Category Archives: Displays

May 23, 2012 — Researchers from A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) in Singapore and their commercial partners developed a plastic that reflects 0.09-0.20% of the visible light hitting its surface, thanks to a nanostructuring that mimics the folds in a moth’s eye.

Existing anti-reflective and anti-glare plastics in the market typically have reported reflectivity of around 1% of visible light. The new plastic could improve TV displays, solar cells, and other surfaces.

The plastic maintains low reflectivity (<0.7%) at angles up to 45°, enabling wider viewing angles with less glare on televisions, and larger light-absorption areas on organic solar cells.

Figure. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image showing the engineered anti-reflective nanostructures (left) that mimic structures found in a moth’s eye (moth close-up right, ©iStockphoto.com/Roman Nikolenko).

IMRE developed a nanoimprint process to fabricate the plastic. Nanoimprinting forms the plastic by engineering its physical aspects rather than using chemicals to change material properties. The process evolved from a lithography technology for the semiconductor industry and now suits a range of applications. This plastic is engineered into complex hierarchical “moth-eye” anti-reflective structures by placing nanoscale structures on top of other microstructures.

Now, the researchers are “developing complementary research that allows the technology to be easily ramped-up to an industrial scale,” said Dr Low Hong Yee, IMRE senior scientist leading the research.

Several companies are in the process of licensing the anti-reflective nanostructure technology from Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd, the technology transfer arm of A*STAR. This plastic material is the first successful result of the IMRE-led Industrial Consortium On Nanoimprint (ICON), which partners local and overseas companies to promote the manufacturing of nanoimprint technology. “The…consortium work will benefit our company’s expansion into new markets such as in the touchscreen panel and solar business sectors," said Wilson Kim Woo Yong, director, global marketing from Young Chang Chemical Co. Ltd. ICON promotes versatile, industry-ready nanoimprinting technology that can bring products to the market through sustainable manufacturing. Members of ICON work on joint projects to develop new products and applications that can potentially have huge savings in R&D. ICON began working on anti-reflective materials in August 2010.

The  Institute  of  Materials  Research  and  Engineering  (IMRE) is a research  institute  of  the  Agency  for  Science,  Technology  and Research  (A*STAR) in Singapore. The Institute has capabilities in materials analysis & characterization, design & growth, patterning & fabrication, and synthesis & integration for organic solar cells, photovoltaics, printed electronics, catalysis, bio-mimetics, microfluidics, quantum dots, heterostructures, sustainable materials, atom technology, and other research. For more information about IMRE, visit www.imre.a-star.edu.sg. For more information about A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg.

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May 22, 2012 — Indium Corporation acquired a manufacturing facility in Rome, NY, to expand its production capacities of indium-, gallium-, germanium-, and tin-based materials, as well as other compounds.

Growing sales to solar photovoltaic, flat panel display (FPD), semiconductor and packaging, optical fiber, and light-emitting diode (LED) manufacturers necessitated the expansion.

The new facility enables Indium

May 22, 2012 – ATR-Newswire — Quantum dots (QD) will grow to a $7480.25 million market by 2022, at a ten-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 55.2%, according to Electronics.ca Publications’ report, "Quantum Dots (QD) Market – Global Forecast & Analysis 2012 – 2022."

Quantum dots are advanced semiconductor nanoparticles that output power/light according to nanoparticle size, from 2 to 10nm, and input source. Quantum dots are produced in a variety of methods, such as advanced epitaxial growth in nanocrystals, ion implant, and advanced lithography patterning. Work is being done on continuous-flow microreactors for QD fab, transfer printing, "cooking," and other process technologies.

Quantum dots are primarily in research stages for most applications, with the exception of healthcare. Healthcare benefits from the high precision in tissue labeling, cancer therapy, tumor detection, etc. that QD-based devices can provide.

Other promising application areas include light-emitting diode (LED) products. LED lighting is growing and set to expand dramatically. QD lighting is highly efficient and cost-effective. QD Vision has collaborated with Nexxus Lighting to launch its first QD LED light. QD displays are a related application area. QD Vision recently sold unspecified "quantum dot electroluminescent devices" to the US Department of Defense.

Solar cells are also incorporating quantum dots to control cell efficiency. University of Toronto has achieved an efficiency of 4.2% conversion with solar cell based on colloidal QDs (CQD). Researchers are also working on QD-based paint that can be applied to panels or walls to capture solar energy.

The Americas hold a leadership position in the QD technology market; followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific and China (APAC). Other areas of activity include the Middle East and Africa.

Access the report at http://www.electronics.ca/publications/products/Quantum-Dots-%28QD%29-Market%3A-Global-Forecast-and-Analysis-2012%252d2017.html

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May 22, 2012 — 3M’s Optical Systems Division made its flexible, optically clear 3M FTB3-50 and FTB3-125 films available commercially, to protect sensitive electronics displays from water vapor and oxygen. The films previously were sold under limited R&D agreements.

FTB3 (for flexible, transparent, barrier) film has application in a range of emerging display technologies. FTB3 consists of a base polyester layer (50-125µm thick) with a <2.0µm barrier coating made up of layers of polymer and oxide. It is available in rolls 300mm wide, with larger widths entering the market in Q2.

New technologies incorporating organic electronics or other sensitive components need protection from water vapor and oxygen, said Art Lathrop, marketing manager for 3M Optical Systems Division.

FTB3 is thinner, lighter, more flexible and more impact resistant than glass, 3M reports, which could enable new form factors. “It offers from two to three orders of magnitude better protection from water vapor than packaging grade barrier films, said Lathrop.

The film has a water vapor transfer rate of less than 1×10-3 grams per square meter per day at 20°C. It has an Ra of about 1nm.

“Unlike metal foils, the barrier layer in FTB3 doesn’t conduct electricity,” said Dr. Fred McCormick, senior research specialist within Optical Systems. This could be of interest to display makers requiring an insulating layer.

The film’s flexibility allows roll-to-roll processing of displays.

3M is now developing a range of barrier films using different substrates, additional film layers, and even higher barrier performance for applications ranging from solar panels to electrophoretic, electrochromic, and organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays. 

3M makes a range of materials for displays. The company recently announced, with HP, the “first all-in-one zero client capable of being powered by Type 1 power-over-Ethernet (PoE, IEEE 802.3af),” using 3M’s Dual Brightness Enhancement Film for LED-backlit monitors.

3M is a diverse company creating products for consumer, electronics, and other markets. For more information, visit www.3M.com

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May 21, 2012 — Paul Gray, DisplaySearch, recently blogged about the effect of organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays will have on the TV industry, in light of Sony and Panasonic’s possible collaboration on an OLED technology.

“Some of the messaging from industry seems to indicate a mindset that there is a technical fix for profitability,” Gray said in “Will OLED Revitalize the TV Industry?”, but points out that too many companies could pursue the OLED TV market, which would simply duplicate the profitability/scale issues seen in the liquid crystal display (LCD) TV sector. Consumers also may not be on board with a move to OLED.

OLED displays boast high contrast, vivid color, and thin form factor. However, in television applications LCDs combined with LED backlights can compete in these areas. Gray notes that direct LED backlighting have failed in the market. And few consumers have indicated a willingness to pay extra for a TV set that was 5mm-thick instead of 20mm.

The television industry learned from its push for 3D TVs that content and the consuming experience matter. Consumers’ purchasing behavior is driven by factors other than raw image quality.

Gray advises that TV makers “think deeply about how consumers are watching long-form video at home” before leaping to conclusions about OLED’s impact. “The industry need not take billion dollar technology bets to provide better products.”

Paul is director, European TV Research for DisplaySearch. Read his full blog at http://www.displaysearchblog.com/2012/05/will-oled-revitalize-the-tv-industry/

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May 18, 2012 — SEMICON West is less than 2 months away, July 10-12 in San Francisco, CA. Plan your attendee schedule now with highlights from the Extreme Electronics “show within a show;” 4 strong keynotes; sessions on device architecture and node shrink, lithography, 450mm wafers and more.

Attendee registration is $50 through June 2. On-site registration is $150.

Extreme Electronics

The Extreme Electronics events take place in the exhibit hall and comprise more than 25 free technical presentations on micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and printed/plastic electronics. These adjacent markets share “synergies” in manufacturing materials, equipment, and processes with semiconductor fab and assembly, which the Extreme Electronics sessions aim to maximize, SEMICON West organizers say. Each session begins at 10:30am.

Speakers in “Taking MEMS to the Next Level: Transitioning to a Profitable High-Volume Business,” July 10, will share practical solutions for scaling industry growth. In partnership with MEMS Industry Group (MIG), speakers come from Yole Développement, Hillcrest Labs, Coventor, Hanking Electronics, Micralyne, Applied Materials, Nikon, ScanNano, NIST and more.

“Enabling the Next-Generation of HB-LEDs,” July 11, will focus on the current state of some disruptive technologies for improving manufacturing yields, with speakers from Cree, Soraa, Everlight Electronics, EV Group, Canaccord Genuity, LayTec AG, Seoul Semiconductor, Lattice Power, Yole Développement, GT Advanced Technologies, and more.

In partnership with the FlexTech Alliance, “Practical Plastic Electronics: Bringing Disruptive Flexible and Organic Materials into Volume Electronics Manufacturing,” July 12, speakers will give progress reports on organic LED (OLED) displays and lighting, solid state batteries, and flexible mounting of rigid die. Look for speakers from IMEC, Panasonic, DisplaySearch, Imprint Energy, Applied Materials, and MC 10.

Keynotes

Shekhar Borkar, director of Extreme-scale Technologies at Intel Labs, will provide the technology keynote on Intel’s mid- and long-term development efforts in IC scaling, power reduction, and performance improvements, on July 10. That afternoon, Applied Materials’ Mark Pinto, EVP and GM, Energy and Environmental Solutions, will keynote. Applied Materials recently began a major restructuring of its EES business, which includes LED and solar photovoltaics manufacturing tools.

On July 11, keynote speakers include Ivo Bolsens, Ph.D., SVP and CTO, Xilinx and James G. Brown, president of global business development, First Solar. SEMI will also present an Executive Summit moderated by Jonathan Davis, SEMI, on the 11th.

TechXPOT sessions

Fully depleted transistor architectures on Tuesday, next-generation lithography on Wednesday, and the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) on Thusday. Learn more about these individual sessions in SEMICON West heralds 22nm, EUVL, 450mm, mobile electronics speakers

Best of West

SEMI will present Best of West awards for the best exhibitor product introduced since last year’s SEMICON West. Winners will be selected by an independent panel of highly qualified judges from academia and the industry. Entries are judged on their financial impact on the industry, engineering or scientific achievement, or societal impact and benefits. Have a product to submit for Best of West? Read more here — deadline is May 21.

For more information and to register, visit www.semiconwest.org.

Solid State Technology’s editors will be attending SEMICON West with you, sharing updates on the Website, in daily e-newsletters, and via twitter @solid_statetech and @PetesTweetsPW

with #semiconwest.

May 17, 2012 — Barclays Capital’s Asia IT analyst Jones Ku shares details of China’s State Council’s RMB26.5 billion (about US$4.2 billion) subsidy program for household electrical appliances.  The program will be in effect for one year and cover flat-panel display (FPD) television sets, refrigerators, energy-efficient vehicles, air conditioners, and more. The program sets aside RMB2.2 billion to promote consumption of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and “other energy-saving light bulbs.”

There is currently no announcement on when the program will start, though Barclays expects it to be implemented in late June or early July. Ku says it is likely to be similar to the subsidies for energy-saving products that were trialed in Beijing from September 2011-February 2012 (10% of the selling price, with a cap of RMB400), but with the focus expanded to include more cities.

The subsidy could stimulate LCD TV demand particularly in China’s urban areas, and could also eliminate near-term risk factors for LCD panel demand. Expansion in the Chinese TV market is centered on rural areas in which Chinese local firms are dominant. As China accounts for 20%+ of worldwide demand, any boost in regional demand should help the global market. Ku notes that Corning supplies BOE, the largest domestic panel maker in China.

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May 16, 2012 — 3M Optical Systems Division enabled what is says is the “first all-in-one zero client capable of being powered by Type 1 power-over-Ethernet (PoE, IEEE 802.3af),” using 3M’s Dual Brightness Enhancement Film (DBEF) for light-emitting diode (LED)-backlit monitors. The 3M display material allows a “smart” LED-LCD display to run off an Ethernet connection.

DBEF is a multilayer, reflective polarizer. DBEF polarizes the backlights output so that it can transmit through the liquid crystal panel. Light of the wrong polarization is recycled into the backlight. The recycled light would normally be absorbed, and lost, by the rear polarizer of the liquid crystal panel. DBEF increases both brightness and the amount of light available over the entire LCD.

The HP t410 All-in-One Smart Zero Client operates within 13W of power.  This eliminates the need for AC power cords and consumes as much as 78% less power than a standard desktop. Through a collaborative approach focused on the total system power, HP has launched a new device well suited to the trends of virtual desktops and cloud computing.

3M is a diverse company creating products for consumer, electronics, and other markets. For more information, visit www.3M.com 

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May 16, 2012 — After a surge in 2010 and oversupply in 2011 that suppressed 2012 fab, light-emitting diode (LED) makers will see a leveling out of supply and demand into better equilibrium, according to the NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly LED Supply/Demand Market Forecast Report. Demand will shift from liquid crystal display (LCD)-backlit LEDs to LEDs for lighting.

LED makers faced challenges in 2011, after skyrocketing demand in 2010. In 2011, growth in demand from LCD TV backlights reversed course, due to a combination of slower growth in LED-backlit LCD TV sales and slower growth in chips-per-backlight, due to efficiency increases. The demand for LEDs in LCD backlights did grow slightly, as use in tablet PCs and strong penetration growth in LCD monitors made up for the drop in demand from TV. Growth was also modest in lighting, as the market penetration of LEDs only grew from 1.4% in 2010 to 1.9% in 2011.

At the same time, many new LED suppliers had entered the industry, and were rapidly ramping up production. Measured in standard units of 500µm2 chip size, supply grew by 41% in 2011, compared to only 10% growth in demand. This resulted in a significant oversupply.

“LEDs have been in surplus since the end of 2010, setting the stage for a decrease in LED prices and margins,” said Steven Sher, analyst, NPD DisplaySearch. “As a result of this surplus situation, there has been almost no investment in LED applications, nor any significant capacity increases in 2012. This is resulting in a halving of the supply/demand glut from 2011 to 2012.”

Figure. LED supply/demand for backlight and lighting applications. SOURCE: NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly LED Supply/Demand Market Forecast Report.

Demand from LCD backlights will continue to dominate LED demand until 2013, when it will reach its peak. Due to the growing popularity of new, low-cost direct-LED backlight designs for LCD TVs, the demand for LEDs in backlights will continue to increase through 2013. While the number of LED packages per LCD backlight unit will peak in 2012, continued growth in penetration of LED backlights will lead to slight increase in LED demand in 2013.

By 2014, lighting will become the dominant source of demand for LEDs as price reductions and efficacy improvements drive increased adoption. The penetration of LEDs in lighting will reach 16.8% in 2015, according to the Quarterly LED Supply/Demand Market Forecast Report.

Spotlights and LED street lights will gain higher penetration in lighting due to government incentive programs, such as the 12th Five-Year Plan in China and the LED subsidy policy in Taiwan, as well as continued growth in commercial applications. LED bulbs and fluorescent tubes are growing in Japan due to government incentive programs and energy-saving consciousness, especially following the March 2011 earthquake.

The NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly LED Supply/Demand Market Forecast Report analyzes supply and demand on a quarterly basis for the entire LED industry. From chip prices to LED maker roadmaps, this report gives a clear outlook and reliable forecast of LED supply/demand, along with an analysis of the impacts on pricing. DisplaySearch provides market research and consulting on the display supply chain, as well as the emerging photovoltaic/solar cell industries. For more information on DisplaySearch analysts, reports and industry events, visit http://www.displaysearch.com/.

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May 14, 2012 — Large-area thin-film transistor liquid-crystal display (TFT-LCD) panel shipments declined in Q4 2011 and again in Q1 2012 as supply chain inventories forced adjustments. Q2 2012 panel shipments should grow significantly, with brands and OEMs increasing orders, and panel makers increasing capacity utilization. A recent panel price rebound will enable revenues to increase in the double-digits as well, indicating a recovery of the TFT LCD industry, according to NPD DisplaySearch’s Quarterly Large-Area TFT LCD Shipment Report – Advanced LED.

Following a “long-standing over-supply” in the TFT LCD industry, which induced lower panel prices, panel makers are “restructuring and adding new technologies and processes” to improve costs and performance, said David Hsieh, VP, Greater China Market, NPD DisplaySearch. Hsieh sees 2012 as a year of “gradual recovery,” when panel prices rebound and shipments increase. Q2 2012 is an example, with double-digit growth in shipment units, shipment area, and revenues.

Large-area (9”+) TFT LCD shipments will rise 11% from Q1 2012, to 189.6 million. This is a 4% increase over Q2 2011. Large-area TFT LCD shipment revenues are expected to grow 14% Q/Q to $20.6 million, the first positive revenue growth in three quarters.

The traditionally slow Q1 saw quarterly declines in panel shipments for all 3 major applications: notebook PCs, desktop monitors and TVs. However, tablet PC panels continued to show strong momentum, with 18% quarter to quarter (Q/Q) growth, driven by 9.7” shipments. Apple uses a 9.7” display in its iPad.

Expect tablets to continue to be the growth driver for display panel shipments in Q2. The latest Apple iPad, with QXGA resolution, has led to higher panel shipments in Q2. In addition to tables, notebook PC displays will grow 9% in Q2; desktop monitor displays will see 2% higher shipments; TV panel shipments will increase 12%. TV displays are growing due to demand from North America and China.

Table 1. Large-area TFT LCD shipments (Millions). SOURCE: NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Large-Area TFT LCD Shipment Report – Advanced LED.

Application

Q4 2011

Q1 2012

Q2 2012

Q/Q Growth
Q1 2012

Q/Q Growth
Q2 2012

Notebook PC

49.1

48.6

53.1

-1%

9%

Tablet PC

13.6

16.1

24.4

18%

52%

Mini-Note

5.4

6.1

5.9

12%

-2%

LCD Monitor

48.1

46.0

47.0

-4%

2%

LCD TV

55.5

51.1

57.0

-8%

12%

Public Display

0.6

0.7

0.6

16%

-13%

Others

2.6

1.7

1.7

-36%

0%

Total

174.9

170.2

189.6

-3%

11%

LED backlight penetration reached 59.2% of LCD TV panel shipments in Q1 2012, according to the NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Large-Area TFT LCD Shipment Report. This figure will reach 60% in Q2 2012, and 70% by Q4 2012, show panel maker estimates. These targets account for scenarios in which panel makers ship the cell and open cell only, and downstream companies assemble the backlight unit together with the module. Many panel makers and LCD TV set makers have developed a lower-cost, direct-type LED backlight, targeted at the market segment that prioritizes panel cost over thickness. NPD DisplaySearch estimates that direct-type LED backlit panels will grow to 17% of all LCD TV panel shipments in Q4’12. Learn more about LED backlights for LCD displays here: Lower-cost LED backlights darken CCFL’s future

Table 2. LCD TV panel shipment share by backlight type. SOURCE: NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Large-Area TFT LCD Shipment Report – Advanced LED.

 

Q2’11

Q3’11

Q4’11

Q1’12

Q2’12

Q3’12

Q4’12

CCFL

57.3%

51.0%

44.7%

40.8%

35.1%

31.9%

29.7%

Direct Type LED

1.3%

1.0%

0.5%

3.8%

8.3%

12.7%

17.0%

Edge Type LED

41.4%

48.0%

54.8%

55.3%

56.6%

55.4%

53.4%

The DisplaySearch Quarterly Large-Area TFT LCD Shipment Report covers the entire range of large-area panels shipped worldwide and regionally. The report analyzes historical shipments and forecast projections with 100% coverage of panel makers. NPD DisplaySearch is a global market research and consulting firm specializing in the display supply chain, as well as the emerging photovoltaic/solar cell industries. Access reports at http://www.displaysearch.com/.

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