Displays

Display technology has come a long way since its introduction into the electronics scene. It plays a critical role in how information is conveyed. Today’s display market offers an abundance of choices, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The choice of technology greatly depends on the intended application, whether it is home entertainment, portable electronics, or industrial. Where CRTs had initially monopolized the display industry, they are now being replaced by newer technologies. Currently, LCDs using passive or active matrices have captured portable devices and are expanding into larger screen applications such as computer monitors and televisions. Today, different consumer products from HD TVs to handheld devices use a wide variety of display technologies

Over the years, full-colour flat panel displays, represented by thin-film-transistor (TFT) liquid crystal displays (LCD), have enabled many new applications, such as the digital camera, notebook PC and thin, flat-screen TV, through intensive research activities around the world. Recently, small-sized mobile display development has been leading the R&D effort to support the severe requirements of smartphones and tablet PCs. For the displays used in those applications, high definition, high visual quality, low power consumption, small form factor and easy-to-use touch user interface (UI) are critical values. The different types of display Technologies included are Liquid Crystal Displays, Organic Light Emitting Diodes, Digital Light Processing Technology, Plasma Displays, Field Emission Displays, and Electronic Paper.

Display technology is the most effective way to communicate information. As researchers continuously create innovative ideas, display technologies are becoming more sophisticated. Next generation displays will be lighter, thinner, flexible, more adaptable, power efficient, and conform to the changing needs of society. Organic LEDs, being composed of light emitting polymers, can emit their own light to offer thin and power-saving displays. Using many microscopic mirrors, DLP technology can generate large bright projections on screens with up to 35 trillion colours. Plasma Displays generate excellent quality images on very large screens. Field Emission Displays can produce high resolution images like CRTs without the bulky appearance. The makers of Electronic Paper are trying to replace print by developing displays with many paper-like properties. Demand for higher quality displays will drive technology evolution.