news archive
Less
Expensive Displays from Georgia Tech?
Atlanta,
Georgia, March 28 - By chemically attaching a
difficult-to-process solid-state fluorescent material to a
universal polymer backbone, researchers at the Georgia
Institute of Technology have built what may be a foundation
for a new generation of optoelectronic display devices based
on inexpensive organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).
Until now,
the aluminum tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) (Alq3) material -
which is used as the emission and electron transport layer
in OLEDs - had to be deposited under high-vacuum conditions,
which requires costly equipment. Attaching it to a polymer
backbone allows the material to be applied using solution
processes: simple spin-coating methods already widely used
for applying thin films.
Beyond the
implications for less costly and more flexible flat-panel
displays and similar devices, the new technique demonstrates
that small molecules with interesting properties can be
self-assembled onto standard polymer backbones. Using this
"Lego-like" approach could have applications to
other materials that are easier to process in polymeric
form. Details of the work were presented March 27th at the
225th American Chemical Society National Meeting in New
Orleans, Louisiana.
Information: http://gtresearchnews.gatech.edu
JD
Photo-Tools Introduces World's Highest-Res Photomask Raster
Plotter
Manchester,
UK, March 24 - JD Photo-Tools, a UK supplier of services to
the electronics and printed-circuit industries, today
announced the launch of their new photomask facility.
Considerable investments in CAD/CAM and lithography
production include the delivery of the first in a new breed
of a high-resolution raster plotter. This new plotter,
exclusively developed for JD Photo-Tools, allows resolutions
of up to 64,000 dpi, making it the highest-resolution raster
plotter available in the world.
This
technology provides "a significant, cost-effective
alternative to electron-beam technology," states John
Dingley, Managing Director of JD Photo-Tools.
"Utilizing next-generation pulse xenon flash technology
we have the ability to produce both small- and large-format
photomasks at an extremely high resolution at a fraction of
cost of current technologies. [The] process is not only fast
but accurate, enabling ourselves to be extremely
competitive." JD Photo-Tools will be able to achieve
features as small as 5 microns, making this technology
suitable for the FPD industry, a company statement said.
Information: www.jdphoto.co.uk
Dell
Designs Sharp Transflective Display into Axim™ X5 PDAs
Camas,
Washington, March 24 - Sharp Microelectronics of the
Americas announced the design-in of its 3.5-inch
transflective liquid crystal display (LCD) into the new Axim™
X5 handheld devices from Dell Computer Corporation.
Incorporating Sharp's proprietary Advanced TFT (AD-TFT)
technology, the LCD module provides superior color,
brightness, and viewability, a company statement said. Sharp
was the first manufacturer to offer high-performance
transflective, TFT display technology for handheld
products.
"Dell's
Axim design team had very rigorous display requirements,
including superior color quality and brightness. Sharp's AD-TFT
display was chosen because Dell recognized that our display
technology readily met the power, performance and quality
considerations," explained Joel Pollack, vice president
of Sharp's display products business unit.
The Sharp
3.5-inch QVGA display is 5 mm thick, weighs 50 grams,
features 50 nits of luminance, and consumes 324 mW of power.
The display module incorporates a 16-bit-color TFT-LCD
panel, driver ICs, an FPC, an LED backlight, and an
integrated plastic touch-screen that reduces the overall
weight of the LCD module while making it more durable. The
module eliminates the need for a separate inverter,
essentially eliminating electro-magnetic interference
issues.
Sharp has
made a strong commitment to the handheld and mobile
marketplace, which is indicated by the production of a
growing number of small displays based on the needs of
designers of next-generation products. Last year, Sharp
introduced its Advanced TFT technology into the handheld
market and almost immediately began to receive significant
attention from the design community, said Pollack. Sharp
believes these displays are ideal for PDAs, barcode
scanners, gaming, and GPS / navigation devices, as well as
portable patient monitoring and test-and-measurement
equipment.
Information: www.sharpsma.com.
Joe
Virginia Becomes Samsung's U.S. Sales and Marketing VP
San Jose,
California, March 24 - Samsung Electronics Co. today
announced the expansion of its senior-level management team
with the appointment of Joe Virginia to vice president of
sales and marketing for the America region. Virginia will be
responsible for defining and implementing sales and
marketing strategies for Samsung's extensive portfolio of
high-resolution TFT-LCD panels, which ranges from 1.8 inches
for mobile phones to 54 inches for emerging high-definition
TVs.
"The new
U.S.-based TFT-LCD vice president position strengthens
customer relationships in an important growth market for
Samsung," noted H. J. Kim, president of Samsung
Semiconductor. "Joe Virginia's extensive experience in
the flat panel display industry, particularly in the TFT-LCD
and plasma arena, gives him valuable insight into the market
and customer needs - key to the development of programs that
grow our business."
Virginia has
19 years of experience in the flat panel display industry.
In addition to his job as vice president of business
development at iFire Technology, he spent 14 years at
Fujitsu Microelectronics as director of flat panel displays.
At Fujitsu, he was responsible for commercializing the
company's color plasma displays, TFT-LCDs, and projection
systems. Virginia holds a bachelor's degree in industrial
engineering from Cleveland State University.
Information: www.samsungsemi.com;
www.usa.samsungsemi.com.
Al Gore
Joins Apple's Board of Directors
Cupertino,
California, March 19 - Apple® today announced that Albert
Gore Jr., the former Vice President of the United States,
has joined the company's board of directors. Mr. Gore was
elected at Apple's board meeting today.
"Al
brings an incredible wealth of knowledge and wisdom to Apple
from having helped run the largest organization in the
world-the United States government-as a Congressman,
Senator, and our 45th Vice President. Al is also an avid Mac
user and does his own video editing in Final Cut Pro,"
said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Al is going to be a
terrific director and we're excited and honored that he has
chosen Apple as his first private-sector board to serve
on."
"Steve
and his team have done an incredible job in making Apple
once again the very best in the world," said former
Vice President Al Gore. "I have been particularly
impressed with the new Mac OS X operating system and the
company's commitment to the open source movement. And I am
especially looking forward to working with and learning from
the great board members who have guided this legendary
company's inspiring resurgence."
Mr. Gore was
inaugurated as the 45th Vice President of the United States
on January 20, 1993. He was re-elected in 1996, and helped
lead the U.S. into the longest period of sustained economic
growth in American history. He served for a total of eight
years as President of the Senate, a member of the cabinet,
and the National Security Council, and as the leader of a
wide range of Administration initiatives including
environmental policy, technology, science, communications,
and government cost reduction.
As a member
of the U.S. Congress 25 years ago, he popularized the term
"Information Superhighway," and was instrumental
in fighting for federal funds to assist in building what
later became the Internet. He has remained an active leader
in technology, launching a public/private effort to wire
every classroom and library in America to the
Internet.
Mr. Gore
serves as a Senior Advisor to Google, Inc. He is also a
visiting professor at the University of California Los
Angeles, Fisk University, and Middle Tennessee State
University. He received his B.A. in Government with honors
from Harvard University in 1969, and attended the Vanderbilt
University School of Religion and the Vanderbilt University
School of Law.
Silicon
Optix Completes $27 Million Series B Funding
San Jose,
California, March 18 - Silicon Optix, a fables semiconductor
company focused on the convergence of silicon and optics,
announced today that it has completed a $27 million series
"B" financing after receiving a second tranche of
$10 million. The round was co-led by Canaan Partners and
Polaris Venture Partners, who also lead the first closing of
$17 million in July 2002. Additional investors in this round
included Origin Partners and RBC Partners, who led the
company's series "A" financing, as well as other
accredited investors.
Said Paul
Russo, Chairman and CEO of Silicon Optix: "We are
pleased to have relationships with more than 40
industry-leading customers, and have recently announced
three new design wins for our real-time geometry processing
technology. This additional funding, coupled with our recent
accomplishments related to optics design for short-throw
front-projection and SlimLine™ rear-projection television
(RPTV), will allow Silicon Optix to offer highly
differentiated digital-imaging IC solutions to the
fast-growing, large-screen display markets."
Silicon
Optix's patented eWARP™ technology enables a wide variety
of functions never before possible by simplifying the design
and development of advanced front- and rear-projection
systems. The company's AnyPlace™ technology digitally
corrects the video display of front projectors to compensate
for geometrical distortion and enable flexibility in
projector placement. In addition, the eWARP technology
enables a new category of large-screen RP displays -
SlimLine RPTV - that makes it possible to achieve RPTV price
points for cabinet depths that approach those of plasma.
John Balen,
General Partner for Canaan Partners said, "Silicon
Optix's next-generation ICs offer compelling solutions for
the high-growth home-theater systems market. We are
impressed with the company's innovative technology, as well
as the customer traction it is receiving. [We] are pleased
to co-lead their series "B" funding."
Silicon Optix
will utilize this round of capital to complete the
development and market launch of its next-generation IC, as
well as marketing activities for the AnyPlace and eWARP
product lines targeted at the business, home front
projection, thin RPTV home theater, and
security/surveillance markets. To further support the
company's growth, Silicon Optix will expand its engineering,
sales, and marketing teams. Since the company's inception in
2000, Silicon Optix has raised funds in excess of $35
million.
Information: www.siliconoptix.com.
LG.Philips
LCD's Second Gen 5 Plant Begins Volume Production
Seoul, South
Korea, March 18 (PRNewswire) - LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.,
today announced that its new "P5" facility, the
world's third fifth-generation TFT-LCD fabrication plant,
began volume production this month. The company opened the
world's first Gen 5 facility (which the company designates
"P4") last May.
Located in
Gumi, South Korea, the new plant will produce TFT-LCDs for
17-inch and larger desktop monitors, and for larger LCD-TVs
such as the 26-inch wide model. Currently in the first phase
of ramp-up (to 30,000 sheet per month), P5 is expected to
reach full production capacity in the second half of 2003,
achieving a total of 60,000 sheets per month by year end.
P5, which handles 1100x1250 mm substrates, is in same
building that houses the P4 fab, which handles 1000x1200 mm
substrates.
Commenting on
P5, K. S. Park, LG.P LCD's EVP of manufacturing, said,
"The opening of our second, fifth-generation factory
will further LG.Philips LCD's position as a technology and
production leader in TFT-LCDs, enabling more larger display
products with the consistent high quality our customers need
and expect from our company. This factory will also broaden
our product line…."
Information: www.lgphilips-lcd.com.
Medeiros
Leaves Display Industry; Becomes CEO of SonicWALL
Sunnyvale,
California, March 18, 2003 - SonicWALL, Inc., a provider of
comprehensive Internet security solutions, announced today
that Matt Medeiros, former president and CEO of Philips
Electronics' Components Division, has joined the company as
president and chief executive officer. Medeiros replaces
interim CEO Bill Roach, who will continue with the company
as a senior executive. In addition, SonicWALL also announced
that Chuck Kissner, an independent Board member since July
2000, has been elected Chairman.
SonicWALL's
customers include small-, medium- and enterprise-class firms
in a variety of industry segments, including education,
healthcare, government, retail and hospitality.
"One of
the most important business issues today, regardless of
company size or industry sector, is information
security," said Medeiros. "Growth in networks, the
increasing complexity of network access points and the
increasing volume of data transmissions across the Internet
are driving unprecedented demands for Internet security. It
is a very exciting prospect to be able to provide solutions
that are so fundamentally critical to our customers. I am
delighted to have the opportunity to help this company
realize its potential."
Medeiros'
first priorities will be to quickly evaluate SonicWALL's
operations and strategy to ensure they are aligned for new
growth and increased shareholder value. "The key to
this effort will be our ability to work in close
collaboration with our channel and end customers in all of
our markets and to identify and execute aggressive product
and technology roadmaps that best meet their needs,"
said Medeiros.
As president
and CEO of Philips Components, Medeiros was the chief
architect of the LCD joint venture between Philips
Electronics and LG Electronics, which secured a leadership
position for Philips in flat displays.
Information: www.sonicwall.com.
Keys
Re-elected USDC Chairman
San Jose,
California, March 17 - The U.S. Display Consortium (USDC), a
public/private partnership chartered with developing the
flat-panel-display (FPD) industry supply chain, today
announced that Dalen E. Keys, Ph.D., has been re-elected
chairman of its Governing Board. Keys, who is also DuPont
Display's chief technical officer, will lead the USDC board
in its decisions on policy, program content, and disposition
of funds available to the consortium to sponsor R&D
projects in support of the FPD industry. USDC's President
and CEO, Michael Ciesinski, and Chief Technical Officer M.
Robert Pinnel, Ph.D., were also re-appointed to their
respective positions.
Dr. Keys was
first elected chairman of the USDC in February 2002. As
chairman, he has played a key role in building USDC's
relationship with the Army Research Laboratory; continuing
support for the supply chain necessary for enabling the
organic light emitting diode display (OLED) industry; and in
recruiting potential consortium members.
During his
new term, Keys plans to re-establish and align USDC's
programs with the plans of the U.S. Army and its new
emphasis on the Flexible Display Initiative - an Army
Transformation R&D effort aimed at speeding
commercialization of flexible displays. In addition, he will
strive to ensure the commercial success of USDC's programs
so the industry can benefit from the advances in display
technology that result from USDC funding.
Commenting on
his re-appointment, Keys noted, "I am very enthusiastic
to continue my role at USDC, especially during such a
critical time when the display industry is emerging as the
fastest growing sector in the electronics industry and has
sparked the interest of the investment community. Since its
creation in 1993, the USDC has helped to keep the display
industry's focus on supply-chain development. Today, the
USDC is funding projects for LCDs, microdisplays, projection
display systems and OLEDs. Together with the Army, we are
defining the criteria necessary for enabling flexible
displays, which will revolutionize the electronics devices
we know today."
Keys also
noted, "The USDC has proven invaluable for DuPont
Displays, as well as other member companies, allowing for
discussions on the industry direction, strategies and
programs. Because the display dictates the design of devices
into which it is integrated, I hope to increase the
participation of OEMs who can play a key role in the
development and adoption of next-generation
displays."
Information: www.usdc.org.
Corning
Begins Construction of Melting Facility in Taiwan
Corning, New
York and Tainan, Taiwan, March 5 - Corning Inc. today
officially celebrated the expansion of its
liquid-crystal-display (LCD) glass manufacturing facility in
the Tainan Science-based Industrial Park, Taiwan. The
ceremony marked the start of construction of Corning's LCD
glass melting facility in Taiwan, as announced by the
company on November 5, 2002. With the addition of the Taiwan
melting capability, Corning will become the only
glass-substrate supplier with four, fully-integrated
manufacturing facilities located in all three of the key
LCD-producing regions: Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.
The addition
of melting to the Tainan facility is a key part of Corning's
long-term strategy to significantly increase its LCD glass
manufacturing capacity to keep pace with the growing needs
of its customers worldwide. By early 2004, the Tainan
facility's melting will be operational and is expected to
produce glass substrates to supply the growing number of
customers installing fifth-generation LCD fabrication lines.
Corning expects its display technologies business revenue to
grow by 20 to 40 percent annually through 2006, with much of
this growth centered in its Taiwan operations. Glass demand
in Taiwan's AMLCD industry, which is focused on large
displays used in LCD desktop monitors, notebook computers,
and LCD-TVs, has more than doubled in volume over last
year.
By adding
melting capability, Corning's Taiwan plant becomes the
company's fourth fully integrated manufacturing facility,
joining plants in Shizuoka, Japan, and two Samsung Corning
Precision (SCP) plants in Gumi and Asan, South Korea. In
addition, Corning operates a glass melting and forming plant
in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
The company
is simultaneously continuing capacity expansions at both the
Shizuoka and Harrodsburg facilities, which are expected to
be operational this year. Ongoing capacity expansions at
SCP's Asan plant will also continue to be brought on line,
as the company grows to keep pace with the high customer
demand of the LCD industry in South Korea.
"[Corning's]
proprietary fusion technology is fully scalable to fifth-
and sixth-generation and larger sheet sizes," said
James P. Clappin, general manager of Corning Display
Technologies. "We are currently producing glass that is
approaching three square meters with what is considered to
be the highest surface quality in the industry."
Information:
www.corning.com.
Motorola
Supports XtremeSpectrum's UWB Proposal for IEEE 802.15.3a
Dallas,
Texas, March 10 - XtremeSpectrum, a leading provider of
ultra-wideband semiconductor solutions, and Motorola, Inc.'s
Semiconductor Products Sector (Motorola SPS) today announced
that the two companies have inked a memorandum of
understanding detailing the companies' first steps in a
collaboration based upon XtremeSpectrum's ultra-wideband (UWB)
technology and Motorola's position in providing complete
wireless platforms and embedded silicon solutions. The
announcement, made at the March 2003 IEEE 802 Plenary
Meeting, was underscored as Motorola SPS announced it is
supporting the XtremeSpectrum proposal for the IEEE
802.15.3a alternate physical layer standard.
"Motorola
SPS evaluated the wireless multimedia market and UWB
technology landscape," said Behrooz Abdi, vice
president and general manager of Motorola SPS's Radio
Products Division. "XtremeSpectrum has established
credibility as the only UWB company with working silicon
and, coupled with their multi-band roadmap, they demonstrate
a time-to-market advantage. We believe our collaboration
will lead to a world-wide UWB radio platform that will
accelerate adoption across a wide range of consumer
electronics and computing market spaces."
The IEEE
802.15 Working Group develops personal area network
consensus standards for short-distance wireless personal
area networks (WPANs). The P802.15.3 draft standard, which
is targeting high-data-rate WPAN applications, is widely
touted as the standard for wireless multimedia distribution.
In November 2001, it was agreed that a new study group would
be formed to identify an alternative transmission
technology, or physical layer (PHY), for an emerging
higher-data-rate WPAN standard (802.15.3a). This week, in
Dallas, proposals submitted for the IEEE 802.15.3a standard
are being presented and reviewed at the IEEE 802.15.3a Task
Group Meeting, including the proposal by XtremeSpectrum that
is supported by Motorola. The IEEE is expected to publish
the approved standard in mid-2004.
Information:
www.xtremespectrum.com.
Freer
Named PFE Chairman
Oxford, UK,
March 7 - Bill Freer, until recently the manager of Philips
Mobile Display Systems in Hong Kong, has been named
Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Printable Field
Emitters Ltd., and Ivor Thomas has been named COO, announced
CEO Tom Holzel.
Over a 5-year
period, Freer guided the Philips Mobile Dsplay Systmes
business to become the number one supplier of LCD modules
for use in mobile telephones. Prior to that he was the
General Manager of Philips Semiconductors in Southampton,
UK.
Says Freer:
"PFE has probably the only cathode technology which has
the stability and long life for use in flat, thin consumer
TVs, at a cost approaching that of conventional CRT type
TVs. At Philips I was involved in the rapid introduction of
new display technologies into the market. This experience
will help me guide PFE's management team as they transition
their laboratory developments into the commercial
mainstream."
Ivor Thomas
has acted as group finance director for a number of publicly
listed companies and, more recently, VC funded high-
technology start-up companies.
PFE's
second-generation cold-cathode field-emission technology is
intended for wafer-thin, consumer-priced, hang-on-the-wall
TV screens from 32 to 60 inches diagonal.
Information:
www.pfe-ltd.com.
Toshiba
Announces Direct Methanol Fuel Cell for Portable PCs
Tokyo, Japan,
March 4 (Business Wire) - Toshiba Corporation today
announced the world's first prototype of a small
direct-methanol fuel cell (DMFC) for portable PCs, a
development with the potential to end reliance on
rechargeable batteries and reduce environmental pollution.
The new fuel cell currently realizes average output of 12W
and maximum output of 20W, and can achieve approximately
five hours of operation with a single cartridge of fuel. It
provides instant power and achieves significant advances in
operating times with replaceable methanol cartridges.
Toshiba will present the DMFC at CeBIT in Hannover, Germany
from March 12 to 19.
The hardware
capabilities of notebook PCs, cellular phones, PDAs and
other portable devices continue to make rapid progress; but
faster CPUs, higher-resolution displays, wireless
connectivity, and other advances all increase the demands on
power supply and underline the limitations of current
lithium-ion batteries, a Toshiba statement said. Fuel cells
are widely seen as a replacement for lithium-ion batteries,
but companies working on their development have to overcome
the problems of miniaturization and fuel delivery. Toshiba
says it has achieved this with its DMFC.
Methanol in a
fuel cell delivers power most efficiently when it is mixed
with water in a 3 to 6 percent methanol concentration, a
concentration requiring a fuel tank that is much too large
for use with portable equipment. Toshiba overcame this by
developing a system that allows a higher concentration of
methanol to be diluted by the water produced as a by-product
of the power-generation process. This technology allows
methanol to be stored at a much higher concentration, and
achieves a fuel tank less than 1/10 the size of that
required for storing the same volume of methanol in a 3 to 6
percent concentration. The current prototype can operate for
approximately five hours on 50 cc of high-concentration
methanol. It measures 275 x 75 x 40 mm and weighs 900 grams.
Toshiba says
it has also realized other essential technologies for
miniaturizing a high- performance fuel cell. These include
interface and electric circuits to assure efficient control
of power supply; sensors to monitor methanol concentration
and liquid level; and a remaining-quantity sensor to tell
users when they need to change the methanol fuel cartridge.
All these components, and low-power liquid and air
transmission pumps, are controlled by a very small DC-DC
converter.
Toshiba has
given the DMFC the same electrodes as found in lithium-ion
batteries, allowing it to connect directly to a PC or other
portable device in the same way as a lithium-ion battery. It
can also be used as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
The DMFC removes the need for proximity to an ac power
supply to assure long operating times.
Toshiba will
continue development of DFMC technology, with the aim of
product commercialization within 2004. The current DMFC will
be on display at Toshiba's booth at CeBIT, in Hall 1 6h2.
IBM
G51/G51t CRT Monitors Recalled
Washington,
D.C., March 4 - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission (CPSC), IBM, of Armonk, N.Y., is
voluntarily recalling to repair 56,000 computer monitors.
The monitor's circuit board can overheat and smoke, posing a
fire hazard to consumers.
IBM has
received five reports of monitors overheating and smoking,
including one report of minor property damage. No injuries
have been reported.
The recalled
15-inch IBM monitors include the G51 CRT (cathode ray tube)
and G51t touch-screen CRT models. The G51 and G51t monitors
have the following model numbers on a label on the back of
the unit: 6541-02N, 6541-02E, 6541-02S, 6541-Q0N, 6541-Q0E,
and 6541-Q0S. The label on the back of the recalled G51
models also has a date of manufacture between June 1997 and
September 1997. The "IBM" logo can be found on the
front of the units, which were manufactured in China and
Malaysia.
IBM,
MicroTouch Systems, and major retail stores nationwide,
including Best Buy, CompUSA, Office Max, and Radio Shack,
sold the monitors from June 1997 through December 1998 for
about $370.
Consumers
should stop using these monitors immediately and contact the
IBM Repair Center at (866) 644-3155 between 9 a.m. and 7
p.m. ET Monday through Friday for a free inspection and
repair or replacement. For more information, consumers can
log on the company's website at www.ibm.com/pc/g51recall.
USDC
Awards $3 Million for Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing of Flexible
Displays
San Jose,
California, March 4 - The U.S. Display Consortium (USDC)
today announced it has awarded the first in a planned series
of research and development contracts aimed at bringing
roll-to-roll (web-based) manufacturing of lightweight,
flexible displays and microelectronic backplanes to the
market. CHA Industries, based in Fremont, California, a
maker of high-vacuum deposition systems and associated
equipment for precision coating, was selected as the first
contract recipient based on the company's prior experience
in successfully developing and commercializing tools for
web-based manufacturing. Having developed its prototype
web-coating deposition tool for experimental evaluation of
web handling systems with the help of prior USDC funding,
CHA Industries will now receive $3 million under this second
contract to design and build a new production quality tool
specifically for handling a 24-inch web and multiple
deposition heads.
To accelerate
the types of manufacturing breakthroughs needed to support
the commercialization of new display technologies and to
enhance the probability of success, the USDC plans to
support a number of development projects that will create
the tool set and materials systems that are essential for a
web-based manufacturing capability. However, an early
understanding of the attendant hurdles and limitations (such
as registration and distortion control, surface damage and
contamination control) is essential, so that solutions to
these issues won't need to be relearned for every process
tool. Thus, coating and film deposition - one of the most
basic process steps - is being chosen as the trial R&D
project.
USDC and CHA
will share the $6 million cost of the two-year development
project. The first qualification tool will be installed at a
USDC member company facility for beta site evaluation and
testing. Initially planned for sputter deposition of films
in fabrication of polysilicon thin-film-transistor (TFT)
backplanes, the tool will also be fitted with a linear
organic-materials deposition source module (being developed
by Kurt J. Lesker Co. under a separate USDC project) for
deposition of small-molecule OLED materials onto
plastic-film substrates.
Information: www.usdc.org.
Major
Japanese Companies Form Consortium to Jump Start 3D Display
Market
Mahwah, New
Jersey, March 4 - Five major Japanese companies have
collaborated to form The 3D Consortium to encourage the
growth and development of a full-fledged market for 3D
applications and products. The consortium's objective is to
enhance the potential market for three-dimensional images
through the development and expansion of I/O devices for 3D
stereographic displays, development and distribution of 3D
content, and promotion of the commercial use of this new
technology in a wide variety of application areas.
The five
steering members of the Consortium are Itochu Corporation,
Tokyo; NTT DATA Corporation, Tokyo; Sanyo Electric Co.,
Ltd., Osaka; Sharp Corporation, Osaka; and Sony Corporation,
Tokyo. Consortium members believe this groundbreaking
technology will open up new worlds of video imaging that
will provide a realistic sense of depth and presence never
before possible. In addition to the five steering members,
the 3D Consortium has over 60 standard members, including
hardware manufacturers, software vendors, content vendors,
content providers, system integrators, video production
houses, broadcasters, academic organizations, and other
interested parties.
Compared to
conventional planar (2D) displays, stereographic (3D)
displays are capable of realistically depicting the
positional relationships of objects in space. A variety of
applications are envisioned in fields as wide-ranging as
industrial design (including CAD), medical, educational,
entertainment, advertising, broadcasting, electronic books,
and more. The Consortium estimates this market in Japan has
the potential to reach three trillion yen in annual sales
revenue by 2008.
Subcommittees
are being established within the Consortium to discuss
specific issues such as devising image formats appropriate
to various applications and I/O devices, and developing
guidelines and authoring tools for creating content. The
Consortium will expand its efforts globally into various
fields, and plans to aggressively promote educational
activities to encourage the widespread application and
expansion of 3D. The ultimate goal is to generate an
unprecedented new industry and market for 3D technology.
The
Consortium's Executive Director is Minoru Taniguchi, and the
consortium's business office is located at Digi-Book Japan
Inc., 1-3-6 Nishi-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Inquiries
from companies and organizations in the U.S. interested in
participating in the Consortium for the purpose of expanding
the market for 3D can be directed to Ian Thompson, Sharp
Laboratories of Europe Ltd., Oxford, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1865
747711, Fax: +44 (0)1865 747717, email: ian.thompson@sharp.co.uk.
Other
Information: Tel: +81-3-5283-8640, email: jimmukyoku@3dc.gr.jp.
