Category Archives: Displays

May 14, 2012 — SENSIRION introduced the SLQ-QT105 semiconductor-grade flow sensor for flow rates below 2cc/sec (120ml/min) of hydrocarbon-based liquids, such as photoresists and solvents.

The flow sensor targets high-purity fluid handling applications for semiconductor, flat panel display (FPD), and photovoltaics manufacturing. Flow is measured without moving parts and non-invasively through the wall of a straight flow channel.

The SLQ-QT105 sensor features a 40msec measurement response time and very high sensitivity for flow rates down to 0.05cc/sec (3ml/min). Detection of air bubbles in the microliter range is also possible.

A smart digital interface and robust RS485 communications enable remote deployment and provide bus capability.

SENSIRION supplies humidity sensors and flow sensors. Learn more at www.sensirion.com

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May 11, 2012 — The Innovation Award Laser Technology 2012 recognized 3D metal micro-structuring laser technology from Schepers, excimer laser design for OLED and LCD display fab from Coherent, and a laser brazing head technology from Precitec Optronik.

Stephan Brüning, responsible for R&D laser applications at Schepers GmbH & Co KG, was awarded the €10,000 Innovation Award Laser Technology 2012 prize at this week’s International Laser Technology Congress (AKL). His team was recognized for their work in "3D micro-structuring of large-scale metal surfaces for embossing and printing applications with high-power ultrashort-pulse lasers." Brüning also has been awarded the title of Fellow of both AKL and the European Laser Institute (ELI).

The 2nd place for the award went to a team led by Coherent’s Rainer Pätzel focused on excimer lasers for active-matrix liquid crystal display (LCD)- and organic light-emitting diode (OLED)-based flat-panel displays (FPDs). Coherent’s high-power 308nm excimer laser with pulse repetition rate of 600Hz and stabilized output power of 1.2kW provides fast cycle times for excimer laser annealing (ELA) on Gen-6 FPD panels, increasing throughput over typical Gen-4 tools. In ELA, a laser processes amorphous silicon (a-Si) into low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS), increasing electron mobility by more than 100x. The laser line beam has a final homogeneity of 1.8% to allow 10-20 overlapping irradiations of each location with the same fluence when scanning the substrate. Coherent’s state of the art cylindrical optics deliver a homogeneous line beam with dimension 750 mm X 0.4 mm for Gen-6 ELA, creating a display backplane with very homogeneous 50nm film of polysilicon of approximately 0.3um2 grain size providing 150cm2/Vs — 2 orders of magnitude higher than the electron mobility of an amorphous silicon backplane. The output power of 1.2 kW was achieved by spatially merging and temporally synchronizing two high-power UV-oscillators, each capable of 1 Joule energy/pulse and 600 Hz pulse frequency. The VYPER dual-oscillator laser platform (photo above) was combined with a novel beam delivery concept for beam forming, mixing, homogenizing and projecting the incoming laser beams into one homogeneous line beam.

Third prize went to a team led by Precitec Optronik’s Markus Kogel-Hollacher for a 3D-capable co-axial laser brazing head with integrated seam tracking.

The Innovation Award Laser Technology is a European research prize awarded at two-year intervals by the associations Arbeitskreis Lasertechnik e.V. and the European Laser Institute (ELI), conferred on an individual researcher or on an entire project group, whose exceptional skills and dedicated work have led to an outstanding innovation in the field of laser technology. The scientific and technological projects in question must center on the use of laser light in materials processing and the methods of producing such light, and must furthermore be of demonstrable commercial value to industry. Jury decisions are based on:

  • Proven commercial benefit
  • Innovative quality of the resulting laser beam source, laser manufacturing process or laser system
  • Scientific / technological quality of the underlying research
  • Creative approach to technology demonstrated by the designated individual or project group
  • Importance of the contribution of the applicant’s work to the overall innovative process

More information about the awards and this year’s winners can be viewed at www.innovation-award-laser.org.

Article courtesy of our sister publication Industrial Laser Solutions. Visit http://www.industrial-lasers.com/index.html for more information.

May 10, 2012 — Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) emerged on the display scene recently, gaining adopters in small screen sizes like smartphones, and just moving into large-size displays like 55” televisions in recent months (LG Electronics made one in December 2011; Samsung Electronics came out with one at CES in January 2012). OLED offers better power consumption, light emission, and clarity than liquid crystal displays (LCDs)

As OLED adoption ramps up, mass production technology for large-area OLED is increasingly an issue that could prohibit OLED from gaining market share on LCD. In current OLED manufacturing, color patterning is achieved by fine metal mask (FMM) using thermal evaporation, and laser-induced thermal imaging (LITI), which can be limited to small-size panels. Manufacturers are now looking for color patterning technologies — from solution-based printing to laser imaging and layering white OLEDs with filters — that suit display production at Gen-8 fabs or larger.

Also read: OLED trends: Materials, color patterning advances and the display race

Samsung Mobile Display (SMD) is developing small mask scanning (SMS) technology, which improves FMM color patterning. Hybrid patterning system (HPS) technology combines LITI and FMM, and is currently under development. LG is working on a method that combines white OLEDs with color filters (WOLED+C/F).

Displaybank issued a Korean patent analysis report regarding the OLED color patterning technology, comprising research and analysis about the patents of foreign companies in Korea as well as the key patents of Korea-based companies. 495 patents relating to OLED color patterning technology were selected in the primary screening among a total of 2,532 raw data disclosed or registered by December 2011. 52 key patents regarding SMS, HPS, Ink-jet, and WOLED+C/F technology were then analyzed as large-area OLED color patterning technologies. Learn more at http://www.displaybank.com/_eng/research/report_view.html?id=855&cate=2

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May 10, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Adhesive coating/laminating company FLEXcon opened its newly constructed, 20,000sq.ft. Technology and Innovation Center for R&D at its headquarters in Spencer, MA.

FLEXcon built the R&D center to host wet labs, rooms with climate and sound control capabilities, and spacious work areas. Scientists at the center are able to collaborate with the machine operators and technicians in FLEXcon’s plants, developing products from conception to commercialization.

Photo: R&D at FLEXcon’s new facility.

The location will enable collaboration among technology experts on new and improved products for emerging markets and supporting the Photovoltaic and Flexible Electronics business units. Researchers are tasked with meeting the needs of current customer industries, such as flexible electronics and photovoltaics, as well as developing new products to diversify FLEXcon’s customer base, said James Casey, VP of technology.

FLEXcon supplies adhesive coating, laminating and finishing of durable materials used in graphics applications, electronics and new products. For more information, visit www.FLEXcon.com

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May 10, 2012 — Global TV shipments will remain flat in 2012, for the second year in a row. Shipments to developed markets, especially Western Europe and Japan, will fall 11% year to year (Y/Y), offset by 8% growth Y/Y in emerging markets, according to the NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Advanced Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report.

The liquid crystal display (LCD) TV market will continue to grow, capturing market share from declining cathode ray tube (CRT) and plasma technologies. Consumers in saturated markets are cautious, making them sensitive to price differences. “LCD is expected to continue narrowing the price gap with plasma,” noted Paul Gagnon, director of North America TV Research for NPD DisplaySearch. Many TV brands are “focusing on profits over volume,” Gagnon added, suppressing the rate of price erosion compared to recent years. This too could impact demand.

Larger panels sizes continue to increase share, lifting the average size of TVs shipped to almost 35” in 2012, up from less than 30” four years ago. The growing number of larger display factories used to produce LCD TV panels has helped the average area price to fall rapidly. In developed markets, this encourages existing flat panel TV households to trade up to a larger size, driving a new replacement wave. It also lowers barriers to first-time adoption in emerging markets converting from CRT TVs.

LCD TVs are expected to account for more than 88.5% of total TV shipments worldwide in 2012, up from 82.5% in 2011. LCD TV shipments will grow 7% to 220M in 2012, and rise to 241M in 2013. Expect LCD TVs to hold >90% market share in 2013.

Plasma TVs will account for just 5.3% of shipment volume in 2012, down from its peak at about 7.4% in 2010. Plasma TV shipments will fall 24% in 2012 to 13.1M, dropping to less than 3M by 2015.

The newest flat panel TV technology, organic light-emitting diode (OLED), will debut in large sizes in 2012, but volume will be very small, starting with 50,000 or fewer units.

Figure. Worldwide TV forecast by technology. SOURCE: DisplaySearch Quarterly Advanced Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report.

The share of LED-backlight LCD TVs will increase to 70.1% in 2012, up from 45.3% in 2011, thanks to new low-cost direct-LED backlight models challenging CCFL-backlit models. http://www.electroiq.com/articles/sst/2012/05/lower-cost-led-backlights-darken-ccfl-future.htmlWhile bulkier than LED-edge-lit models, lower-cost direct-LED LCD TVs will attract the most price-sensitive consumers. Even so, 5 times as many edge-lit LED backlight LCD TV will be shipped than direct-lit models, and the premiums for edge-lit LED LCD TVs are expected to start falling faster later in the year.

3D TV had a soft start in North America, but is experiencing a surge in popularity elsewhere, with shipments of more than 24M units in 2011 and an anticipated 90% increase in 2012 to 46M units. Shipment penetration is expected to exceed 25% in both Western Europe and China and 20% in Eastern Europe. While North America is still expected to lag with 19% penetration in 2012, it should be the leading 3D shipment region by 2014, when most large screen sizes will include 3D capability as a standard feature; North America will be the top region for 40”+ TV shipments.

China became the largest overall TV market in 2009 and the largest LCD TV market in 2011. However, with household flat panel TV penetration reaching high levels in urban areas, growth is expected to slow until rural cities start seeing increased adoption. LCD TV shipments are forecast to grow 11% Y/Y in China during 2012, down from 17% Y/Y growth in 2011. Some of the first evidence of this slowdown was seen in recent May Day holiday sales results in China. According to Bing Zhang, Research Director in the China Market for NPD DisplaySearch, “Analysis of sales during the recent May Day holidays in China indicates that sell-through was below expectations with low- to mid-single-digit growth and slightly elevated inventories after the end of the holiday.”

The DisplaySearch Q1’12 Quarterly Advanced Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report, available now, includes panel and TV shipments by region and by size for nearly 60 brands, and also includes rolling 16-quarter forecasts, TV cost/price forecasts, and design wins.

NPD DisplaySearch provides global market research and consulting in the display supply chain, as well as the emerging photovoltaic/solar cell industries. Learn more at http://www.displaysearch.com/.Visit our new Displays Manufacturing Channel on Solid State Technology and subscribe to our Displays Digest e-newsletter!

May 8, 2012 — Coherent Inc. (NASDAQ:COHR), supplier of laser power and energy management instruments, achieved a certificate of accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 at its Wilsonville, OR calibration laboratory, demonstrating technical calibration competence and operational conformance with a laboratory quality management system.

The accreditation applies to the company’s pyroelectric laser energy sensors, thermopile laser power sensors and meter electronics.

ISO 17025 governs a laboratory’s quality management system, such as auditing and corrective action processes, and requires adherence to rigorous technical requirements. These requirements include methods for determining measurement uncertainty, validating the appropriateness of test methods, and providing calibration data to customers in an approved format.

Coherent’s compliance was independently verified through ACLASS, a brand of the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board, and recognized internationally by ILAC, APLAC and IAAC. The certification enables organizations in medical, military, or other government-regulated industries to document the traceability and performance accuracy of their products, and for any customer to eliminate supplier audits.

Coherent offers a diverse portfolio of laser sources, laser tools and laser accessories for a broad range of commercial and scientific applications. Learn more at http://www.coherent.com/.

May 7, 2012 — Low-cost direct light-emitting diode (LED)-backlit liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs were introduced in March 2011, targeting share in the entry/mainstream LCD TV market currently dominated by cold-cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL)-backlit TVs.

Samsung Electronics has launched its first direct LED-backlit TVs, the EH series, in the US, and LG Electronics will follow soon with its LS3400 series.

Also read: Cheaper LED backlights require LED, plate materials changes

LED-backlight penetration in the LCD TV market has been lower than expected, especially in the entry/mainstream segment: 9 points lower than DisplaySearch’s 2011 forecast overall. LED technology for backlights was more expensive than anticipated, limiting consumer purchases. Edge backlight designs were not able to meaningfully reduce the cost premium over CCFL backlighting, though the concept has helped TV makers maintain revenues against a severe market overall.

Figure 1. Trends for LED-Backlit TV Price Premium and Penetration. SOURCE: Q1’12 Quarterly LED Backlight Report.

Now, TV makers are focusing on new types of direct LED backlighting to capture a broader swath of consumers, adding value to the entry/mainstream segment just as edge LED backlighting added value to the premium segment TVs. At the same time, the CCFL industry is experiencing shortages in rare earth metals, stressing already-tight cost structures. There are fewer new CCFL-backlit models this year. DisplaySearch expects the price premium for direct LED-backlit TVs over CCFL-backlit TVs to decrease quickly.

In the Q1’12 Quarterly LED Backlight Report, DisplaySearch forecast that LED backlighting, with help of low-cost direct designs, will achieve 100% penetration of the LCD TV application by the end of 2014, killing CCFL designs. Low-cost direct LED backlighting (~20% share in 2014) will take share away from CCFL backlighting, not from edge LED backlighting. At the same time, edge LED backlighting will continue to incrementally replace CCFL backlighting. Low-cost direct LED backlighting will saturate after CCFL-backlit TVs leave the market and maintain its market position in the entry/mainstream segment.

Figure 2. Forecast for TV Panel Shipments by Backlight Type. SOURCE: Q1’12 Quarterly LED Backlight Report

These changes to the TV market will affect the market for CCFL in other displays, such as monitors. In Q1’12, revenue from CCFL for TVs is estimated to be 81% of total CCFL revenue, as reported in the Q1’12 Quarterly LED Backlight Report. It is not an exaggeration to say that the current CCFL supply chain depends solely on the shipments of TVs. If demand for CCFL in TVs disappears, then it will be hard for the CCFL industry to maintain its supply chain, because the other applications account for only 19% of total demand. Therefore, we forecast that after CCFL-backlit TVs leave the market, most CCFL-backlit monitors will face EOL as well.

Learn more at www.displaysearch.com.

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May 4, 2012 — The Heterogeneous Technology Alliance (HTA), a team of European technology institutes, is focusing on high-performance organic electronic circuits through 2 projects: COSMIC to develop p- and n-type organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) for complementary logic, and POLARIC for shrinking critical dimensions (CD) of OTFTs.

OTFTs face limited device performance and volume production methods. Recent progress has enabled air-stable, printable, n-type semiconductor materials, making it possible to combine p- and n-type thin film transistors into complementary logic. This could enable breakthrough application of printed electronic circuits that perform comparably to silicon-based complementary metal-oxide semiconductors (CMOS).

Also read: Organic Electronics Workshop: TFTs, FETs, and a seeing microphone by Michael A. Fury

The COSMIC (Complementary Organic Semiconductor and Metal Integrated Circuits) project will develop p- and n-type OTFTs and integrate them into complementary logic, aiming for processing tolerances in organic integrated circuits (ICs): better noise margins, higher complexity, improved yield, and lower supply voltage demand. The researchers will demonstrate an analog-to-digital converter coupled to a temperature sensor, introducing OTFTs in the sensors and actuator market. They will also build a silent authentication tag, comprising an organic RF receiver, with potential for item-level, secure tracking of goods using realistic protocols.

Schematic from COSMIC.

Also read: High interest in low-end printable electronics by Katherine Derbyshire

The POLARIC (Printable, Organic and Large-Area Realisation of Integrated Circuits) project is mainly focused on increasing organic electronics’ performance by shrinking the CD of the OTFTs. Small critical dimensions make organic ICs compatible with high-throughput transistor fabrication methods, like roll-to-roll (R2R) nanoimprint lithography. This high-resolution patterning technique produces transistor channel lengths below 1µm, increasing organic electronics’ performance. Researchers plan to demonstrate an active-matrix liquid display and RFID tag.

VTT’s vision for a flexible display backplane, POLARIC project.

The organic electronic building blocks and manufacturing platforms gained from COSMIC and POLARIC will be propagated to all areas of printed electronics — sensors, memories, batteries, photovoltaics, lighting, etc.

The HTA is a novel approach to creating and developing micro technologies, nano electronics, and smart systems. It combines the capabilities and facilities of CEA-Leti and CEA-Liten, CSEM, Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics, and VTT, structured to facilitate technology transfer to European and international companies. Visit www.hta-online.eu for more information.

Participants in the COSMIC project: Fraunhofer EMFT (coordinator, Germany), Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (France), IMEC (Belgium), STMicroelectronics SRL (Italy), TNO (Netherlands), Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (Netherlands), Technische Universitat Berlin (Germany), Friendly Technologies LTD (UK), Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (Italy), Universita di Catania (Italy), and Flexink (UK), Polymervision B.V. Learn more at www.project-cosmic.eu.

Participants in the POLARIC project: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (coordinator, Finland), 3D-Micromac (Germany), AMO (Germany), BASF (Switzerland), CSEM (Switzerland), Cardiff University (UK), Fraunhofer EMFT (Germany), IMEC (Belgium), Imperial College London (UK), Joanneum Research (Austria), micro resist technology (Germany), Obducat Technologies (Sweden), and Asulab, a division of The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd. (Switzerland). Learn more at www.polaricproject.eu.

May 4, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Research firm Lux Research profiled 328 companies across 15 different emerging technology domains in Q1 2012. Of these, Lux Research selected its top 10, including a gallium-nitride (GaN) power device maker, printed electronics supplier, and others.

Lux Research uses primary research to provide detailed information and critical analysis of firms developing emerging technologies that are poised to impact global megatrends like sustainable energy and infrastructure, sustainable health and wellness, and materials revolutions. Each firm gets a “Lux Take” that ranges from “Strong Caution” to “Strong Positive,” to provide a bottom-line assessment of its prospect, with a “Wait and See” rating for companies that still face too much uncertainty for a definitive call. The top 10 from Q1 2012 are:

1. Transphorm – Energy Electronics (Wait and See)

This high-profile, VC-backed, vertically-integrated manufacturer of GaN-based power devices is a leading start-up with new product releases and demonstrations in the power supply, PV inverter, and motor drive areas.

2. Zyvex Technologies – Advanced Materials (Positive)

Combining a savvy business strategy with its core proprietary polymer technology, Zyvex is one of the few developers to successfully commercialize structural nanocomposites.

3. Clearford Industries – Water, Alternative Fuels (Positive)

With a low-maintenance, easy-to-install distributed wastewater treatment system that is vetted in the developed world, Clearford is poised for a successful transition to developing world markets.

4. Accelergy – Alternative Fuels (Positive)

A leading developer of catalytic coal-to-liquid (CTL) and gas-to-liquid (GTL) technologies that convert cheap, available feedstocks into jet fuel and diesel, Accelergy is currently testing its CTL technology in China and looking for GTL partners in North America.

5. Cbrite – Printed Electronics (Positive)

Novel metal oxide semiconductor materials could liberate flat-panel displays (FPDs) from dependence on silicon and open new frontiers in cost and flexibility.

6. Amyris – Bio-based Materials and Chemicals, Alternative Fuels (Positive)

In spite of revised production and cash flow targets, Amyris still tops the list of bio-based innovators we briefed last quarter with its biosynthetically-produced farnesene that readily converts into products relevant to cosmetics, flavorings, diesel-compatible fuels, and other specialty chemicals.

7. Global Solar – Solar Components, Solar Systems and Sustainable Building Materials (Wait and See)

As a Tier-1 flexible copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS)-based photovoltaics (PV) module manufacturer, Global Solar is one of the flexible solar cell suppliers for Dow Chemical’s PowerHouse Shingles.

8. Liquid Metal Battery – Smart Grid (Wait and See)

With its entirely liquid electrodes and electrolyte, this early-stage MIT spin-out could enable drastic cost reductions for numerous grid-scale energy storage applications.

9. Encap Drug Delivery – Formulation and Delivery (Positive)

Encap’s all-round capabilities include preformulation and formulation services for poorly soluble drugs, potent drugs requiring specialized facilities, and biologics, followed by liquid-filled capsule manufacturing services.

10. Controlled Power Technologies – Electric Vehicles (Wait and See)

Despite requiring expensive control, switched reluctance motors do not use expensive rare earth magnets and can use cheaper cooling systems, providing micro- to mild hybridization with the potential for lower costs.

Lux Research provides strategic advice and intelligence for emerging technologies. Visit www.luxresearchinc.com for more information.

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May 4, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — eMagin Corporation (NYSE Amex:EMAN), organic light emitting diode (OLED) microdisplay and virtual imaging technology developer, received a $3.1 million follow-on order for OLED microdisplays under an existing US Army Remote Viewer Program.

Deliveries under this contract have already begun, with all the microdisplays to be delivered by the end of 2012. The eMagin SVGA+ OLED-XL microdisplay was originally chosen for this program in 2008, with original shipments starting in 2009 and expected to continue into 2013.

eMagin was awarded a $1.12 million SBIR contract from the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to optimize its WUXGA OLED micro display for mass production in February 2012.

The program specifies high-performance microdisplays with low power consumption, noted Andrew G. Sculley, president and CEO of eMagin, who added that eMagin sees OLED microdisplays increasingly adopted as a critical component for military applications that require high resolution, low power and “instant-on” under a wide range of temperatures.”

eMagin integrates high-resolution OLED microdisplays with magnifying optics to deliver virtual images comparable to large-screen computer and television displays in portable, low-power, lightweight personal displays. eMagin microdisplays provide near-eye imagery in a variety of products from military, industrial, medical and consumer OEMs. More information about eMagin is available at www.emagin.com.

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