E Ink enters tech industry collaboration for electronic shelf labels

18 Apr 2024 --- E-paper technology company E Ink is replacing paper labels with e-paper shelf labels for increased retailer efficiency and lower carbon emissions.

To achieve this goal, E Ink is collaborating with ecosystem partners Realtek Semiconductor (Realtek), Integrated Solutions Technology (IST) and Chipbond Technology Corporation (Chipbond) to develop the System on Panel (SoP) architecture. 

The technology will be integrated into the next-generation electronic shelf label (ESL), which will be jointly developed with the system integrator, Solum. The collaboration aims to deliver sustainability via reduced material usage, lower power consumption and simplified production processes to simplify the material structure of ESL. 

“Replacing paper labels with e-paper shelf labels brings higher efficiency and lower energy consumption to retailers,” says Johnson Lee, CEO at E Ink. 

“Our commitment to advancing e-paper technology drives us to continue collaborations with our supply chain partners. We worked together to develop technology to realize the potential of SoP on e-paper panels and to drive the next-generation electronic shelf label. The newly developed e-paper label solution will bring higher operational efficiency to retailers and contribute positively to carbon reduction efforts.”

E-paper shelf labels bring higher efficiency and lower energy consumption to retailers, says Lee.Competitively printed products
Realtek will supply a low-power Bluetooth System on Chip (SoC) technology, while E Ink provides technical expertise and knowledge of e-paper displays and embedding integrated circuits (IC) directly onto glass and flexible substrates. 

The latest IC technology developed in collaboration with IST and Chipbond utilizes a new Conical Granule Au bump (CGA bump) to replace traditional gold bumps in the packaging process. 

This replacement reduces the amount of gold material necessary in IC packaging and testing, providing reliable, stable and competitively priced products, asserts E Ink. Global ESL system integrator, SOLUM, will also join in the development of the next generation ESL solution. The aim is to introduce thinner, lighter and more energy-efficient ESLs into the retail market as soon as possible.

The SoP technology integrates IC, panel and system production together, reducing processes, materials, volume and lowering energy consumption. It also establishes the system directly on the glass or flexible substrate, eliminating the need for additional printed circuit boards. 

Slashing emissions
Collaboration goals are overcoming challenges related to IC bonding, reducing line resistance, integrating antennas and utilizing Anisotropic Conductive Film processes.

ESLs bring significant carbon reduction to retail environments, highlights E Ink. Based on the most commonly used 3-inch e-paper labels, approximately 600 million units have been installed globally in the past seven years. 

If the information is updated four times a day, the CO2 emissions generated by using paper labels are 32,000 times higher than e-paper labels, according to the e-paper technology company.

E Ink stresses that by considering 30 million 10-inch electronic shelf labels worldwide and using them continuously for five years, the CO2 emissions from LCD displays are 12,000 times higher than e-paper displays in terms of power consumption. Compared to disposable printed paper, the carbon dioxide emissions from paper are 60,000 times higher than e-paper displays.

Edited by Natalie Schwertheim