April 13, 2011 — Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) launched the Applied AKT-Aristo Twin system for manufacturing touch-enabled displays. Featuring two independent processing tracks on a single system, the AKT-Aristo Twin enables simultaneous fabrication of two different film stacks.
There are several touch screen technologies on the market, with capacitive multi-touch displays being the preferred technology for mobile applications. Advanced multi-touch displays require the deposition of up to 15 or more PVD film layers during manufacturing. The new AKT-Aristo Twin system can fabricate glass- and rigid plastic-based advanced touch panels, providing up to 50% higher throughput than competing systems and using half the manufacturing space, Applied Materials claims.
"Touch screens are enabling the next wave of growth in flat panel displays, providing smartphone and tablet PC users with a faster, more intuitive interface," said Tom Edman, group vice president and general manager of Applied’s Display Business Group, who added that AMAT has shipped multiple systems, mainly to major manufacturers in China and Taiwan.
Based on the AKT New Aristo PVD platform for LCD color filter and touch panel applications, the AKT-Aristo Twin system is capable of handling substrate sizes up to 5.5m2 (2.2 x 2.5m). The parallel architecture provides a compact footprint and potentially eliminates the need for multiple systems. The system also features leading-edge rotary target technology to achieve high production yield and the lowest available cost-per-substrate.
Applied Materials will showcase the capabilities of its AKT-Aristo Twin system at the 2011 FineTech Japan Exhibition and Conference, April 13-15 in Tokyo.
Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) provides innovative equipment, services and software to enable the manufacture of advanced semiconductor, flat panel display and solar photovoltaic products. To learn more, visit www.appliedmaterials.com/display.
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