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SEL has a patent that describes a two transistor drive circuit that is believed to be necessary to make a successful active matrix OLED based display. However, it has yet to be demonstrated as being the only solution or more appropriate way forward, says the company.

SEL interests and superlative performance extend far beyond OLEDs. The Semiconductor Energy Laboratory is a very prolific developer of best-in-class printed and potentially printed electronics of many forms.

SEL was set up around 1980 to support Japanese industry with specialist facilities and its number of patents is a Guinness world record. In the field of semiconductor devices, thin film transistors, solar panels etc, SEL had 12,004 patents by May 2004.

SEL prioritises OLEDs and these are current driven which means they prioritise thin film silicon drive circuits. For example, in the period 2003-2005, it was the second most prolific patentor of OLEDs after Canon.

Yamazaki Shunpei of Semiconductor Energy Laboratory filed more organic/ thin film patents than any one else in the world with 271 patents and more OLED patents than anyone else in the world in the period 2003-5, his name being on 104 OLED patents in that period. Seo Satoshi of SEL filed 58 patents making him number four in OLED patents in the world and Nomura Ryoji filed 37 such patents. In that period, SEL filed three organic laser patents, level with the other world leader Eastman Kodak in organic lasers.

The Semiconductor Energy Laboratory in Japan has an extensive product portfolio in the area of TFT devices and manufacturing. Many Japanese organizations involved in LCD technology either license or cross-license TFT technology from SEL.

Seiko Epson has an extensive cross license agreement in place for high temperature polysilicon technology and low temperature polysilicon. SEL has a strategic relationship with DuPont working towards the integration of TFT and OLED technology.