Bringing flexible display technology to mass market

The device, named Ledger Stax, is a secure crypto wallet developed by Ledger. FlexEnable collaborated with display manufacturers DKE (Shanghai) and Giantplus (Taiwan) to bring Ledger’s design to life, resulting in a credit card-sized product featuring an E Ink display uniquely wrapped around a 180° bend.

Ledger Stax has a display radius of curvature unprecedented in ePaper display products, made possible by the use of highly flexible organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). These transistors, composed of organic materials and process IP developed, supplied, and licensed by FlexEnable, enable the distinctive design of the display.

With fully qualified manufacturing now underway at DKE and Giantplus, FlexEnable’s OTFT technology stands as the first and only organic transistor in mass production. Unlike traditional silicon-based transistors, these OTFTs are made from polymers and are manufactured directly onto plastic sheets instead of glass. This makes them significantly thinner, lighter, and shatterproof compared to current glass displays.

The production of these flexible OTFT backplanes by Giantplus, a Taiwanese display maker, marks a significant advancement in display technology. This breakthrough paves the way for a new generation of flexible displays and optical modules with previously unimaginable form factors, suitable for applications including AR/VR optics, ePrivacy screens, automotive smart windows, and Organic LCDs.

Chuck Milligan, CEO of FlexEnable, said: “We are extremely proud to have collaborated with Ledger, whose innovative product design and dedication to bringing new technology to market have enabled us to achieve this breakthrough. We have also been very impressed by our partners DKE, who developed a volume production capability to achieve the first ever 180° bend lamination of flexible ePaper displays, and Giantplus, the first fab to implement our unique transistor materials and patented low-temperature process technology into mass production.

“The launch of Ledger Stax represents a significant milestone, not just for our company, but for the entire display industry, and the billon-dollar ePaper display market is just the beginning. As we ramp up production of FlexiOM materials to meet growing demand for Ledger Stax, the established supply chain is now primed to support a range of future applications in AR/VR optics and beyond, to meet the volume needs of our brand partners.”