LG Display releases flexible e-paper display

A 25-year-old college student received an e-book reader as a gift in summer 2010. The device is equipped with electronic paper using electronic ink, so it does not hurt his eyes though he reads books on it for a long time.

A book lover, the student says he prefers the e-book device to tablet computers such as the Galaxy Tab or iPad. One day, he found the device`s LCD screen cracked inside a bag due to pressure from books and a laptop computer. He immediately went to a service center but was told that the screen needed replacement, and ultimately paid a sum equal to half of the device`s price to replace the screen.

From 2009, e-book readers such as the Iriver Story and Interpark’s Biscuit began to be put on the market. The devices are considered suitable for reading as they are lighter than tablet PCs and cause less eyestrain.

Their main weakness is durability, however, since their screens are made of glass. According to an LG Display survey, about 10 percent of e-book users say their screens cracked.

To remedy this, LG said Thursday that it has developed the world’s first 6-inch plastic-based e-paper. The e-paper is 0.7 millimeter thick, a third of the thickness of glass-based e-paper. To produce the paper, LG used a printed circuit board as thin as protective film for mobile phones. It is bent to 40 degrees and weighs 14 grams, half the weight of glass e-paper.

The new material is also more durable. LG said an e-book reader made of the e-paper failed to crack though it was dropped from a height of 1.5 meters or hit by a small urethane hammer.

A company source said, “We have significantly enhanced durability and portability, but the price is almost the same as glass e-paper. So the new e-paper can be used in various areas.”

A variety of flexible and thin e-book readers will put on the market this year, experts said.

The source said, “Except for low power consumption and affordability, the existing e-paper has nothing to differentiate itself from the LCD used in tablet PCs,” adding, “If plastic e-paper is mass produced, e-book readers with a new concept will emerge."

kyu@donga.com