TOKYO, Japan, May 20th 2008 -- Sumitomo Chemical announced today that it will build a new P-OLED manufacturing process development line at its Ehime works in Shikoku, Japan. The new line, which is to be installed in existing clean rooms, will be used to develop and demonstrate fully integrated manufacturing processes required for the production of low cost, full colour P-OLED panels in high yield.

Process technology, including device design, equipment specifications, and fabrication know-how, will be transferred to Ehime from Cambridge Display Technology (CDT), UK. Sumitomo and CDT will further refine and demonstrate process capabilities at the pilot line in Ehime.

Sumitomo Chemical began working on P-OLED technology in 1989. In 2001, Sumitomo Chemical and CDT Ltd. of Cambridge, England, entered into a technical assistance agreement, including technology licensing for light-emitting materials, and in September, 2007 Sumitomo Chemical acquired CDT Ltd. to ensure and accelerate the commercialisation of P-OLEDs. Sumitomo and CDT also previously formed a joint venture - Sumation - to develop and commercialise the P-OLED materials.

The investment in a manufacturing process development line will bring together process technology from CDT, latest light emitting polymer materials from Sumation, and engineering and manufacturing know-how from Sumitomo’s colour filter and IT-related materials business to demonstrate the full potential of P-OLED technology in terms of display resolution, substrate scaleability, and manufacturing cost and yield.

K. Nakae, Sumitomo’s Executive Officer responsible for Corporate Planning, said “We are convinced that solution-processable polymer-based technology is the preferred approach for the fabrication of high resolution OLED displays. We have seen the excellent progress made at CDT and have decided to invest in an integrated line at Ehime to take the manufacturing and process technology to the next level.”

About P-OLEDs 
P-OLEDs have a number of intrinsic advantages over other display technologies. For example:

• P-OLED, as part of the family of OLEDs, is an emissive technology: P-OLED devices emit light as a function of their electrical operation.
• P-OLED displays consists of polymer materials deposited on a substrate of glass or plastic, and do not require additional elements such as backlights or filters.
• P-OLED technology is very energy efficient and lends itself to the creation of ultra-thin lighting displays that will operate at lower voltages.

The resulting benefits include brighter, clearer displays with viewing angles approaching 180 degrees, simpler construction offering the potential for cheaper, more robust display modules, and ultra-fast response times allowing full colour video pictures even at low temperature.

About CDT
Cambridge Display Technology (CDT), headquartered at Cambourne near Cambridge in the UK, was spun out of Cambridge University in 1992 and acquired by Sumitomo Chemical, Japan in September 2007. Together CDT and Sumitomo lead the research and commercialization of light emitting polymer technology used in displays and lighting applications. Devices incorporating this technology are often referred to as P-OLED, or polymer organic light emitting diode, devices. CDT holds an extensive patent and know-how portfolio relating to P-OLED materials and devices and actively licenses this portfolio to display and lighting companies around the world. More information on CDT can be found at: www.cdtltd.co.uk

About Sumitomo Chemical:
Sumitomo Chemical Co. Limited is one of Japan's leading chemical companies with sales of 1,897Billion JPY(consolidated) ended March 31, 2008, offering a diverse range of products in the fields of basic chemicals, petrochemicals, fine chemicals, IT-related chemicals, agricultural chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Sumitomo Chemical has positioned display materials as one of its core business areas and, while it continues to expand its liquid crystal display materials business, it is also concentrating its efforts on the development of next-generation display materials with a particular focus on P-OLEDs.

While expanding business worldwide and aggressively pursuing cutting-edge R&D, Sumitomo Chemical continually strives to contribute to the sustainable development of society through its Responsible Care activities.
More information on Sumitomo Chemical can be found at: www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp