"When I first saw the light," recalls Jeremy Burroughes, "it was really only seconds before I realized how big this could be." The light in question, a mysterious glow emanating from a table in his lab, led the University of Cambridge scientist to discover the light-emitting polymer (LEP), a plastic that glows when subjected to electrical current. Burroughes and his team quickly patented the material and launched Cambridge Display Technology to pursue profitable applications, such as thin plastic displays that produce faster refresh rates and wider viewing angles than current LCDs.
After seven years of development, the technology was licensed to Philips and Seiko-Epson in 1996. The first plastic-display mobile phones will hit the shelves by late 2000. LEP laptop and television screens - like this miniature prototype - will reach consumers in the next few years.
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