Mirror, mirror on the wall, whos the smallest of us all?

07/01/1997

Mirror, mirror on the wall,who`s the smallest of us all?

Most people have learnt about virtual images in geometrical optics, but who would have guessed they will be used in information displays? Kopin Corp. recently introduced CyberDisplay, a 0.24-in. high resolution AMLCD. When viewed through the 16? field of view acrylic lens (0.77?0.65?0.28 in.), the virtual image looks like one on a 20-in. diagonal screen 5 ft away. The CyperDisplay has a resolution of 320?240 pixel and a density of 1700 lines/in. with the display and backlight fitting neatly into a volume of approximately 0.12 in.3.

The displays are manufactured on single-crystalline silicon on insulator (SOI) wafers, with the display circuits processed in standard IC foundries. The display circuits are then transferred onto glass, followed by liquid crystal packaging. In addition to displaying standard text and graphics in continuous grayscale, the display operates at 60 frames/sec (video rate) and consumes < 20mW (including backlight), 100 times less than notebook computer screens. Targeted markets include displays for portable electronic communication products such as cellular "web phones," pagers with displays for text, e-mail, graphics, and video frames from the Internet and other data or video sources. Applications in visual aid devices, optometry, and the medical fields are also being explored. - M.Y.M.L.