- 14 February 2006 -

CDT expands patent portfolio

Pioneer in the development of light emitting polymers, Cambridge Display Technology (CDT), has announced the acquisition of a new portfolio of patent rights from Maxdem Inc.

This portfolio includes five US patent applications and their foreign equivalents relating to new light emitting polymer compositions and applications. The deal also includes a license to a large number of patents / applications relating to polyphenylene polymers and other polymer compositions and purification methods. These are expected to be useful in future materials improvements.

The acquisition will also strengthen what CDT believes to be its already dominant patent position in solution processable OLED materials and devices.

Included in the acquisition from Maxdem is a patent application for the invention of phosphorescent compositions containing a critical class of polymer materials in combination with metals / metal ions. CDT believes this provides a fundamental position in the use of conjugated polymers to achieve high efficiency phosphorescent emission in solution processable devices, whether for ink jet printing or any other means of solution processing.

In due course, the acquired rights will be transferred to Sumation(TM), which will incorporate this new technology into its materials development activity. Sumation has shown remarkable progress in materials performance since CDT formed this joint venture with Sumitomo Chemical in November 2005.

CDT believes that any solution processable material whether fluorescent or phosphorescent will require the use of conjugated polymers and will therefore fall within its fundamental patents. In addition, CDT also holds the important patent rights on the use of dendrimers in OLEDs, and holds licensing rights to the key Seiko Epson patents relating to ink jet printing in relation to any OLED containing a conjugated polymer. With the Maxdem acquisition, CDT believes that it will now be able to control the use of metal / metal ions in combination with key polymers.