March 20, 2008 - General Electric has announced a manufacturing breakthrough that could pave the way for a new generation of affordable, highly energy-efficient electronics. The company has perfected a commercially viable process for manufacturing organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) - devices capable of illuminating TVs and computer displays using a fraction of the electricity required today.

The new process "prints" OLEDs in much the same way that newspapers are run through modern presses - "roll to roll" - delivering significant cost savings to the manufacturer, according to GE.

"Commercial applications in lighting require low manufacturing costs, and this demonstration is a major milestone on our way to developing low cost OLED lighting devices," says Anil Duggal, manager of GE’s Advanced Technology Program in Organic Electronics. “Beyond OLEDs, this technology also could have broader impact in the manufacturing of other organic electronic devices such as organic photovoltaics for solar energy conversion, sensors, and roll-up displays.”

OLEDs have the advantage over liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in that they illuminate screens without a backlight, which requires addition energy to function.

GE has made greener products a major focus of its business strategy in recent years. Its Ecomagination program, launched in May 2005, aims to develop new products and technologies that help address environmental challenges. So far, more than 45 products have been brought to market, with revenues of $12 billion and orders reaching past $50 billion.