider viewing angle of 180 degrees. Printed lighting is finding increased interest and usage in applications such as signage, archi- tectural and industrial lighting, vehicular light- ing, a general illumination and in backlights. Printed lighting is still in the development phase and many technological modifications are expected in the coming years. The compara- tively shorter lifespan of printed lighting against Figure 2: Key application areas of printed electronics.