Nikkei Microdevices' Flat Panel Display 2006 Yearbook

Part 1 Trends

FPDs to account for half of TVs on market by 2010; Meeting diverse demands from full-HD TVs to models in the100,000-yen class

1 Industry trends

Overall capability, including panels, parts and materials, and production equipment, becomes the deciding factor

2 Market analysis .

Rapid expansion of the FPD TV market accelerating panel demand recovery

Part 2 Image Quality Evaluation

Image quality of FPDs closing in on CRTs;

Evaluating image quality in latest models

1 Image-quality benchmark

Simultaneously achieving price reduction to the 1 inch = 10,000 yen level, along with picture quality improvements in FPD TVs

2 Ergonomic

Ergonomic issues in picture quality improvement in flat panel TVs

3 Evaluation and measurement

Current status of and expectation for picture quality evaluation/measurement technologies

4 Video response measurement .

Motion blur- latest technologies for its evaluation, and remaining issues

5 Signal generator

Increases and diversification in FPD picture quality leading to changing requirements for signal generators

Part 3 Liquid Crystal Display Technologies 1: Image Quality Innovation

Technologies abound to correct LCDs’ flaws;

vast improvement in picture contrast and video characteristics

1 OCB liquid crystal displays

OCB liquid crystal panel technology

- Advance in moving picture performance and future prospects -

2 Area control

LED light sources and area control technology enable high performance that surpasses CRTs

3 LED

Use of LEDs rapidly expanding from backlights to cars and illumination

Part 4 Liquid Crystal Display Technologies 2: Production Innovation

Elemental technologies for revolutionary inkjet and roll-to-roll materials emerge

1 Roll-to-roll

Roll-to-roll technology for components utilized in FPDs

2 Laser direct imaging

Laser direct patterning technology becoming the key for cost-cutting in next-generation lines

3 Film

Light guide technology for improving efficiency and reducing cost of backlights

Part 5 PDP Technologies

Luminous efficiency to exceed 2 lm/W;

Complete renovation from rib structure to materials

1 Improvement of luminous efficiency

Striving for a 1080p, 50-inch PDP with a luminous efficiency of 2 lm/W

2 High image quality

Technology to improve the picture quality of plasma displays and win the picture-quality competition in the age of digital HDTV

Part 6 Rear Projection Technologies

Revamping panels, screens, and optical systems;

Image quality approaching level of LCDs and PDPs 1 High-temperature polysilicon Si

Continued innovations in high-temperature polysilicon TFT technologies to achieve both high picture quality and low cost

2 DMD

Differentiation through color reproducibility based on full-HD

Part 7 Organic EL Technologies

OLED enters market, challenging LCDs cost-wise; Reassessing drive circuit, panel structure, and materials

1 Larger screens

Development of a 40-inch color organic EL panel utilizing a single a-Si TFT substrate

2 Drive methods

Analog drive as the realistic solution a-Si TFT substrate now one of the alternatives

3 Manufacturing processes

Prototype 200-ppi, high-definition organic EL panel created utilizing photolithographic technology

Part 8 Seeds

On-glass DRAMs and on-plastic processors; Substrate technologies that lead to realization of sheet computers

1 Integrated memory

DRAM on glass: validating the potential for incorporation with LCDs

2 Integrated processors

An 8-bit asynchronous processor formed on a flexible substrate