Sustainability has become a major trend in recent years, with the e-paper market gaining momentum and being seen as a potential trillion-dollar industry. While electrophoretic e-paper currently leads the market, the emergence of cholesteric liquid crystal display (ChLCD) technology is expected to bring significant changes to the sector.
Understanding the evolution of e-paper
"There are several methods for implementing e-paper technology," says Iris Optronics chairman Albert Liao in an interview with DIGITIMES. "From a physical optics perspective, at least three to four technologies can achieve similar effects to e-paper. However, the core of e-paper lies in its reflective display and memory characteristics."
In 2000, Liao led a project at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) focused on reflective e-paper, aiming to develop flexible e-paper products. The technology builds upon Dr. Doane's 1991 discovery at Kent State University that ChLCD possesses both memory and reflective properties. ITRI spent eight years in development and obtained over 200 related patents. To commercialize ChLCD technology, ITRI formed a joint venture with Fujitsu in 2009.
Liao subsequently initiated a spin-off from ITRI to partner with Fujitsu, founding Iris Optronics to continue driving the application and development of this technology.
Superior performance drives technology adoption
"The core of color display technology lies in beauty," Liao explains. "Only with sufficiently attractive colors and brightness can it successfully replace existing advertising media." According to Liao, ChLCD has a natural advantage from a physical optics perspective, with its brightness performance expected to improve significantly within the next year. While printed materials typically achieve brightness levels of 50% to 60%, ChLCD has the potential to reach 60% to 70% brightness, far surpassing the current implementation of about 30%.
The technology offers wide temperature adaptability, remaining stable in outdoor environments ranging from -20°C to 70°C, making it highly suitable for the advertising market. By combining high brightness with strong environmental resilience, ChLCD delivers high-quality display performance in diverse scenarios.
"ChLCD enables up to 16.7 million colors, almost achieving full-color displays," says Liao. The technology offers more vivid and realistic color representation than traditional e-paper, avoiding color banding and perfectly displaying color details of any image or photo.
Iris Optronics has developed what it calls "Infinity Display," utilizing ChLCD's reflective design that allows half of the light to pass through, enabling the integration of solar panels for self-powered, sustainable use. In outdoor environments, the display requires only two minutes to charge and operates continuously without external power.
Leveraging established industry foundations
The development of ChLCD benefits from the foundation of the LCD industry, with an established supply chain including key components such as liquid crystal materials, alignment films, and optical adhesives (OCA), supported by IC and TCON technologies. Since 2016, Iris Optronics has completed mass production verification of the glass process, built a complete supply chain, and established a commercial application model.
The company is showcasing this technology worldwide, including at the CEATEC exhibition in Japan and through outdoor advertising solutions in Europe and the US. Through collaborations with partners such as AUO, this Taiwan-origin technology is attracting international attention.
Strategic growth initiatives for 2025
Iris Optronics anticipates significant growth in 2025, with product sizes expanding from the current 10-inch and 13-inch models to 27.6 inches. The company plans to launch 32-inch and 42-inch products next year. Smaller products, including 10-inch advertising posters and reading devices, are expected to reach mass production volumes of hundreds of thousands.
"Large outdoor billboards and advertising applications will see accelerated progress," Liao notes, particularly highlighting the 32-inch and 42-inch models featuring the solar-powered Infinity Display technology. Initial production capacity for these applications is estimated to reach tens of thousands of units. The company expects operational growth in 2025 to show a significant leap compared to this year.
Market focus and future development
Iris Optronics plans to expand collaboration in the eye-care market, having already established partnerships with several publishing groups for reading device applications. "The demand for eye-care solutions shows strong market potential among both older and younger consumers," Liao emphasizes. Reading devices are viewed as long-term essentials, becoming another major focus for future development.
Strategic partnerships fuel growth
The company has established partnerships with panel manufacturers to expand its application market. Iris Optronics focuses on diverse customers, including the education and advertising markets, while continually improving research and development to expand display sizes and enhance performance.
On the international front, the company has formed a strategic partnership with Kent State University and Dr. Doane's team, particularly in developing materials for monochrome cholesterol liquid crystals and handwriting applications. Through cooperation with partners like KDI, Iris Optronics has introduced more OEM opportunities into Taiwan's panel manufacturing industry, enhancing product supply capacity and global market reach.
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