Category Archives: Displays

November 15, 2011 — Panasonic Corporation’s subsidiary Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co. Ltd. has reached an agreement in principle to transfer its Mobara plant to Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ).

INCJ’s Japan Display Inc. (provisional name) is a new company being established to pursue small- and medium-sized display business. The company would develop a new manufacturing line at the Mobara display plant.

INCJ and Panasonic will proceed with discussions toward the scheduled conclusion of a definitive agreement by the end of December 2011 and aim to execute the transfer in April 2012.

INCJ was established in July 2009 as a public-private partnership that provides financial, technological and management support for next-generation businesses. INCJ specifically supports those projects that combine technologies and varied expertise across industries and materialize open innovation. INCJ has the capacity to invest up to 900 billion yen (approx US$12 billion). To date, INCJ has invested approximately 325 billion yen in a total of 19 projects and is currently focused on a broad range of areas from green energy, electronics, IT and biotechnology to infrastructure-related sectors such as water supply. INCJ maintains a hands-on approach to investment, engaging in the business development of cutting-edge core technologies through intellectual property funds, expansion of venture companies and aggressive overseas development through initiatives such as restructuring and mergers of tech businesses and acquisitions of foreign companies.

Panasonic Corporation develops and manufactures electronic products. The company’s shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE:PC) stock exchanges. For more information, visit the company’s website at http://panasonic.net/.

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November 15, 2011 — Applied Materials Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) presented supplier awards to 4 companies for overall performance, and 1 for environmental improvements. The awards were given out at Applied’s 2011 Executive Supplier Forum.

Joseph Flanagan, senior vice president, Worldwide Operations and Supply Chain, called AMAT’s customer environment global, innovative, and market-adaptive. To serve them, he said, Applied needs excellent suppliers. Applied has more than 2,000 suppliers worldwide.

These companies were recognized for consistently meeting or exceeding Applied’s performance expectations:

  • Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
  • Green, Tweed & Co.
  • Nihon Ceratec Co., Ltd.
  • Volpato Industrie S.p.A

Since 2006, Applied has reduced the energy consumed by its products by an average of 15%, and some products by as much as 35%. The 2011 Applied Materials Sustainability Award, for collaborating with Applied in improving the environmental performance of Applied Materials’ products, winner:

  • Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH

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. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.

November 7, 2011 – China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has laid out its plans to phase out incandescent lamps within five years, seen as providing important visibility into the nation’s burgeoning market for LEDs. The shift is laid out in three steps (sandwiching two "evaluation" periods), phasing out incandescent lamps starting with =100W by Oct. 2012, then =60W by Oct. 2014, and then =15W by Oct. 2016.

The aim is to establish policies that emphasize both energy savings and reduced emissions — reportedly cutting energy consumption per unit of GDP by 16% and carbon emissions by 17%. And the shift is hoped to save as much as 48 billion kWh a year, in a nation where power consumption for lighting accounts for 12% of the country’s total electricity use. China produces more bulbs than anyone (both incandescent and LED), churning out 3.85B units in 2010, of which about 27% was for domestic use. "Phasing-out incandescent lamps in China will not only promote lighting technology progress and lighting industry upgrading and optimization, it will also make a positive contribution for realizing China’s energy conservation and emission reduction goal," said Christophe Bahuet, deputy country director of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), quoted by Xinhua.

Citi’s Tim Arcuri, on his way to a tour of Chinese and Taiwanese companies and leaders, expects the new policy to include three incentive programs "to jump-start China’s LED industry," including a RMB 8B/US$1.3B direct demand subsidy/rebate program for consumers, R&D grant/subsidy for domestic LED makers (focusing on domestic MOCVD suppliers), and support for businesses showcasing "innovation and IP generation/protection."

Arcuri calculates that RMB 8B will drive about ~135M 6W-equivalent bulbs, which would translate to "anywhere from 25-60 new MOCVD reactors" — but that will essentially just soak up ~10% of the MOCVD capacity that’s already shipped into China over the past few years. Problems still plaguing the LED space include declining prices, low utilization rates (~50% in Korea and Taiwan he says), and an "intensifying credit crunch in China" where "several high-profile LED companies have gone bankrupt in just the last several weeks." He thinks MOCVD orders will keep declining for another two or three quarters, and with increasing risk of cancellations as LED chipmakers slow down their own expansions and start looking at consolidation as a way to gain capacity instead.

While China’s government paves the road for LED adoption, Taiwan industry leaders are pushing their government to step up before their own industry "sinks into the abyss" following its once-"iconic" DRAM and LCD segments. A recent conference urged subsidies for energy-saving lighting and promote investments, patent development, and standards — suggesting Taiwan could save 22.4B kWh/year of electricity (half of what the island’s three nuclear plants can generate), on top of reducing CO>sub>2 emissions and energy waste.

Unlike China, Taiwan doesn’t have a large and strong end-market for LED devices — but government funding for Taiwanese LED makers would generate "branding" and ensure steady demand from domestic contract manufacturers, suggested M.S. Kung from the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research. "But branding requires a strong patent portfolio to compete globally, so the government has to financially support manufacturers

November 7, 2011 — Jerry Su and Jimmy Huang, research analysts at Credit Suisse, expect low LCD TV inventory levels in Asia to trigger an LCD panel buying spree in the near term to restock in time for consumer spending at Chinese New Year. Panel makers, as well as backend foundries and driver IC suppliers, will benefit.

Recent supply chain checks suggest Chinese TV makers are restocking panels as LCD TV inventory is now down to ~4 weeks after the October Golden Week Holiday (versus normal inventory level of ~5 weeks), which should trigger panel restocking demand in the near term for 2012 Chinese New Year holiday sales.

AUO and CMI, which account for about 55% of TV panel market share in Chinese local brands, will see a boost in orders, as may Novatek.

Figure. China LCD TV inventory down to ~4 weeks after Golden Week. SOURCE: Witsview, Credit Suisse estimates.

After an inventory overbuild in 2010, Chinese TV brands became more cautious about managing inventory in 2011. China LCD TV inventory reached ~6 weeks in July and August, but has now fallen below the normal level, triggering a near-term splurge on panels to restock for 2012 Chinese New Year consumer spending.

Driver IC makers and backend foundries are seeing rush orders recently for inventory restocking. Chipbond (6147 TT, NR), the largest gold bumping service provider globally, commented in its analyst meeting that it expects its 4Q11 revenue to remain flattish to up slightly on strong mobile device demand and rush orders triggered by inventory restocking from China TV brands starting from 2H October.

November 2, 2011 — DuPont has signed a technology licensing agreement with a leading Asian manufacturer of active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display products. The display maker will use DuPont process technology to make large AMOLED television displays at significantly lower cost than alternative technologies.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The processing technology is a solution-based printing method that dispenses liquid OLED materials.

AMOLED televisions offer better performance — vivid color, faster response, wider viewing angle, and higher contrast — and energy efficiency than liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and the new DuPont’s process technology will enable cost-effective manufacturing to make AMOLED TVs consumer-price-point friendly, said David B. Miller, president, DuPont Electronics & Communications. Currently, AMOLEDs have been used in small displays, like those in mobile phones, but the cost has been prohibitive for televisions.

In addition to these kinds of partnerships, DuPont plans to sell proprietary DuPont OLED materials, said William F. Feehery, global business director, DuPont Electronics & Communications.  

DuPont reports that the AMOLED television market is projected by industry analysts to grow to over $5 billion by 2017.

DuPont (NYSE:DD) provides innovative products, materials, and services. Visit http://www.dupont.com. For more information on DuPont AMOLED technologies, please visit http://oled.dupont.com.

Watch an animated video on DuPont AMOLED process technology at http://www2.dupont.com/OLED/en_US/knowledge_cente/video_printing_amoled_displays.html?src=pr_techagreement_video
The DuPont solution-based printing process for manufacturing AMOLED displays enables large TV displays to be produced cost effectively. Video courtesy of DuPont.

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October 28, 2011 — Printed electronics can improve existing electronics and energy applications, replacing non-printed layers in displays or increasing crystalline silicon photovoltaics efficiency, among other applications shared below.

The giant East Asian electronics companies are replacing several non-printed layers in LCD flat screens with one printed layer, greatly reducing the cost, said Raghu Das, CEO, IDTechEx.

Third-generation lithium-ion batteries are printed and solid state, doubling the all-electric range of new electric cars, Das added.

T-Ink Inc plans to replace heavy, expensive wiring in road vehicles with printed wiring.

DuPont announced recently that it has acquired Innovalight, Inc., a company specializing in advanced nano-silicon inks and process technologies that increase the efficiency of crystalline silicon solar cells. DuPont exceeded $1 billion in revenue from sales into the conventional photovoltaic market in 2010, and it has set a goal to reach $2 billion by 2014 based on continued growth supported by new innovations that improve solar module efficiency, lifetime and overall system costs. Silicon inks used in conjunction with DuPont Solamet photovoltaic metallization pastes boost the amount of electricity produced from sunlight, enabling the production of superior Selective Emitter solar cells.

Kovio in Milpitas is printing the logic in the electronic tickets of the Los Angeles Metro, replacing the silicon chip at a lower price point.

More examples from Das include OTB group ink jet printing in solar cell mass production, Solexant optimizing solar cell production and Boeing Spectrolab further enhancing solar cell efficiency for space PV to terrestrial applications. In the energy arena, battery testers are printed onto Duracell batteries by Avery Dennison, and OLED displays are printed in phones and cameras.

Raghu Das is CEO of IDTechEx and co-author of the annual, "Printed, Organic & Flexible Electronics Forecasts, Players & Opportunities 2011-2021" available at www.IDTechEx.com/pe.

IDTechEx hosts Printed Electronics USA, this December in Santa Clara, CA, where many of these applications will be discussed. Learn more about IDTechEx at http://www.idtechex.com

October 28, 2011 — UniPixel Inc. (NASDAQ:UNXL) expanded its design and sampling program for UniBoss transparent conductive film technology and products. OEMs and display and touch panel manufacturers can now evaluate the films, which UNXL calls high-performance, low-cost alternatives to ITO transparent conductors.

UniPixel introduced UniBoss at the SID conference in May 2010 then improved the technology further, engaging in evaluations with several major electronics makers. UniBoss roll-to-roll process prints conductive copper traces on thin film with trace widths down to ~5um. The product acheives conductivity levels of .012ohm/sq. compared to 100-400ohm/sq. of ITO and competing alternatives. It also offers better environmental stability, flexibility, and reliability, according to UniPixel.

Companies can submit their touch-sensor designs to the UniPixel Engineering Team, working together to evaluate UniBoss against ITOs and other ITO replacement alternatives. UniPixel has signed a non-disclosure and material transfer agreement with 10 companies that have submitted requests for design and sampling of UniBoss enabled touch sensor solutions. "We have sampled four of the companies thus far," said Killion. "We are working with Japanese, Korean, Taiwan and U.S.-based OEM, Display Panel and Touch Panel module electronic manufacturers. Some of these companies are also sampling our Diamond Guard protective cover glass replacement solution."

UniPixel 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. 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.

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October 26, 2011 – Marketwire — Display companies Pixtronix Inc. and Chimei Innolux Corp. (CMI) collaborated on the development of 5"-diagonal micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) display prototypes. The displays use Pixtronix’s proprietary MEMS technology and were built by CMI.

The 5" display boasts over 135% NTSC color gamut, greater than 170 degree view angles, more than 3,000:1 contrast ratio and 24-bit color depth, all at a 75% average power reduction versus LCD displays.

Also read: Qualcomm’s approach to displays

The companies will demonstrate the prototypes at FPD International 2011, October 26-28 in Yokohama, Japan (Pixtronix booth 3502 and CMI booth 3602). At last year’s FPD International, the partners announced a 2.5"-diagonal display. The new MEMS display is four times that prototype’s resolution, and twice the size.

The 5" display suits "the smart phone and tablet markets," said Tony Zona, CEO of Pixtronix. Zona added that the partners will continue to collaborate on performance and commercialization.

The PerfectLight display is an innovative low-power multimedia display for portable devices, achieving over 135% NTSC color gamut, 24-bit color depth, and 100 microsecond shutter response times; all with a 75% power reduction versus LCD displays. In addition, this new class of display offers Application Agility to dynamically optimize image quality and power consumption for all applications, ranging from full speed video to e-reader operation in a single device. The PerfectLight display is based upon Pixtronix’s Digital Micro Shutter MEMS technology, which is built within standard LCD infrastructure and eliminates liquid crystals, polarizers and color filters to enable a highly efficient, programmable display with proven MEMS reliability.

CMI is one of the leading worldwide manufacturers of TFT-LCD display products, including TFT-LCD panels, and total solutions for LCD TV and monitor systems. Its one-stop shopping business model vertically integrates TFT-LCD panel manufacturing expertise with systems assembly capabilities. More information about CMI is available at www.chimei-innolux.com.

Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts and led by experts in the fields of displays, optics and MEMS, the Pixtronix mission is to develop, license and market the perfect display for today’s multimedia lifestyle. The company’s PerfectLight displays combine the best image quality at the lowest power consumption for all applications and are designed to scale from mobile devices to desktop displays through HD televisions. Pixtronix’s investors include Atlas Venture, Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, and Samsung Venture Investment Corporation. For more information, visit www.pixtronix.com.

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October 13, 2011 — Researchers from the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) and the University of Cambridge created a full-color high-resolution 4" quantum dot light emitting diode (QD-LED) display using transfer printing (Nature Photonics, 2011).

Figure. Transfer printing for patterning quantum dots (QDs). (i) Modification of the donor surface with SAM, and spin-coating of QDs. (ii) Application of an elastomer stamp to the QD film with appropriate pressure. (iii) Peeling of the stamp, quickly, from the donor substrate. (iv) Contacting the inked stamp to the device stack, and slowly peeling back the stamp. (v)–(vii) Sequential transfer printing of green and blue QDs. b, Fluorescence micrograph of the transfer-printed RGB QD stripes onto the glass substrate, excited by 365 nm UV radiation.

The team began by modifying the donor substrate surface with a chemically bound self-assembled monolayer (SAM). Red-, green-, and blue-emissive quantum dots are printed via the same precise process at room temperature. Various substrates could be used, including flexible ITO/PEN. Future work will focus on scaling the printing process to industrial production without degrading resolution. Aligning the different color QD stripes over large-area may pose a challenge, notes Khashayar Ghaffarzadeh, technology analyst, IDTechEx.
 
QD-LEDs are electroluminescent colloidal quantum dots that can be printed in thin films to combine inorganic LEDs’ customizable, saturated, stable color and low-voltage performance with polymers’ solution processability, said Ghaffarzadeh.

Also read: Quantum dot OLEDs fabbed via spin coating

For QD-LEDs to work, the thin film transistors (TFTs) in the active-matrix backplane must supply a very stable current. New backplane technologies like metal oxides could replace amorphous silicon for this function. Researchers from the University of Cambridge have also demonstrated solution-processed high-performance metal-oxide TFTs (Nature Materials, 2011) with a <250°C annealing temperature.

The University of Cambridge will present at IDTechEx’s Printed Electronics USA. Printed Electronics USA 2011 will take place November 29-December 2 in Santa Clara, CA, with tours to local centers of excellence. Learn more at www.IDTechEx.com/peUSA.

References:
Full-colour quantum dot displays fabricated by transfer printing, Nature Photonics 5, 176-182, (2011). Low-temperature, high-performance solution-processed metal oxide thin-film transistors formed by a ‘sol-gel on chip’ process, Nature Materials 10, 45-50(2011).

IDTechEx provides custom consulting, research and advisory services in Printed Electronics, RFID, Photovoltaics, Energy Harvesting and Electric Vehicles. Learn more at www.IDTechEx.com/nano.

October 12, 2011 — Vaccuum and abatement equipment supplier Edwards Limited expanded its iXH harsh process dry pump family with the iXH500H series of 500m3/h pumps optimized for flat panel display (FPD), solar, and advanced semiconductor processes requiring high gas flows and flexible pump temperature profiles.

These pumps consume 15% less energy than conventional products and boast enhanced mean time between servicing (MTBS), with a small footprint and hydrogen pumping capabilities of the iXH450 series, Edwards reports. The iXH500H series has increased pump temperature flexibility for flat panel, solar panel, and semiconductor fab, and yields a 30% lower cost of ownership as compared to previous-generation iXH dry pumps.

Running at low pump temperatures, the iXH500H series suits processes that use high flows of corrosive gases (e.g. FPD PECVD, thin film solar PECVD, semiconductor MOCVD), or for processes that use thermally sensitive pre-cursors (e.g. atomic layer deposition) that could