Light-emitting polymer (LEP) displays are attractive to electronic gadget makers because the plastics glow brightly and use little power. But fabricating a polymer layer a mere micro-meter thick can be ex-pensive. A Santa Barbara, Calif., startup, Uniax, has patented an easier and cheaper way to manufacture LEP displays. Uniax first dissolves the LEPs in a common organic solvent, then deposits the solution directly onto the substrate.

Uniax is initially targeting monochrome displays for handheld units such as cell phones and pagers. The company says it has built prototypes and expects companies to start testing LEP-endowed products by year’s end.