news archive
Polatechno
and MOXTEK to Triple Production by 2005
Orem, Utah,
May 20 - Polatechno Co., Ltd. of Japan and MOXTEK, Inc. of
Orem, Utah are pleased to announce Phase I of their capacity
expansion plans for ProFlux™ polarizers and polarizing
beam splitters. This first phase of expansion will take
place in the existing MOXTEK facility and will enable MOXTEK
to triple current capacity for ProFlux projection-display
components by the second quarter of 2005. Construction and
installation of this additional manufacturing capacity has
begun, with initial start-up scheduled for the 4th quarter
of 2004.
MOXTEK's
ProFlux polarizers and beam splitters are critical
components in liquid-crystal projection displays of both the
high-temperature polysilicon (HTPS) and
liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) types.
Matt Free,
ProFlux Sales and Marketing Manager, said, "The
projection display industry is growing very quickly today.
Our sales projections indicate that we should grow by at
least a factor of three each year for the next several
years. We are keeping a close watch on our customers' needs
because things can change quickly, but I think this Phase I
expansion will keep our ability to supply in line with
industry demand for the foreseeable future."
MOXTEK will
be exhibiting at SID, booth numbers 1429 and 1528, from May
25 to 27.
Information: www.moxtek.com.
Nemoptic
to Present First 32k-Color Bistable Display at SID '04
Magny-Les-Hameaux,
France, May 14 - Nemoptic will present the first 32k-color
display that consumes zero power between image updates at
the Society for Information Display Symposium (SID '04),
23-28 May, Seattle, Washington.
This
achievement is the consequence of a recent patented
improvement of the company's BiNem® technology that enabes
the control of 32 bistable gray levels. Unlike other
bistable technologies, the BiNem gray levels are analog and
are obtained only by modulation of the addressing signals.
The LCD cell has the same structure as monochrome BiNem
displays. The gray-scale signals are generated with
commercial off-the-shelf drivers. Standard LCD color filters
combined with the gray levels enable the generation of 32k
bistable colors.
The BiNem
color displays have a very wide viewing angle in any
direction and offer superior image quality in any lightning
conditions, Nemoptic says. The analog nature of the
gray-scale control enables the generation of even more gray
levels, which opens the way to full-color displays. The next
step is the demonstration of a 64k-color display in the
second half of 2004, and full color later on.
Commenting on
the current achievement, Alain Boissier, Nemoptic President,
said, " The superior optical performance of the
monochrome and color versions of the BiNem are now matching
the market expectations." He adds, "Taking into
account [BiNem technology's] compatibility with existing
manufacturing lines and its competitiveness, BiNem has a
fair chance to become the next LCD generation."
The color
gray-scale color BiNem displays will be exhibited at Booth #
944 at SID from May 25 to May 27, and will be described at
an Exhibitor's Forum session on Tuesday, May 25 at 4:00 p.m.
Information: www.nemoptic.com,
info@nemoptic.com.
Assets of
Photonics Systems to Be Liquidated at Auction
Foster City, California, May
4 - The assets of pioneering plasma display developer
Photonics Systems (Northwood, Ohio) will be auctioned off by
DoveBid, Inc. in a one-day live and webcast auction
beginning at 9:00 am (EDT) on May 25.
Featured items include:
- (1) Large electron beam
deposition system;
- (1) Temescal intermediate
box-type electron beam deposition vacuum system;
- (1) Mill Lane Engineering
Systems Model DGP3838 box-type electron beam deposition
vacuum system;
- (1) Tamarack Model 350
large-area UV exposure system;
- (2) Optical Radiation Opti-Beam
automatic exposure systems;
- (1) Varian Model 933-004
ultra-high-vacuum gas processing system;
- (1) HBS Mark IV Model
76467 electroplating system;
- (1) Western Magnum Model
XRL-240 hot roll laminator;
- (1) Nordson Model SCWL4
select coat spray system;
- (2) Zicon Model 11003-1
Series 11,000 automated in-line conveyorized precision
coating and drying systems;
- (1) Argon Service Hydra-3
screen printer;
- (1) Micrion Model L2
flat-panel-display automatic repair system; and
- (1) Florod Model AIM
automatic inspection machine.
Many other items will also be
auctioned.
Bidding may be done live in
Northwood, Ohio or at DoveBid's website. An equipment
catalog can be viewed at DoveBid's website, and the assets
may be previewed in person on May 24, 2004 from 9:00 am to
4:00 pm (EDT), and on the morning of the sale in Northwood,
Ohio.
Information: Tel:
(847) 597-4400. To view complete details or register to bid
online, log on to www.dovebid.com/Auctions/AuctionDetail.asp?auctionID=2546.
NTERA Ltd.
Secures $9.5 Million
Dublin Ireland, May 4 - NTERA™
Ltd., the developer of NanoChromics™ display technology,
has secured US$9.5 million in funding, led by Doughty Hanson
Technology Ventures. Existing shareholders also participated
in this round of funding. The company has raised a total of
$30 million to date.
NTERA has developed its
NanoChromics Display (NCD) technology using patented
nanotechnology that offers what the company describes as
"superior optical performance and cost effectiveness
over existing LCD and new display technologies." The
new funding moves the company from its
research-and-development phase to full-scale commercial
production.
The funding enables:
- Extension of NTERA's
manufacturing operations in Taiwan and Ireland;
- The commercial roll-out of
products ranging from handheld screens to large-scale
public clocks and information systems using NCD;
- An increase in NTERA's
global sales and marketing efforts; and
- Expansion of NTERA's
board, with George Powlick, Managing Director, Doughty
Hanson Technology Ventures and Don Caldwell, Senior
Managing Director, Cross Atlantic Technology Partners to
join with immediate effect.
Nick How, President, NTERA
Ltd., said, " We are pleased to have secured such
strong investment support. We have made great strides in
bringing our NanoChromics Displays technology to market and
this latest round of funding is another major milestone in
our development. It enables us to penetrate the low
resolution display market which is conservatively estimated
to be in excess of $2 billion per annum whilst allowing us
to continue development work and strategic partner
initiatives for the multi-billion-dollar, high-resolution
active-matrix-display market."
NTERA's technology is already
commercially available for the low-resolution display
market. For high-resolution displays, NTERA is working with
a number of strategic partners to access the market.
Information: Padraic
Marren, email: padraic.marren@ntera.com,
www.ntera.com.
KDX
Chooses Microsemi Power-Management Circuits for Backlights
Irvine, California, April 21
- Microsemi Corporation announced today that its backlight
power management circuits have been chosen by KDX for three
of its new LCD-TV products. KDX, a major exporter of home
entertainment audio/video products from China, chose
Microsemi's LX1691™ controller and a Microsemi-patented
light-balancing system for their new 15-, 17-, and 20-inch
LCD-TV units.
The LX1691 controller
integrated circuit is teamed with an advanced
power-balancing system that provides even light across the
multiple cold-cathode fluorescent lamps used in LCD-TV
products. Cost savings result from a reduction in
transformers needed in these multiple-lamp applications. The
LX1691 interfaces seamlessly to Microsemi's patented visible
light sensors that automatically control lamp brightness.
Microsemi's direct-drive
architecture allows the LX1691 to operate with system
voltages ranging from 3 volts to more than 50 volts. Its
patented method for striking, or starting, florescent lamps
produces just enough strike voltage to light the lamp
without generating unpredictable high-voltage spikes that
can cause arcing and component failures.
Information: www.microsemi.com.
