Category Archives: Touch Technologies

March 13, 2012 – Marketwire — Engineered films maker UniPixel Inc. (NASDAQ:UNXL) will have Carestream Tollcoating manufacture and distribute its Diamond Guard protective cover films for displays including finger print resistant (FPR), anti-glare (AG), and DGU (Diamond Guard Ultra) Hard Coat versions.

Diamond Guard film is based on UniPixel’s proprietary resins and Carestream Tollcoating’s manufacturing, coating, and converting processes.

Carestream Tollcoating provides high-precision contract coating services and optical grade PET film, specializing in the application of aqueous and solvent coatings on flexible substrates for imaging, printed electronics, display, electronic component, nanotechnology, battery, and other flexible advanced material markets. Unipixel praised its partner’s expertise in solutions preparation, film manufacturing, converting and packaging.

"Several dozen major electronic OEMs and ODMs are currently evaluating and testing Diamond Guard film using product produced both in-house and during the Carestream Tollcoating certification production runs," said UniPixel CEO Reed Killion, noting that some of these evaluation sites are now submitting purchase orders for test piloting purposes, with production-level shipments the next step.

With certification completed, Carestream Tollcoating can offer production capacity of more than 100 million square feet a year.

The premium-grade protective cover films boast visual transparency, scratch resistance, and bubble-free installation. They address a range of consumer markets and applications, from mobile and medical device protective covers to retail signage and the automotive aftermarket.

Carestream Tollcoating, a division of Carestream Health, Inc., is a premium contract coating services provider specializing in the application of aqueous and solvent coatings on flexible substrates for display component, battery component, membrane, medical devices, nanotechnology, imaging products and other flexible advanced materials. Internet: www.tollcoating.com or www.carestream.com.

UniPixel Inc. (NASDAQ:UNXL) delivers performance engineered films to the lighting, display and flexible electronics markets. UniPixel’s high-volume roll-to-roll or continuous flow manufacturing process offers high-fidelity replication of advanced micro-optic structures and surface characteristics over large areas. For further information, visit www.unipixel.com.

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March 9, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Optical touch technology provider Neonode Inc. (OTCBB:NEON) entered into a multi-year technology license agreement with a leading global office equipment manufacturer. The first product, based on Neonode’s Multi-Sensing touch display solution, will launch by Q3 2012.

The Multi-Sensing technology will improve performance and user interface on low-cost, high-volume entry model office products, replacing low-performance resistive touch technology.

zForce, Neonode’s Multi-Sensing technology, will be integrated with the color LCD panels on a line of office equipment. Neonode has completed the integration of zForce with the first batch of products included in the agreement.

Also read: Neonode licenses optical touchscreen tech to consumer OEM

Neonode will receive an undisclosed license fee for each unit of the products sold that features the Multi-Sensing technology. There is no minimum or maximum total amount of license fees that Neonode can receive as a result of this customer agreement.

Neonode, Inc. (OTCBB: NEON) is a provider of optical touch technologies. For more information, please visit www.neonode.com.

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SEMI has acquired the Plastics Electronics Conference and Exhibition, a move which will help advance the successful commercialization of new products in the field of organic and inorganic large area electronics (OLAE). The Plastics Electronics Conference, organized by a prestigious committee of industry and academic leaders, has co-located with SEMICON Europa since 2010.  Following the acquisition, the organizing committee will serve as a Plastic Electronics Special Interest Group, guiding SEMI activities and services worldwide.

OLAE promises a large market potential of over $50 billion by 2020 according to the Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and several other research organizations. The technology is an answer to many challenges in our society with regard to renewable energy, environment protection, information, entertainment, communication, e-mobility, health and more. OLAE covers five important areas — OLED Lighting, Organic and Inorganic Photovoltaic, OLED Displays, Organic Electronics and Integrated Smart Systems — which all have a similar disruptive technology in common.

 The Plastic Electronics Special Interest Group (PE-SIG) will be governed by distinguished board members from leading industry corporations, research institutes and academia, including executives from BASF, Merck, Technical University of Dresden, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and others. The PE-SIG of SEMI will focus its activities on Roadmaps, Standardization, Industry Research and Statistics, Conferences, Exhibitions and Public Policy worldwide. The 8th edition of the Electronic Conference and Exhibition will be held in conjunction with SEMICON Europa in Dresden (9-11 October 2012) and will be extended to other regions in the future.

 “The SEMI track record of using global industry collaboration, advocacy and standards to expand and optimize major industries such as semiconductors, displays, solar PV, and related technologies will greatly help the emerging OLAE industry to move from lab to fab,” says Dr. Karl Hahn, senior vice-president of BASF and board member of the newly established PE-SIG. “There are substantial synergies between technologies, equipment, materials, and services among SEMI member companies and the rapidly developing OLAE industry,” says Thomas Morrow, head of Emerging Markets at SEMI Headquarters.

March 1, 2012 — Dynamic changes in the flat panel display (FPD) industry range from new liquid crystal display (LCD), active-matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED), touch, and flexible technologies to the emergence of China as the leading consumer and manufacturer of display products. FPD China, a display technology exposition taking place March 20-22 in Shanghai alongside SEMICON China and SOLARCON China, covers the entire industry supply chain with 3 main areas: Equipment, materials and components; Panel and modules; and End products.

FPD China attracts the global top 10 display suppliers, emerging Chinese suppliers, leading global panel makers, and leading consumer brands of China.

Special pavilions will highlight touch and next-generation display technologies, including the latest in 3D and advanced man-machine interfaces. A new Cross-strait AMOLED Industry Forum will feature leading FPD panel makers and suppliers from Taiwan and China.

With a strong partnership between SEMI and SID, FPD China 2012 also features the 2012 China FPD Conference (March 21-22), which provides an international platform for leading FPD industry technologists, analysts, and executives. Highlighted speakers will share their latest knowledge with keynote presentations on March 21:

  • “Technology and Application Outlooks for Small-Middle Size Display” by Jia-Heng Wang, co-chief operating officer and executive vice president of BOE Group
  • “Evolving Glass Solutions Address Challenges in Advanced Display Trends” by Fang Li, president of Corning Display Technologies China
  • “Greener TFT-LCD and Display Panels” by Han-pin Hsieh, professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Chiao Tung University (Hsinchu, Taiwan) 
  • “Orientation of China Mobile Display Market” by Qing-Quan Liu, Marketing director of Tianma Micro-electronic

In addition, the FPD Conference includes technical sessions on Next Display Technology; Touch Screen; Naked-Eye 3D; 2 sessions on TFT-LCD; and OLED.

For more information, visit www.fpdchina.org.

SEMI is a global industry association serving the nano- and microelectronic manufacturing supply chains.

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February 29, 2012 – Marketwire — UniPixel Inc. (NASDAQ:UNXL), engineered films developer for touchscreens, flexible printed electronics, lighting, and displays, entered a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI, NASDAQ:TXN) for collaboration on touchscreen controllers and sensors.

The companies will work together to integrate TI’s touch controllers with UniPixel’s UniBoss printed touch sensors, and will investigate beneficial marketing and sales efforts. Through the work on integrating the UniBoss touch sensor films with TI touchscreen controller chips, the companies expect to improve integrated touch products together, said UniPixel CEO Reed Killion.

UniPixel’s high-volume roll-to-roll or continuous flow manufacturing process offers high-fidelity replication of advanced micro-optic structures and surface characteristics over large areas. UniBoss is a roll-to-roll printed electronics process, patterning conductive traces on plastic and paper substrates with trace widths down to ~5um. It can be used to apply conductive circuits on one or both sides of a single film substrate.

TI (NASDAQ:TXN) designs and produces analog and digital chipsets, and its line of touch controllers are used by the top manufacturers in numerous handheld electronic devices on the market. Learn more at www.ti.com.

UniPixel Inc. (NASDAQ:UNXL) delivers performance engineered films to the lighting, display and flexible electronics markets. A key focus for UniPixel is developing electronic conductive films for use in electronic sensors for consumer and industrial applications. For further information, visit www.unipixel.com.

Visit the new Displays Manufacturing Channel on ElectroIQ.com!

February 28, 2012 – JCN Newswire — Hanyang University of Korea, RIKEN of Japan, and other Asian universities and research institutes launched the Asian Research Network (ARN) to strengthen research and educational cooperation across Asia. ARN members have produced transparent touch sensors using carbon nanotubes (CNT), and inks that can print electronic circuits that change color under heat or UV exposure.

Choi Eunsuk and colleagues made a transparent touch sensor using optically transparent and electrically conductive CNT thin films. Applications include flexible electronic interfaces such as e-paper or television displays. Access the article: Choi Eunsuk, Kim Jinoh, et al. "Fabrication of a flexible and transparent touch sensor using single-walled carbon nanotube thin-films" Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Vol. 11 7 pp. 5845-5849 (2011). DOI: 10.1166/jnn.2011.4450

Jong-Man Kim and his team developed an ink solution that can repeatedly change color upon exposure to heat or UV radiation. Applications include printed electronic circuits on paper for lightweight, disposable products. Access the article: B. Yoon, D.-Y. Ham, O. Yarimaga, H. An , C. W. Lee, and J.-M. Kim, "Inkjet Printing of Conjugated Polymer Precursors on Paper Substrates for Colorimetric Sensing and Flexible Electrothermochromic Display", Advanced Materials, 2011, 23, 5492-5497. DOI: 10.1002/adma.201103471

Prof. Haiwon Lee, Director of the Institute of Nanoscience and Technology at Hanyang University in South Korea has decades of experience building research alliances across Asia. ARN started as an alliance between two universities, and now incorporates dozens of organizations across Asia: The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Samsung Electronics, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research and National University of Singapore, among others. They collaborate at the Fusion Technology Center in Seoul, South Korea.

To find out more about the research conducted at the recent studies mentioned here, the Fusion Technology Center or how to get involved with the Asian Research Network please visit http://www.asianrn.org.

Distributed for Hanyang University by ResearchSEA. See more at http://www.researchsea.com/html/article.php/aid/6999/cid/1/.

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February 28, 2012 — Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ:CY) released a single-layer touchscreen sensor with multitouch capability, the SLIM (Single-Layer Independent Multitouch) sensor. SLIM is a single-substrate, single-layer indium tin oxide (ITO) touchscreen sensor with no additional insulation layers or bridges. It can be deposited directly on the display’s cover glass.

The product targets low-cost, high-accuracy touchscreen phones — including feature phones — with pinch, zoom, flick, drag, and other gesture recognition in capacitive touchscreens. It costs reportedly 40% less than other multi-touch sensors, with a thinner sensor module.

The SLIM sensor pattern can eliminate the requirement for a 2mm side bezel on each side of the end product. Borderless diplay modules using the SLIM touch sensor can use larger displays without changing the phone form factor.

The SLIM sensor is available with Cypress’ Gen4 controllers, among others, with noise immunity for sensor-on-lens configurations that are directly laminated to the display with no shielding or air gaps. Cypress has developed proprietary algorithms that interface with the single-layer sensor. Cypress’s TrueTouch technology also has high signal to noise ratio (SNR), fast refresh rates, low power consumption, and high accuracy and linearity.

Cypress delivers high-performance, mixed-signal, programmable electronics products. Cypress trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol CY. Visit Cypress online at www.cypress.com.

Visit the new Displays Manufacturing Channel on ElectroIQ.com!

February 22, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Optical touch display company Neonode Inc. (NEON.OB) introduced Multi-Sensing technology, which is calls a "more augmented and profound user experience" than traditional multi touch displays.

Multi-Sensing identifies any object and determines its size, the pressure, any depth, the speed and the proximity of an object to a surface. It uses light with zero latency that can sense and determine objects like a pen, brush, bare/gloved finger or larger objects like a hand, at very high speed. Multi-Sensing is built on Neonode’s proprietary optical 2D multi touch technology, zForce.

It can be implemented into commercial devices such as smart phones, tablets and automotive and inflight infotainment systems. Also read: Neonode licenses optical touchscreen tech to OEM

Neonode is demonstrating the technology at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in the Swedish pavilion, hall 2.0 booth #2J31.

Neonode is a provider of optical touch technologies for portable devices. Neonode offers technology licenses and engineering design services. Neonode Inc. is traded on the OTCBB under the symbol NEON.OB.

Visit the new Displays Manufacturing Channel on ElectroIQ.com!

Attend US FPD Smart Displays


February 17, 2012

February 17, 2012 — US FPD Smart Displays Conference: From Emerging to Mainstream will take place February 28-29 in San Diego, CA with speakers from display materials, components, user interfaces, connectivity, content platforms, delivery and display systems, and retail sectors. Speakers hail from Intel, LG Electronics, Toshiba, Corning, Qualcomm, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp, hhgregg, Yahoo! and other companies.

While flat panel display (FPD) technology has advanced for decades, intelligently connecting these displays is a more recent advancement that could shake up how displays are used. Increasingly, computing power is shifting to the display itself, on TVs, tablets, notebooks, phones and more devices. Smart displays add value to products in increasingly competitive and price-pressured markets, said Paul Semenza, SVP of NPD DisplaySearch, which hosts the conference. Smart displays open up the potential for new technologies and usage modes, and new ways to meet consumer needs.

The conference covers smart displays for TVs, tablets and notebooks, examining the required technologies and system designs for smart displays. Representatives throughout the flat panel display, capacitive touch, 3D display, mobile device and emerging display industries will participate.

NPD DisplaySearch and sister company NPD In-Stat will give more than 30 presentations on the industry’s direction, strategy, and opportunities.

On the retail side, Dennis May, CEO of retailer hhgregg, will discuss how to deliver TV industry growth in 2012, and the retailers’ roles in the success of new display products.

US FPD Smart Displays agenda:
Day 1:

Advancing Smart Display Technologies

  • Market Overview by Paul Semenza, Senior Vice President, Analyst Services, NPD DisplaySearch
  • Next Generation Displays: We Get There with Glass by Robert O’Brien, Director, Marketing Intelligence, Corning 
  • Advancing the “Art of the Possible” in Large Screen Displays by Jim Sanduski, Vice President, Strategic Product Marketing, Sharp

Interactivity-New User Interfaces for Smart Displays

  • Human-Machine Interactive: Touch and Touch-Less Control by Dr. Jennifer Colegrove, Vice President, Display Technologies, NPD DisplaySearch
  • The Power of Multi-Touch: Revolutionizing the User Experience via a New Foundation for Tomorrow’s Industrial and Commercial Applications by Gene Halsey, Product Line Director, Touch Revolution, a TPK Company
  • In Touch Between Customers and Business, the Magic of Interactive Digital Signage by Stephen Aguirre, Director Strategic Marketing, TE Touch Solutions
  • The Gesture Revolution: On, Off, and In the Display by Vincent John Vincent, Co-CEO, President & Co-Founder, GestureTek Inc. 
  • The 4th Screen: Voice and Touch Innovation for the Digital Living Room by Gary Clayton, Chief Creative Officer, Nuance Communications

Connectivity — Controlling and Acquiring Devices and Content

  • Connectivity: Controlling and Acquiring Devices & Content by Brian O’Rourke, Research Director, Digital Entertainment, NPD In-Stat
  • Alex Chervet, Senior Director of Marketing, Silicon Image
  • Mark Grodzinsky, Vice President of Marketing, Wilocity
  • Building a Truly Smart Display by Leslie Chard, President, WHDI LLC
  • Unwiring the Next Frontier Isn’t About Radios, It’s Just Software by Kerry Forell, Product Manager for Wireless Display, Intel Marketing Group 
  • Ben Chan, Director, Product Marketing, Entropic

Day 2:
A Conversation with Dennis L. May, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director, hhgregg

  • Stephen Baker, Vice President of Industry Analysis for The NPD Group, will present US sell-through results for 2011 that document the challenges facing the consumer technology industry and then follow that up with an intimate discussion with Dennis May, hhgregg CEO, about how retailers can overcome challenges during this period of transition.

Tablets, Smart Monitors, Cloud Devices and other “Personal” Computers

  • Complementing and Competing with the TV by Richard Shim, Senior Analyst PC/IT Team, NPD DisplaySearch
  • Tablets in Prime Time by Young Bae, Group Manager, Consumer PC/Tablets, Toshiba
  • New Uses, New Purposes, New Attach by Andy Bowden, Senior Strategic Marketing Manager, Displays Global Business Unit, Hewlett-Packard
  • Enabling the Connected Smart Display by Dr. Alan Messer, Senior Director, Advanced Technologies Lab, Samsung Electronics and President and Chairman UPnP Forum 
  • Troy Cross, Vice President of Sales and Alliances for the Americas and Asia, Vlingo

Content and Apps for Smart Displays

  • Russ Schafer, Senior Director, Product Marketing, Yahoo! Connected TV and Desktop
    Content and Ecosystem by Matt Gordon, Vice President Content and Product Solutions, Samsung Electronics
  • Bob Scheffler, Director of Next Generation Video Solutions, Motorola 
  • Tom Paquin, Chief Technology officer, OnLive

TV of the Future

  • TV of the Future: What Is a Key Trend and What Is a Distraction? by Paul Gagnon, Director, North American TV Research, NPD DisplaySearch
  • Ji Park, VP Product Management, Qualcomm
  • Kurt Hoppe, Director of Smart TV Innovation and Alliances, LG Electronics
    Natural Interaction by Bill Rouady, Director, Product Planning for TV Software and Services, Hillcrest Labs
  • Ashwin Navin, CEO and Co-Founder, Flingo
  • Smart Sensor and Lighting for Smarter Displays by Paul Wilmarth, Director of Consumer Segment Marketing, AMS-TAOS Inc

Register for the NPD DisplaySearch US FPD Conference at www.displaysearch.com/usfpd.

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February 17, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Ferro Corporation (NYSE:FOE) entered into joint venture (JV) agreement with China-based rare earth materials refiner Baotou Jin Meng Rare Earth Co. LTD. The JV, Ferro Jinmeng (Suzhou) Polishing Materials Co. Ltd, will manufacture and sell cerium oxide-based polishing materials for liquid crystal display (LCD) and electronics cover glass in China.

Baotou Jin Meng Rare Earth will provide access to high-quality rare earth compounds from its refining operations in Baotou. Ferro’s Surface Technologies business will provide its manufacturing technology, market and applications requirement knowledge.

Manufacturing will take place in Suzhou Office Park, where Ferro has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. Ferro expects manufacturing to begin in the second half of 2012.

Ferro will hold a majority ownership interest in the business, which will be registered in Suzhou, China. The joint venture project is subject to approval by regulatory authorities.

Ferro Corporation supplies technology-based performance materials for manufacturers. Internet: www.ferro.com.

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