Kateeva experts inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for their OLED device

 

At a recent gala event in Washington DC to celebrate US innovation, Kateeva’s (Newark, California) CTO Emeritus, Steven Van Slyke was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) for 2018. Van Slyke was recognised  for his co-invention of the OLED device. He shared the accolade with his co-inventor, Ching Tang. Kateeva’s CEO, Alain Harrus, and president, Conor Madigan, joined the celebration to honour the two for their ground-breaking invention.

The NIHF was founded in 1973 in partnership with the US Patent and Trademark Office. It is the premier non-profit organisation in America dedicated to recognising inventors and invention, promoting creativity, and advancing the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. In addition to Van Slyke and Tang, 13 innovators were inducted into the class of 2018.

Van Slyke joined Kateeva in 2010 as chief technology officer (CTO) when OLED technology was in its infancy. He played a pivotal role in the company’s development of an inkjet deposition platform for OLED display applications. Today, Kateeva’s YIELDjet FLEX tool is a leading mass-production system for the organic thin film encapsulation (TFE) layer of mobile OLED displays. Van Slyke continues his association with Kateeva as CTO Emeritus.

The NIHF accolade is the latest honour for Van Slyke and Tang. In 2013 they were inducted into the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame for their OLED device co-invention.

In his tribute to Van Slyke at last night’s gala, Madigan said: “We are thrilled for Steve and Ching to receive this prestigious recognition. Their remarkable invention inspired a new generation of scientists and engineers to study OLED technology, gave rise to a new global industry, and created countless jobs in the US and abroad. At Kateeva, Steve didn’t just apply his vision and technical talents to help us develop manufacturing equipment technology solutions used in the mass-production of OLED panels; he was also a trusted confidante to me and a generous mentor to Kateeva employees. We are grateful for his considerable contributions to Kateeva, and I feel personally privileged to have played a small role in helping to realise his and Ching’s OLED vision.”

Caption: Steven Van Slyke & Ching Tang at the Hall of Fame ceremony (photo: Kateeva)