Posted: March 25, 2008

Bidirectional microdisplay (OLED on CMOS)

(Nanowerk News) For the first time ever, OLEDs and OLED-on-CMOS integration offer the possibility to integrate highly efficient light sources with photo detectors on a single CMOS chip. This enables monolithically integrated optoelectronic applications based on standard silicon.
One possibility of implementation are emitting and sensing elements nested into each other in array structures, which together form a so-called Bidirectional Microdisplay, i.e. an element that displays an image and acts as a camera at the same time. Such a component will lead to new generation of personalized information systems that on one hand provide visual information to the user and on the other hand are sensitive to visual interaction.
Using some sort of modified eyeglasses the user will perceive her or his environment the usual way, additional optical information will be provided using the information system (Augmented Reality). This information may be adapted to the overall context, both unconsciously and by intent. Without using the hands or spoken commands the user can control the presented information just with movement or actions of the eyes.
At SID 2008, Fraunhofer IPMS will present a respective demonstrator for the first time, which clearly shows the future possibilities of this technology.
Source: Fraunhofer Institut Photonische Mikrosysteme