Seiko Epson Corporation (“Epson”, TYO: 6724) and Chilin Technology Co., Ltd. (“CHILIN”), a leading Taiwanese supplier of flat-panel display solutions, today announced they had come to an agreement to jointly supply essential components for e-paper used in for low power displays.

Although consumer applications such as e-books are currently the mainstream, many observers believe that demand for e-paper-based products for display applications*1 in such segments as retail, logistics, advertising and healthcare will show significant growth going forward. Epson and Chilin believe that demand will focus on compact, energy-efficient e-paper displays.

Epson is the number one*2 supplier of e-paper display controller ICs for E Ink’s industry-leading e-paper, and is widely acclaimed for its high-performance products. Chilin is renowned for its abundant lineup of low power e-paper displays and for a fine track record in proposing display solutions that meet the various needs of its customers. To provide e-paper components that are both compact and energy efficient to promising growth markets, the two companies will select from their respective lineups the optimum combination of ICs (Epson) and e-paper displays (Chilin), and offer them to customers as a set.

By using a combination of Epson and Chilin e-paper components, customers in the industrial segment will be able to facilitate the rapid and efficient development of e-paper-based products for various applications.

Epson’s role
Epson will supply ICs suited to controlling e-paper displays manufactured by Chilin aimed at customers planning e-paper products for industrial applications. In addition to strengthening its sales network for such products, Epson will utilize its many years of expertise in developing semiconductors to develop compact, energy-efficient microcomputer ICs optimized for controlling compact e-paper displays.

Chilin’s role
Chilin plans to offer a rich lineup of compact, low power e-paper displays suitable for a wide range of industrial applications. Chilin’s proposals to customers will also include Epson ICs optimized for controlling its e-paper displays.

By working together to provide e-paper components and technical support, the two companies plan to solve issues*2 facing the industrial segment, and further contribute to the spread of e-paper.

*1 For example, by using highly readable paper-like e-paper displays for electronic price tags, retailers can retain the displayed contents even after the power source is switched off and easily input and output data, resulting in cost savings.
*2 Market share of display controller ICs for e-books using e-paper. (According to Epson research, September 21, 2010.)

About Epson
Epson is a global imaging and innovation leader that is dedicated to exceeding the vision of customers worldwide through its compact, energy-saving, high-precision technologies, with a product lineup ranging from printers and 3LCD projectors for business and the home, to electronic and crystal devices.
Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises over 70,000 employees in 106 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and the communities in which it operates.
http://global.epson.com/

Contact
Alastair Bourne
Seiko Epson Corp.
contact@epson.co.jp