Toshiba to Showcase Advanced Displays at SID 2006 Including 3-D, OCB, OLED, and the Latest in LTPS LCD Technology
Company to Feature Innovative, Advanced Technology Display Products and Prototypes for Cellular Phones, AV, Automotive, Mobile Computing, and Industrial Markets at the Society for Information Display (SID) Exhibition 2006, June 6-8 in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO, SID, Booth #526, June 6 / / - Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC)* today announced it will demonstrate an extensive array of next-generation displays and display technologies developed by Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd. (TMD)** for cellular phone, AV, automotive, mobile computing, and industrial applications this week in booth #526 at the 2006 Society for Information Display (SID) International Symposium, Seminar & Exhibition in San Francisco.
Featured technology highlights in TAEC's booth include:
o A remarkable 3-D display from Toshiba Corp. whose natural-looking 3-D
images are viewable to the naked eye without the need for special
glasses
o A third-generation 32-inch optically compensated bend (OCB) low
temperature poly silicon (LTPS) TFT LCD with ultra-fast response time
and ultra-wide viewing angles, achieving near CRT-like front of screen
performance
o A 9.0-inch field-sequential display with RGB LED backlighting, combined
with fast-response OCB technology, resulting in a display with higher
brightness and lower power than conventional LCDs
o High-luminescent 2.2-inch and 3.5-inch LTPS organic light-emitting
diode (OLED) displays for mobile phones and portable media players
o A dual-input, high-resolution LTPS 2.4-inch VGA (480x640 pixels, at
333 pixels per inch) cell phone display. (QVGA resolution,
240x320 pixels, has become the de facto standard in today's high-end
cell phones)
o An LTPS 2.4-inch QVGA System-on-Glass (SOG) finger-shadow sensing
display and other novel mobile displays, featuring thin 0.2mm glass,
light weight, and high resolution
o A 14.9-inch wide-format display concept demonstration for a full-size
automotive instrument panel
In addition to the prototypes and technology demonstrations noted above, a diverse line-up of commercially available displays for cell phone, mobile computing, industrial and automotive applications will also be showcased in the booth. Several noteworthy displays are mentioned below:
o A wide range of QVGA (240x320) displays for cell phone applications,
utilizing ultra-thin 0.2mm glass, as well as landscape mode solutions
for portable media players and other diverse portable monitoring
applications
o A selection of wide-screen, ultra-thin and lightweight notebook
displays featuring LTPS modules using 0.3mm and even 0.2mm glass, while
adopting low-power light-emitting-diode (LED) backlight systems
o A new line of high-brightness displays for industrial applications
intended to meet the requirements of the European Union's Reduction of
Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive(1). (See accompanying press
release.)
o A series of wide-format displays for navigation and rear-seat
entertainment automotive applications in sizes ranging from 7.0 to
9.0 inches, including an 8.0-inch automotive wide-VGA
(800 x 480 pixels) display with LED backlighting system
"These diverse and innovative products showcase the advantages of low temperature poly-silicon which is TMD's core technology and the basis of our latest mobile and notebook computer display modules, as well as our OCB, OLED and System-on-Glass prototypes," said Steve Vrablik, director of business development for LCDs at Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. "Inherent characteristics of LTPS technology include advanced substrate structure and high electron mobility, resulting in displays with ultra-high resolution, thin, lightweight design; low power consumption; reliability and a simple structure. As a result, LTPS is enabling the evolving digital world today with high pixel-density displays used in notebook PCs and mobile phones, and is providing the foundation for innovative, system-on-glass, next-generation display applications of tomorrow." TMD is currently a leading supplier of LTPS LCDs, producing the largest sizes available commercially, as well as the largest variety.
3-D Technology
This breakthrough display technology from Toshiba achieves remarkable, natural-looking 3-D images that can be viewed with the naked eye, without the need for special glasses usually required for other 3-D technologies. This approach allows 3-D images to be viewed on a flatbed display yet enables a realistic perception of depth. To create the flatbed 3-D display, Toshiba designed both hardware and software to project multiple images of an object that can be seen from different angles depending on the observer's position relative to the display. This technology allows viewers to move their heads and/or eyes horizontally to see the object from other angles. The prototype display at SID highlights how Toshiba is striving to bring 3-D capabilities to mobile-sized applications. Larger prototype modules have also been developed. New application areas that could utilize this 3-D technology include arcade games, e-learning, simulations of architectural buildings and landscapes - even 3-D menus in restaurants. Toshiba estimates that commercialization of this technology could occur in approximately two years for selected applications.
OCB Technology
TMD's third-generation OCB technology for LCD displays will be featured in a 32-inch wide-format LTPS LCD display for HDTV TV applications. Building on the "buzz" generated by this technology at SID 2005, this new, third- generation OCB technology provides near-CRT image quality, with ultra-fast response time of less than 5ms (T(on) + T(off) < 5ms) even during gray-to-gray transitions with high contrast ( > 500:1) and exceptionally wide viewing angles (to 170 degrees) in all directions, without color shifts or inversions. To further demonstrate the fast response time and wide viewing angle of OCB technology, two 9.0-inch WVGA (800x480) AV-type LCD displays, one with OCB mode and the other using conventional twisted-nematic (TN) mode, will be shown for comparison. OCB's fast response time is also of great benefit in cold temperature conditions, such as those encountered and specified in automotive video and navigation applications. By optimizing the liquid crystal cell structure, improving the bend alignment of the liquid crystal molecules, and use of special optical compensation films, OCB greatly improves response time, and achieves a much wider viewing angle. TMD has optimized the manufacturing techniques for OCB, and is evaluating OCB technology for a multitude of display sizes and applications that may benefit from its performance capabilities.
Field Sequential Technology combined with OCB Technology
Also exhibited will be a 9.0-inch TFT LCD combining field sequential backlighting technology with OCB technology to demonstrate a remarkable display that achieves high transmittance with low power consumption, ultra- wide viewing angles and ultra-fast response time. The resulting display is ideal for mobile AV applications. Unlike conventional LCDs, field sequential LCD technology does not require color filters, and thus enables high transmittance without any absorption loss, whereas using today's conventional color filter method results in more than 70 percent of the backlight's brightness being absorbed by the color filters. Inherently, field sequential technology would enable a tripling of resolution density since each pixel does not need to be subdivided into RGBx3 (red/green/blue) subpixels used in the conventional color filter approach. Field sequential backlighting technology, which changes the backlight color from red to green to blue, and back to red again in succession at high frequency, requires a minimum three times higher driving speed to display color filter-less RGB color, and so a high speed response LCD is indispensable to achieve the full front-of-screen performance. Accordingly, TMD focused on the ultra-fast response time of OCB technology and combined it with field sequential technology to achieve an LCD with high transmittance (2.6 times higher than our former OCB panels), low power consumption, wide viewing angle (170 degrees up, down, left, and right), high-speed response (3.3ms), high brightness and ultra-high resolution. The resulting display is ideal for the converging demands of mobile computing and AV applications.
OLED Technology
TMD's advanced OLED display technology is represented at SID 2006 for mobile applications by a high-luminescence, extremely thin and lightweight 3.46-inch QVGA LTPS active matrix OLED (AM-OLED), which has the vivid image quality desired for ultra-portable media players and other AV applications. A 2.2-inch QVGA LTPS display from the same family demonstrates the excellent image quality possible using an AM-OLED as the main display in cell phone applications. A third 2.5-inch display (not exhibited) for digital still camera applications rounds out the current family of LTPS AM-OLEDs that TMD is starting to develop. LTPS AM-OLEDs offer multiple advantages over today's conventional TFT LCD technologies, including self-emitting light (eliminating the CCFL inverter or LED driver circuitry); thinner, lighter weight displays (because no backlight is required); ultra-fast response time; ultra-wide viewing angles; and rich color chromaticity.
System-on-Glass Technology
To demonstrate the potential that LTPS System-on-Glass technology offers for integration of additional functions and circuitry, a prototype of a LTPS TFT LCD display with finger shadow sensing input capability will be shown. This approach enables users to use their finger to directly touch the display surface to select icons or buttons and navigate through pages in the same manner as a conventional touch-screen approach. The touch panel function is integrated into the substrate glass using TMD's SOG technology. This enables a thinner, lighter weight design, by eliminating an external touch panel. The device supports simultaneous input and display functions, and is suitable for swivel type designs that might be found in tablet PCs or other mobile products. Similar to TMD's previously announced input displays, this new finger shadow sensing input display incorporates advanced SOG technology to integrate photo sensors and signal processing LSI functions directly onto the glass. This new LTPS TFT LCD technology, with the ability to sense a user's finger shadow directly at the surface of the display, is expected to eventually achieve commercial-level performance for display screen sizes commonly used in mobile phone applications. By improving and incorporating higher resolution LTPS technology, TMD has achieved faster switching speeds, greater photo-sensor sensitivity, and more precise control of the input signal.
In addition to special functions such as input control, TMD's latest- generation LTPS TFT LCD-based SOG technology enables the complete driving circuit required to operate the LCD to be fully integrated directly onto the glass. SOG technology has progressed significantly since 2001, when TMD started mass production of the world's first LTPS TFT LCD with the digital-to- analog converter (DAC) and amplifier circuit integrated directly onto the glass. By October 2005, TMD achieved higher performance LTPS technology to enable a new-generation of SOG technology that supports integration of 1) the analog circuit for 260K color production with 6 bit per color gray scale (including DAC and amplifier circuitry); 2) the driving circuit required for addressing the rows and columns of the display; 3) the power circuit for the driving circuit; and 4) the controlling circuit regulating the analog, driving, and power circuits as well as all the other circuit functions required to operate the LCD. By eliminating the external LSI circuits, a smaller, more compact, and lighter LTPS TFT LCD can be achieved that minimizes the outer printed circuit board (PCB) size and provides for quick and simple assembly. Separate driver ICs become unnecessary, which helps to reduce the development leadtime.
These new LTPS TFT LCD prototypes, with fully-integrated circuitry through SOG technology, are expected to be valuable in mobile phone and various other applications.
Mobile Phone and Portable Media Player Displays
Leading-edge color thin film transistor (TFT) active matrix cell phone displays for mobile applications include a high resolution 2.4-inch VGA (480x640) dual-input display which will be shown compared to a 2.4-inch QVGA display to showcase how much more content can be viewed on a small screen, with better text legibility and image quality. The QVGA (240x320) format, which has become a global de facto standard for today's high-end cell phone models, will be shown in representative 2.0-, 2.2-, 2.4-, and 2.6-inch models. This format provides a high pixel density ranging from 154 pixels per inch (ppi) for the 2.6-inch size up to 200 ppi for the 2.0-inch size. These same items will demonstrate the lightness and thinness that can be achieved by using 0.2mm thin glass substrates, thus enabling ultra-thin, lightweight, high-resolution, content and feature-rich mobile phone designs.
Two additional modules with larger viewing areas for small mobile displays will also be exhibited. The first, a 2.8-inch wide-QVGA (240x400) format in portrait orientation, provides a 15:9 aspect ratio that, when turned on its side, enables wide-screen movies and/or photos to be displayed. Secondly, TMD has developed 2.2- (on display at SID) and 2.5-inch displays with QVGA resolution in landscape mode, providing small, high resolution, landscape- oriented displays to enable a diversity of set designs such as portable media players and other portable display terminals.
Mobile Computing Displays
Innovative new display solutions showcased for the mobile computing market include an 11-inch WXGA+ (1366x768), a 12.1-inch WXGA (1280x800), and a 13.3-inch WXGA (1280x800) display for wide-format mobile PCs. These displays combine the inherent benefits of using 0.3mm thin glass to reduce module weight and thickness, with new LED-based backlighting systems, which in themselves are thinner, lighter, and less power hungry than conventional cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlighting systems. Combining 0.3mm glass and LED backlighting in an LTPS-based TFT LCD module enables and enhances even higher portability in the mobile PC segment of the marketplace. Corresponding notebooks from leading manufacturers using these displays will also be shown. These new wide-format displays are ideal for watching video applications on PCs, for viewing wider spreadsheets, for viewing multiple pages side-by-side, or for viewing more windows and more screen content.
In addition, a 12.1-inch WXGA (1280x800) module with even thinner 0.2mm glass and an LED backlight will be exhibited, and will be featured in a commercially available notebook computer. TMD has recently started mass production of this display, which is the thinnest, lightest-weight 12.1-inch LTPS LCD module currently available for notebook PCs. Use of 0.2mm glass, combined with the LED backlight system, results in a module with thickness of 2.9mm (at the thinnest part) and weight of 183g, which is nearly half the thickness and a 32 percent weight savings compared with current products, and yet this panel achieves a remarkable 300cd/m2 (typical) luminance. Its wide- format 16:10 aspect ratio is suitable for the converging computing and AV market applications.
Each of these notebook LCDs shown, as well as all other TMD's notebook LCDs, utilize TMD's industry-leading LTPS technology, providing simpler design, fewer inter-connections with resultant higher reliability, and better power consumption and luminance performance than conventional amorphous silicon displays.
Automotive Displays
The automotive corner in TAEC's booth at SID will feature an innovative 14.9-inch concept demo for an LCD instrument panel that displays electronic gauges, alarm indicator, satellite navigation, vehicle/engine indicator and other information as needed. In this concept demo, the driver would be able to use the display to switch among normal indicator view, navigation view, or to a rear-view/blind spot camera view as driving situations would dictate. The concept highlights the potential benefits that could be realized in the driver's compartment of tomorrow by adopting such multi-function displays, versus today's conventional approach utilizing single-function mechanical gauges, indicators, and/or displays.
In addition, representative products from TMD's extensive line-up of 5.8- to 9.0-inch modules for both rear seat entertainment and navigation applications will be showcased. One noteworthy prototype is an 8.0-inch wide, WVGA (800x480) color active-matrix automotive display for navigation application that uses a light-emitting diode (LED) backlight instead of the conventional cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlight system. The high-resolution WVGA format provides excellent image quality for video and/or mapping applications, while the LED backlight enables quick start-up at the low temperatures typically required in automotive applications. In addition to the 8.0-inch WVGA display, 7.0-inch and 9.0-inch automotive LCD displays will also be shown.
Industrial Market Displays
TMD has a long history of commitment to the industrial market, providing displays that feature high brightness, wide viewing angles, wide operating temperature ranges, and replaceable backlighting structures, combined with a long-term product life cycle philosophy for the benefit of industrial system designers. With such in mind, TAEC will showcase its diverse line-up of high brightness displays for industrial applications, including a new super high brightness 12.1-inch SVGA (800x600) module that is visible even under sunlight applications, new 6.5-inch VGA (640x480) models, and a new 8.5-inch WVGA (800x480) module. (See separate product announcement.) Additional modules from TAEC's industrial line-up, ranging from 6.5-inch to 15.0-inch with a selection of resolutions including VGA (640x480), SVGA (800x600), WSVGA (1024x600), and XGA (1024x768), will be represented. TMD's commitment to provide RoHS-Compatible(2) products is further exemplified throughout the industrial line-up, which is well suited for a myriad of industrial environments and applications including factory automation, test and measurement, diagnostic equipment, kiosks, medical equipment and point-of-sale (POS) displays.
LTPS: Basic Technology and an Enabler of the Future
The advanced display technology shown by TMD at this year's SID exhibition further reinforces the company's continued leadership in the development of high information content displays through advances in LTPS TFT LCD technology for all sizes of displays and for a diverse range of applications. The technology enables higher electron mobility than amorphous-silicon technology, thus allowing for the patterning of the driver IC circuits directly onto the glass substrate. Poly-silicon technology can enable an overall reduction in component count by as much as 40 percent, signifying up to a 95 percent reduction in the number of connection locations required in the LCD module system as well as allowing a smaller circuit pitch. All combined, poly- silicon technology provides for thinner, brighter, lower-power, higher- resolution, less complicated TFT LCD modules, and it is the forerunner in achieving a true system-on-glass design in the future. Poly-silicon display technology is also used as the basis for TMD's OLED displays. TMD recently completed a $500 million LTPS fabrication facility in Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan. The new fab began production in April 2006, with a capacity of 5.5 million 2.2-inch equivalent pieces per month, using fourth-generation 730mm x 920mm x 0.5mm thick glass, with input capacity of 20,000 substrates per month. The new fab will produce small- and medium-sized cell phone and automotive displays, incorporating SOG and/or OCB technologies. Combined with TMD's other LTPS fabs in Japan and Singapore, it further establishes TMD as a worldwide leader in the production of LTPS displays, in small-, medium- and large-sizes.
*About TAEC
Combining quality and flexibility with design engineering expertise, TAEC brings a breadth of advanced, next-generation technologies to its customers. This broad offering includes semiconductors, flash memory-based storage solutions, and displays for the computing, wireless, networking, automotive and digital consumer markets.
TAEC is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corp. (Toshiba), Japan's second largest semiconductor manufacturer and the world's ninth largest integrated manufacturer of electric and electronic equipment. In more than 130 years of operation, Toshiba has recorded numerous firsts and made many valuable contributions to technology and society. For additional company and product information, please visit TAEC's website at chips.toshiba.com. For technical inquiries, please e-mail Tech.Questions@taec.toshiba.com.
**About Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd
In April 2002, Toshiba Corporation and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. merged their LCD businesses into a new joint venture company, Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd, now known as TMDisplay. The new company brings together each company's strengths and capabilities in LCD technology to satisfy a broad range of customer requirements and market segments. Today, Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd. is the worldwide leader in the field of TFT LCD modules for mobile use. For further information, please visit the TMD home page at http://tmdisplay.com/tm_dsp/index.htm.
Information in this press release, including product pricing and specifications, content of services and contact information, is current on the date of the announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice. Technical and application information contained here is subject to the most recent applicable TMD LCD product specifications. In developing designs, please ensure that TMD LCD products are used within specified operating ranges as set forth in the most recent TMD product specifications. This information is available from TAEC or from your TAEC representative.
All trademarks and tradenames held within are the properties of their respective holders.
(1) RoHS Directive - Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co. Ltd.
defines the "RoHS Directive" as the Directive 2002/95/EC of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on the
restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical
and electronic equipment.
(2) RoHS-Compatible - Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co. Ltd.
defines "RoHS-Compatible" LCD products as products that either
(i) contain no more than a maximum concentration value of 0.1% by
weight in Homogeneous Materials(3) for lead, mercury, hexavalent
chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), and polybrominated diphenyl
ethers (PBDEs) and no more than 0.01% by weight in Homogeneous
Materials for cadmium, or (ii) fall within one of the stated
exemptions set forth in the Annex to the RoHS Directive.
(3) Homogeneous Materials - Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co.
Ltd. defines "Homogeneous Materials" to mean a material that cannot be
mechanically disjointed into different materials. The term
"homogeneous" is understood as "of uniform composition throughout," so
examples of "Homogeneous Materials" would be individual types of
plastics, ceramics, glass, metals, alloys, paper, board, resins and
coatings. Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd. defines the
term "mechanically disjointed" to mean that the materials can, in
principle, be separated by mechanical actions such as unscrewing,
cutting, crushing, grinding or abrasive processes.
Source: Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.
CONTACT: Jan Johnson of MultiPath Communications, +1-714-633-4008, jan@multipathcom.com, for Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.; or Poloi Lin of Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc., +1-949-623-3098, poloi.lin@taec.toshiba.com
Web site: http://www.toshiba.com/taec
http://chips.toshiba.com/
http://tmdisplay.com/tm_dsp/index.htm
