The future of display technology?

Prepared By: Ryan MichaudAdam NealeAndrei Iakimtchik

Date: March 27th, 2007.

Presentation OutlineHistory of display technology Current display alternativesHow FEDs workCompanies working on FEDDifficulties with FEDFuture of FED displays

History of Display Technology

Cathode Ray Tube1950’s

Liquid Crystal Displays1970’s

Field Emission Displays1980’s

Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT)Geissler Tubes (1855)

First CRT oscilloscope invented 40 years later

Commercially practical CRT made by Allen DuMont (1931)

Liquid Crystal Display

Liquid Crystalline materials discovered (1880s)

James Fergason produced first practical LCD display (1967)

Epson introduced first color LCD TV 2” in diagonal (1985)

Plasma Display Panel

Plasma identified by William Crookes (1879s)

Prototype for PDP introduced at University of Illinois (1964)

Fujitsu introduced first 42” color PDP (1997)

Vacuum tube with phosphor-coated screen

Cathode emits electrons to be accelerated by the anode

Deflectors guide the electron beams

Electrons excite phosphor molecules to produce light

CRT

Technology Comparison

Advantages ShortcomingsGood color representationLarge viewing angleFast response time (50 µs)Low priceMultiple resolutions

Large and bulky (2 kg/in)Flicker causes eye strainHigh power (11 W/in)

CRT

Technology Comparison cont’d

Technology Comparison cont’dLCD

A layer of liquid crystalline sandwiched between 2 glass layers with polarizer

Light generated behind the screen, passed through

Applied voltage controls the crystalline orientation

Technology Comparison cont’d

Advantages ShortcomingsLight weight (0.6 kg/in)Low power (5 W/in)Less eye strainHigh brightness (500 Cd/m2)

Small viewing angleSlow response time (8 ms)Weaker contrast & color

LCD

Technology Comparison cont’dPDP

Two layers of glass with pixel array in between

Each pixel contains a mix of neon and xenon gas

Current is passed through a pixel to ionize gas, and emit UV radiation

UV rays excites phosphor-coated layer of glass to generate light

Technology Comparison cont’d

Advantages ShortcomingsHigh brightness (1000 Cd/m2) High contrast (10000:1)Large viewing angle

More power vs LCD (8 W/in)Burn-in effectSize limitation (>40”)Slow response time

PDP

FED: The Best of Both WorldsPromised Advantages

Very light (100 g/in)Large Viewing angle (178o)Extremely fast (20 ns)Low power (0.2 W/in)High contrast (10x PDP)No flickerNo dead pixels

How FED Works?Array of mini-CRTs

Technology Options - SED“Surface-conduction

electron emitter display”

Joint venture between Toshiba and Canon

Technlogy Options - SpindtSpindt emitters are

tiny cones that create a very high charge density

Alignment of the cone and gate is critical

Technology Options - CNT

Carbon nanotubes as electron source

Companies Researching FEDCanon and Toshiba joint venture in SEDSony promises Spindt-type FED display in 2009Samsung is researching CNTs, Applied Nanotech Inc.

have made a 25” display

Challenges: Technical Problems Fluctuations in emission current Low cost manufacturing methods Developing for large areas Tip damage High vacuum levels required

Dropping LCD pricesLCD panels are dropping in cost while increasing

in quality

Hope for FED DisplaysThe success of FEDs depends on:

CostQualityTiming

Technologically advantageous product suffers from poor timing

Questions?