news archive
Seiko Announces Three-channel White-LED Driver
IC
Torrance, California, March 27, 2002 - Seiko Instruments introduced today the S-8813 Series three-channel white-LED driver IC. The S-8813 is a CMOS charge-pump IC with a built-in constant-current circuit. The ultra-small SON10 package and constant-current output is intended to make this series attractive as a white-LED backlight power supply in cell phones and PDAs. Since small ceramic capacitors can be used as external capacitors, the S-8813 helps reduce the size of the overall circuit.
The S-8813 can power up to three LEDs and is available in two output configurations. The S-881300BPE-TB allows the user to vary the output current linearly between 5 and 18 mA by changing the voltage supplied to the current set pin (VISET). The S-881300CPE-TB allows the user to set the output current between 5 and 18 mA by connecting a resistor to the current set pin (RISET). Other features include an input voltage range of (2.7 to 4.5 V), an oscillation frequency of 600 kHz (typ.), three channels of constant current output at ±5 percent accuracy, and a built-in soft-start circuit rated at 1.5 ms.
The S-8813 Series is available now and is priced at $1.20 each, in quantities of 10,000, through a national network of authorized distributors, including All American and Mouser. Samples are available.
Full technical specifications, application notes and FAQs are available at
http://www.seiko-usa-ecd.com/intcir/products/power/s8813.html.
Information: Tel: (800) 934-9334, Fax: (909)
975-5699, seiko-ecd@salessupport.com,
www.seiko-usa-ecd.com.
Motorola Announces Flash Microcontroller for LCDs
Austin, Texas, March 25 - Designers of products with liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) can now take advantage of an 8-bit flash microcontroller (MCU) with an LCD driver architecture that offers direct connection to LCD panels. The 68HC908LJ12, announced today by Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector, also features an on-chip real-time clock to enable power savings and an asynchronous serial communications interface, virtually eliminating the need for external driver components. These and other features may help to ease design efforts and to lower overall system costs for embedded systems such as digital cameras, thermostats, portable computing devices, meters, and medical instruments.
Motorola's flash-based, single-chip, 8-bit MCUs are engineered to provide the flexibility that an embedded-systems designer needs for cost-effective software upgrades through in-application programmability and re-programmability during development and production, as well as in the field. The 68HC908LJ12 is available now, with pricing that starts at $4.00 each (U.S. suggested list price). Development tools for the 68HC08 family are available from Motorola and from a large number of independent software vendors.
Information: www.motorola.com/semiconductors
LG.Philips LCD Demos Wide-format TFT-LCDs at CeBIT 2002
Hannover, Germany, March - LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd., is showcasing a new array of wide-format ("W" for 16:10 or 16:9 wide-aspect ratio displays) TFT-LCDs for monitor, LCD TV, and other applications at CeBIT 2002, being held March 13-20 in Hannover, Germany. Specifically, LG.Philips LCD will be demonstrating its new 17W, 23W, and 30W TFT-LCD modules.
According to Bruce Berkoff, LG.Philips LCD's executive vice president of marketing, the industry has witnessed an increased demand from OEMs for wide-format LCDs for both monitors and HDTVs. "LG.Philips LCD is committed to accommodating this rising demand, and, with our technology leadership and substantial manufacturing capabilities, we're well-positioned to capitalize on the expanding market potential of wide aspect LCDs," noted Berkoff. LG.Philips LCD will be featuring the following display modules at the
show:
LG.Philips LCD's new 17W WXGA is designed for the new wide-monitor formats, all-in-one PCs, and personal-computer TV (PCTV) applications. This wide-format display offers WXGA resolution of 1280 x 768, 65-percent color saturation, 400cd/m² luminance, and a response time of 25 ms. The 23W TFT-LCD, designed for monitors and HDTVs, offers WUXGA resolution (1920 x 1200 pixels) and can fit into the footprint of many existing 22-inch monitor designs, significantly reducing the system integration costs for OEMs.
In an effort to meet OEM demands for standardized LCD TV sizes, LG.Philips LCD is also demonstrating the 30W TFT-LCD for today's HDTV market. The 30W has a luminance of 450
cd/m², a WXGA resolution of 1280 x 768, and a contrast ratio of 450:1.
Information: bruce@lgphilips-lcd.com.
Sharp Introduces 20.1-inch Monochrome TFT-LCD for Medical Diagnosis
Camas, Washington, March 4 - Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas (SMA), a U.S.-based division of Sharp Electronics Corp., today introduced the industry's first 20.1-inch TFT-LCD with brightness and performance capabilities suitable for both diagnostic imaging and clinical applications.
The new, two-megapixel LQ201U1LW11 incorporates brightness with multiple-layer imaging that until now has been found only in more expensive 3- and 5-megapixel modules. It also offers advances in usability made possible by its ASV technology, including a 170-degree viewing angle, improved contrast and response time, and the elimination of bright-pixel defects. A 20.1-inch color module for ultrasound and PET applications, featuring 16 million colors, is also available.
The new 20.1-inch module is the industry's first affordable monochrome display able to offer two megapixels with a luminance of 700
cd/m² that is suitable for demanding diagnostic-imaging modalities such as radiology, cardiology, and PACs, as well as clinical applications.
The monochrome version offers a 1000:1 contrast ratio, a 25-ms response time, and an XYZ pixel configuration. Both versions have a 1600x1200 pixel format. The displays offer an image that is "competitive with high-performance CRT solutions," said Joel Pollack, Vice President Display Business Unit at Sharp Microelectronics.
The monochrome (LQ201U1LW11) and color (LQ201U1LWO) versions are both available now in sample quantities, and are priced at approximately $1800.
Information: Joel Pollack, VP Display Business. pollack@sharpsec.com.
MicroJoin
Introduces New Bonding System
Poway, California, February 26 - MicroJoin Inc. has introduced the B-3100 Series Bonding System. This new series of bench-top, constant-heat bonders are designed for joining heat-seal connectors to LCD, PCB, or other substrates using a well-controlled, low cost system.
The B-3100 has multiple configurations, including models with a no-motion table, manual y-axis slide, manual rotary table, and pneumatic rotary table. Each system contains a precision-machined bonding head encasing a 3-inch long, 400-watt cartridge as standard. Heater bars can be configured up to 3 inches (76 mm). Head force is adjustable up to 200 lbs (890 N).
The bonding cycle is controlled by a microprocessor. Bonding time and temperature are
programmable. Temperature control is closed-loop, and the temperature can be set from 250ºC to 3000ºC in 10ºC increments. Bonding time is adjustable from 1 second to 100 seconds, in single-second increments. The B-3100 series provides an optional vision system. Fixtures are designed to application requirements and are custom-fabricated.
The system has compact dimensions of 15 inches (381 mm) width x 15 inches (381 mm) height x 16 inches (406 mm) depth. The weight is 50 lbs (22.7 kg).
MicroJoin provides applications development services at no charge through its laboratory in Poway, California.
Information: Tel: (858) 877-2700, www.microjoin.com.
Opsys Shows New OLED Displays at CeBIT 2002
Oxford, UK, March 1 - Opsys Limited, will show its first red, green, and blue passive-matrix organic-light-emitting-diode (OLED) displays at CeBIT 2002, March 13-20, at the Hannover Messe. These prototypes are built at its new prototyping line in Fremont, California using the fluorescent small-molecule OLED technology licensed from Kodak.
Opsys' new OLED displays will be shown in demonstration handsets on the Densitron stand (Hall 24, Stand C15/1). They are 31.37 mm (1.24 inches) on the diagonal and are designed for use in mobile phones. The displays are just 1.8 mm (0.07 inches) thick, have 128 x 64 pixels, a luminance of 40
cd/m², and a contrast ratio of more than 100:1.
Opsys is currently sampling these prototypes to a number of potential customers. Full-color displays are being developed at the company's Fremont prototyping facility.
Information: www.opsysdisplays.com.
MicroLas Introduces UV System for Laser Crystallization of Thin Silicon Films
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 1 - MicroLas has introduced its new CrystaLas™ excimer-laser-based optical system designed for the annealing and crystallization of thin silicon films used in the fabrication of thin-film transistors (TFTs) for organic-light-emitting-diode (OLED) displays and active-matrix-liquid-crystal displays (AMLCDs). These films can be applied to metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) processes common in microelectronics. CrystaLas provides location controlled, high-resolution, high-power silicon film treatment with a low-temperature process. For high-performance applications, even single-crystal-like silicon-film regions can be produced using
CrystaLas.
CrystaLas consists of a state-of-the-art UV (308-nm) optical imaging system that utilizes a Lambda Physik LPX® 210 excimer laser for R&D, or a Lambda Physik Lambda STEEL™ 670 or 1000 excimer laser for production. The system can produce 2-µm lines and spaces resolution and has a homogenous energy-density profile and large-area illumination. The system is designed to be versatile and to be integrated into a wide variety of manufacturing and R&D process-development tools. CrystaLas is designed to produce low-temperature TFTs on large-area substrates such as low-cost glass, plastics, metal films, and flexible materials. The CrystaLas design incorporates the illumination techniques needed for sequential lateral solidification (SLS), invented by Professor James Im at Columbia University.
Information: marcom@lambdaphysik.com,
www.lambdaphysik.com.
