Kodak, Sanyo Say Thin Is In For Device ScreensKodak, Sanyo Say Thin Is In For Device Screens

Just when we thought display screens couldn't get any thinner, Kodak and Sanyo said last week they're forming a $350 million joint venture to manufacture ultrathin, organic-light-emitting diode screens. Kodak and Sanyo expect the joint venture, SK Display, to be in full production mode by early 2003, setting its sights on the LCD market. Kodak will invest $125 million in cash, and Sanyo $225 million in cash and loans.

The new screens are slated for use in cell phones, CD players, digital cameras, and PDAs. They'll have self-luminous pixels, so they won't need backlights. The active-matrix screens promise to not only be slimmer, but more colorful than LCDs. They'll consume less power, provide an unlimited viewing angle, and should lead to thinner designs of the products in which they'll be used.