tft lcd film brands
Asia has long dominated the display module TFT LCD manufacturers’ scene. After all, most major display module manufacturers can be found in countries like China, South Korea, Japan, and India.
In this post, we’ll list down 7 best display module TFT LCD manufacturers in the USA. We’ll see why these companies deserve recognition as top players in the American display module industry.
STONE Technologies is a leading display module TFT LCD manufacturer in the world. The company is based in Beijing, China, and has been in operations since 2010. STONE quickly grew to become one of the most trusted display module manufacturers in 14 years.
Now, let’s move on to the list of the best display module manufacturers in the USA. These companies are your best picks if you need to find a display module TFT LCD manufacturer based in the United States:
Planar Systems is a digital display company headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon. It specializes in providing digital display solutions such as LCD video walls and large format LCD displays.
Microtips Technology is a global electronics manufacturer based in Orlando, Florida. The company was established in 1990 and has grown into a strong fixture in the LCD industry.
What makes Microtips a great display module TFT LCD manufacturer in the USA lies in its close ties with all its customers. It does so by establishing a good rapport with its clients starting from the initial product discussions. Microtips manages to keep this exceptional rapport throughout the entire client relationship by:
Displaytech is an American display module TFT LCD manufacturer headquartered in Carlsbad, California. It was founded in 1989 and is part of several companies under the Seacomp group. The company specializes in manufacturing small to medium-sized LCD modules for various devices across all possible industries.
The company also manufactures embedded TFT devices, interface boards, and LCD development boards. Also, Displaytech offers design services for embedded products, display-based PCB assemblies, and turnkey products.
Displaytech makes it easy for clients to create their own customized LCD modules. There is a feature called Design Your Custom LCD Panel found on their site. Clients simply need to input their specifications such as their desired dimensions, LCD configuration, attributes, connector type, operating and storage temperature, and other pertinent information. Clients can then submit this form to Displaytech to get feedback, suggestions, and quotes.
A vast product range, good customization options, and responsive customer service – all these factors make Displaytech among the leading LCD manufacturers in the USA.
Products that Phoenix Display offers include standard, semi-custom, and fully-customized LCD modules. Specifically, these products comprise Phoenix Display’s offerings:
Clients flock to Phoenix Display because of their decades-long experience in the display manufacturing field. The company also combines its technical expertise with its competitive manufacturing capabilities to produce the best possible LCD products for its clients.
True Vision Displays is an American display module TFT LCD manufacturing company located at Cerritos, California. It specializes in LCD display solutions for special applications in modern industries. Most of their clients come from highly-demanding fields such as aerospace, defense, medical, and financial industries.
The company produces several types of TFT LCD products. Most of them are industrial-grade and comes in various resolution types such as VGA, QVGA, XGA, and SXGA. Clients may also select product enclosures for these modules.
All products feature high-bright LCD systems that come from the company’s proprietary low-power LED backlight technology. The modules and screens also come in ruggedized forms perfect for highly-demanding outdoor industrial use.
LXD Incorporated is among the earliest LCD manufacturers in the world. The company was founded in 1968 by James Fergason under the name International Liquid Xtal Company (ILIXCO). Its first headquarters was in Kent, Ohio. At present, LXD is based in Raleigh, North Carolina.
We’ve listed the top 7 display module TFT LCD manufacturers in the USA. All these companies may not be as well-known as other Asian manufacturers are, but they are equally competent and can deliver high-quality display products according to the client’s specifications. Contact any of them if you need a US-based manufacturer to service your display solutions needs.
We also briefly touched on STONE Technologies, another excellent LCD module manufacturer based in China. Consider partnering with STONE if you want top-of-the-line smart LCD products and you’re not necessarily looking for a US-based manufacturer. STONE will surely provide the right display solution for your needs anywhere you are on the globe.
STONE Technologies is a proud manufacturer of superior quality TFT LCD modules and LCD screens. The company also provides intelligent HMI solutions that perfectly fit in with its excellent hardware offerings.
STONE TFT LCD modules come with a microcontroller unit that has a 1GHz Cortex-A8 CPU. Such a module can easily be transformed into an HMI screen. Simple hexadecimal instructions can be used to control the module through the UART port. Furthermore, you can seamlessly develop STONE TFT LCD color user interface modules and add touch control, features to them.
Becoming a reputable TFT LCD manufacturer is no piece of cake. It requires a company to pay attention to detail, have excellent manufacturing processes, the right TFT display technology, and have a consumer mindset.
Now, we list down 10 of the best famous LCD manufacturers globally. We’ll also explore why they became among the top 10 LCD display Manufacturers in the world.
LG Display is a leading manufacturer of thin-film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCD) panels, OLED, and flexible displays.LG Display began developing TFT-LCD in 1987 and currently offers Display panels in a variety of sizes and specifications using different cutting-edge technologies (IPS, OLED, and flexible technology).
With innovative and differentiated technologies, QINNOOptoelectronics provides advanced display integration solutions, including 4K2K ultra-high resolution, 3D naked eye, IGZO, LTPS, AMOLED, OLED, and touch solutions. Qinnooptoelectronics sets specifications and leads the market. A wide range of product line is across all kinds of TFT LCD panel modules, touch modules, for example, TV panel, desktop and laptop computer monitor with panels, small and medium scale “panels, medical, automotive, etc., the supply of cutting-edge information and consumer electronics customers around the world, for the world TFT – LCD (thin-film transistor liquid crystal display) leading manufacturers.
AU Optronics Co., LTD., formerly AU Optronics Corporation, was founded in August 1996. It changed its name to AU Optronics after its merger with UNIOPtronics in 2001. Through two mergers, AU has been able to have a full range of generations of production lines for panels of all sizes.Au Optronics is a TFT-LCD design, manufacturing, and r&d company. Since 2008, au Optronics has entered the green energy industry, providing customers with high-efficiency solar energy solutions.
Sharp has been called the “father of LCD panels”.Since its founding in 1912, Sharp developed the world’s first calculator and LIQUID crystal display, represented by the living pencil, which was invented as the company name. At the same time, Sharp is actively expanding into new areas to improve people’s living standards and social progress. Made a contribution.
BYD IT products and businesses mainly include rechargeable batteries, plastic mechanism parts, metal parts, hardware electronic products, cell phone keys, microelectronics products, LCD modules, optoelectronics products, flexible circuit boards, chargers, connectors, uninterruptible power supplies, DC power supplies, solar products, cell phone decoration, cell phone ODM, cell phone testing, cell phone assembly business, notebook computer ODM, testing and manufacturing and assembly business, etc.
Tianma microelectronics co., LTD., founded in 1983, the company focus on smartphones, tablets, represented by high order laptop display market of consumer goods and automotive, medical, POS, HMI, etc., represented by professional display market, and actively layout smart home, intelligent wear, AR/VR, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other emerging markets, to provide customers with the best product experience.IN terms of technology, the company has independently mastered leading technologies such as LTPS-TFT, AMOLED, flexible display, Oxide-TFT, 3D display, transparent display, and in-cell/on-cell integrated touch control. TFT-LCD key Materials and Technologies National Engineering Laboratory, national enterprise Technology Center, post-doctoral mobile workstation, and undertake national Development and Reform Commission, The Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and other major national thematic projects. The company’s long-term accumulation and continuous investment in advanced technology lay the foundation for innovation and development in the field of application.
Focus Displays offers a wide range of standard full color TFT displays. 64 million unique colors, high brightness, sharp contrast, -30C operating temperature, and fast response time are all good descriptions of a TFT display. This is why TFT technology is one of the most popular choices for a new product.
Thin Film Transistor (TFT) display technology can be seen in products such as laptop computers, cell phones, tablets, digital cameras, and many other products that require color. TFT’s are active matrix displays which offers exceptional viewing experiences especially when compared to other passive matrix technologies. The clarity on TFT displays is outstanding; and they possess a longer half-life than some types of OLEDs and range in sizes from less than an inch to over 15 inches.
CCFL’s are still available, but are becoming a legacy (obsolete) component. TFT displays equipped with a CCFL require higher MOQs (Minimum Order Quantities) than displays with LED backlights.
The majority of TFT displays contain a touch panel, or touch screen. The touch panel is a touch-sensitive transparent overlay mounted on the front of the display glass. Allowing for interaction between the user and the LCD display.
Some touch panels require an independent driver IC; which can be included in the TFT display module or placed on the customer’s Printed Circuit Board (PCB). Touch screens make use of coordinate systems to locate where the user touched the screen.
Resistive touch panels are the lowest cost option and are standard equipment on many TFT modules. They are more common on smaller TFT displays, but can still be incorporated on larger modules.
Contrast ratio, or static contrast ratio, is one way to measure the sharpness of the TFT LCD display. This ratio is the difference between the darkest black and the brightest white the display is able to produce. The higher the number on the left, the sharper the image. A typical contrast ratio for TFT may be 300:1. This number ratio means that the white is 300 times brighter than the black.
TFT LCD displays are measured in inches; this is the measurement of the diagonal distance across the glass. Common TFT sizes include: 1.77”, 2.4”, 2.8”, 3”, 4.3”, 5”, 5.7”, 5.8”, 7”, 10.2”, 12.1 and 15”.
TFT resolution is the number of dots or pixels the display contains. It is measured by the number of dots along the horizontal (X axis) and the dots along the vertical (Y axis).
Certain combinations of width and height are standardized and typically given a name and a letter representation that is descriptive of its dimensions. Popular names given to the TFT LCD displays resolution include:
Transmissive displays must have the backlight on at all times to read the display, but are not the best option in direct sunlight unless the backlight is 750 Nits or higher. A majority of TFT displays are Transmissive, but they will require more power to operate with a brighter backlight.
A primary job of the driver is to refresh each pixel. In passive TFT displays, the pixel is refreshed and then allowed to slowly fade (aka decay) until refreshed again. The higher the refresh frequency, the sharper the displays contrast.
The TFT display (minus touch screen/backlight) alone will contain one controller/driver combination. These are built into the display so the design engineer does not need to locate the correct hardware.
If you do not see a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) Display module that meets your specifications, or you need a replacement TFT, we can build a custom TFT displays to meet your requirements. Custom TFTs require a one-time tooling fee and may require higher MOQs.
Ready to order samples for your TFT design? Contact one of our US-based technical support people today concerning your design requirements. Note: We can provide smaller quantities for samples and prototyping.
Orient Display sunlight readable TFT displays can be categorized into high brightness TFT displays, high contrast IPS displays, transflective TFT displays, Blanview TFT displays etc.
The brightness of our standard high brightness TFT displays can be from 700 to 1000 nits. With proper adding brightness enhancement film (BEF) and double brightness enhancement film (DBEF) and adjustment of the LED chips, Orient Display high brightness TFT products can achieve 1,500 to 2,000 nits or even higher luminance. Orient Display have special thermal management design to reduce the heat release and largely extend LED life time and reduce energy consumption.
Our high contrast and wide viewing angle IPS displays can achieve contrast ratio higher than 1000:1 which can make readability under strong sunlight with lower backlight luminance. High brightness IPS displays have been widely accepted by our customers with its superb display quality and it has become one of the best sellers in all our display category.Transflective display is an old monochrome display technology but it has been utilized in our color TFT line for sunlight readable application. Orient Display has 2.4” and 3.5” to choose from.
Blanview TFT displays are the new technology developed by Ortustech in Japan. It can provide around 40% of energy consumption for TFT panels which can use smaller rechargeable or disposable batteries and generate less heat. The price is also lower than traditional transflective TFT displays. Orient Display is partnering with the technology inventor to provide 4.3” and 5.0”.
High Level Interfaces: Orient Display has technologies to make more advanced interfaces which are more convenient to non-display engineers, such as RS232, RS485, USB, VGA, HDMI etc. more information can be found in our serious products. TFT modules, Arduino TFT display, Raspberry Pi TFT display, Control Board.
Get rich colors, detailed images, and bright graphics from an LCD with a TFT screen. Our standard Displaytech TFT screens start at 1” through 7” in diagonal size and have a variety of display resolutions to select from. Displaytech TFT displays meet the needs for products within industrial, medical, and consumer applications.
TFT displays are LCD modules with thin-film transistor technology. The TFT display technology offers full color RGB showcasing a range of colors and hues. These liquid crystal display panels are available with touchscreen capabilities, wide viewing angles, and bright luminance for high contrast.
Our TFT displays have LVDS, RGB, SPI, and MCU interfaces. All Displaytech TFT LCD modules include an LED backlight, FPC, driver ICs, and the LCD panel.
We offer resistive and capacitive touch screens for our 2.8” and larger TFT modules. Our TFT panels have a wide operating temperature range to suit a variety of environments. All Displaytech LCDs are RoHS compliant.
We also offer semi-customization to our standard TFT screens. This is a cost-optimized solution to make a standard product better suit your application’s needs compared to selecting a fully custom TFT LCD. Customizations can focus on cover glass, mounting / enclosures, and more - contact us to discuss your semi-custom TFT solution.
Manufacturer of standard & custom touch screen displays & thin film transistor touchscreen monitors. Features include 17 in. to 23 in. LCD, rugged steel & aluminum construction, optional resistive or capacitive touch-screens, light textured powder coated black color, contrast filters, transmissive daylight modification, hard coated vandal shields, 16.7 million display colors, anti-glare hard coating, analog RGB input, weight ranging 13 lbs to 24 lbs & 1280 x 1024 SXGA or 1600 x 1200 UXGA resolution. Applications include use for rack, wall, panel or kiosk installations in commercial, military & broadcast industries. One year limited warranty. RoHS compliant. Meet NEMA & Military Spec.
Some companies have individual demands and requirements on their LCD panels and that`s why our liquid crystal displays are so individual. We offer individualised display solutions for nearly every requirement. Kit with LCD modules with controller cards and cable set
The biggest advantage of our display solution is that you only have one supplier. That guarantees operative TFT display kits for your visualisation systems.
One of the industry’s leading oxide panel makers selected Astra Glass as its backplane glass substrate because it has the inherent fidelity to thrive in high-temperature oxide-TFT glass fabrication for immersive high-performance displays.
One of the industry’s leading oxide panel makers selected Astra Glass as its backplane glass substrate because it has the inherent fidelity to thrive in high-temperature oxide-TFT glass fabrication for immersive high-performance displays.
The high value-added small TFT LCD panel of the "ORTUS" brand realizes high pixel count, high definition and low power consumption while enhancing outdoor visibility by using HAST®(Hyper Amorphous Silicon TFT) as its core technology, and is adopted for various equipment such as industrial equipment.
A thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display (TFT LCD) is a variant of a liquid-crystal display that uses thin-film-transistor technologyactive matrix LCD, in contrast to passive matrix LCDs or simple, direct-driven (i.e. with segments directly connected to electronics outside the LCD) LCDs with a few segments.
In February 1957, John Wallmark of RCA filed a patent for a thin film MOSFET. Paul K. Weimer, also of RCA implemented Wallmark"s ideas and developed the thin-film transistor (TFT) in 1962, a type of MOSFET distinct from the standard bulk MOSFET. It was made with thin films of cadmium selenide and cadmium sulfide. The idea of a TFT-based liquid-crystal display (LCD) was conceived by Bernard Lechner of RCA Laboratories in 1968. In 1971, Lechner, F. J. Marlowe, E. O. Nester and J. Tults demonstrated a 2-by-18 matrix display driven by a hybrid circuit using the dynamic scattering mode of LCDs.T. Peter Brody, J. A. Asars and G. D. Dixon at Westinghouse Research Laboratories developed a CdSe (cadmium selenide) TFT, which they used to demonstrate the first CdSe thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display (TFT LCD).active-matrix liquid-crystal display (AM LCD) using CdSe TFTs in 1974, and then Brody coined the term "active matrix" in 1975.high-resolution and high-quality electronic visual display devices use TFT-based active matrix displays.
The circuit layout process of a TFT-LCD is very similar to that of semiconductor products. However, rather than fabricating the transistors from silicon, that is formed into a crystalline silicon wafer, they are made from a thin film of amorphous silicon that is deposited on a glass panel. The silicon layer for TFT-LCDs is typically deposited using the PECVD process.
Polycrystalline silicon is sometimes used in displays requiring higher TFT performance. Examples include small high-resolution displays such as those found in projectors or viewfinders. Amorphous silicon-based TFTs are by far the most common, due to their lower production cost, whereas polycrystalline silicon TFTs are more costly and much more difficult to produce.
The twisted nematic display is one of the oldest and frequently cheapest kind of LCD display technologies available. TN displays benefit from fast pixel response times and less smearing than other LCD display technology, but suffer from poor color reproduction and limited viewing angles, especially in the vertical direction. Colors will shift, potentially to the point of completely inverting, when viewed at an angle that is not perpendicular to the display. Modern, high end consumer products have developed methods to overcome the technology"s shortcomings, such as RTC (Response Time Compensation / Overdrive) technologies. Modern TN displays can look significantly better than older TN displays from decades earlier, but overall TN has inferior viewing angles and poor color in comparison to other technology.
The transmittance of a pixel of an LCD panel typically does not change linearly with the applied voltage,sRGB standard for computer monitors requires a specific nonlinear dependence of the amount of emitted light as a function of the RGB value.
Less expensive PVA panels often use dithering and FRC, whereas super-PVA (S-PVA) panels all use at least 8 bits per color component and do not use color simulation methods.BRAVIA LCD TVs offer 10-bit and xvYCC color support, for example, the Bravia X4500 series. S-PVA also offers fast response times using modern RTC technologies.
TFT dual-transistor pixel or cell technology is a reflective-display technology for use in very-low-power-consumption applications such as electronic shelf labels (ESL), digital watches, or metering. DTP involves adding a secondary transistor gate in the single TFT cell to maintain the display of a pixel during a period of 1s without loss of image or without degrading the TFT transistors over time. By slowing the refresh rate of the standard frequency from 60 Hz to 1 Hz, DTP claims to increase the power efficiency by multiple orders of magnitude.
Due to the very high cost of building TFT factories, there are few major OEM panel vendors for large display panels. The glass panel suppliers are as follows:
External consumer display devices like a TFT LCD feature one or more analog VGA, DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort interface, with many featuring a selection of these interfaces. Inside external display devices there is a controller board that will convert the video signal using color mapping and image scaling usually employing the discrete cosine transform (DCT) in order to convert any video source like CVBS, VGA, DVI, HDMI, etc. into digital RGB at the native resolution of the display panel. In a laptop the graphics chip will directly produce a signal suitable for connection to the built-in TFT display. A control mechanism for the backlight is usually included on the same controller board.
The low level interface of STN, DSTN, or TFT display panels use either single ended TTL 5 V signal for older displays or TTL 3.3 V for slightly newer displays that transmits the pixel clock, horizontal sync, vertical sync, digital red, digital green, digital blue in parallel. Some models (for example the AT070TN92) also feature input/display enable, horizontal scan direction and vertical scan direction signals.
New and large (>15") TFT displays often use LVDS signaling that transmits the same contents as the parallel interface (Hsync, Vsync, RGB) but will put control and RGB bits into a number of serial transmission lines synchronized to a clock whose rate is equal to the pixel rate. LVDS transmits seven bits per clock per data line, with six bits being data and one bit used to signal if the other six bits need to be inverted in order to maintain DC balance. Low-cost TFT displays often have three data lines and therefore only directly support 18 bits per pixel. Upscale displays have four or five data lines to support 24 bits per pixel (truecolor) or 30 bits per pixel respectively. Panel manufacturers are slowly replacing LVDS with Internal DisplayPort and Embedded DisplayPort, which allow sixfold reduction of the number of differential pairs.
Kawamoto, H. (2012). "The Inventors of TFT Active-Matrix LCD Receive the 2011 IEEE Nishizawa Medal". Journal of Display Technology. 8 (1): 3–4. Bibcode:2012JDisT...8....3K. doi:10.1109/JDT.2011.2177740. ISSN 1551-319X.
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These are films used on the front surface of smartphones, televisions, and other displays. They improve visibility by minimizing reflection of external light while also enhancing strength and durability. Toppan offers films for various purposes. These include Low Reflection (LR) Film, which prevents reflection and static buildup while providing high contrast, and Anti Glare (AG) Film, which provides outstanding glare and reflection reduction.
Global Thin Film Transistor (TFT) Display Market, By Technology (Plasma Display (PDP), Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), Other), Type (Twisted Nematic, In-Plane Switching, Advanced Fringe Field Switching, Multi-Domain Vertical Alignment, Advanced Super View, Cell Technology), Panel Type (A_MVA, ASV, MVA, S_PVA, P-IPS), End Use (Domestic Use, Industrial Use) – Industry Trends and Forecast to 2029
Liquid crystal are considered highly light valves or electo-optic transducers. These thin film transistors are known to be simple electronic control devices widely fabricated on a large transparent substrates. They enable fabrication of electronic display.
Global Thin Film Transistor (TFT) Display Market was valued at USD 270.26 million in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 968.64 million by 2029, registering a CAGR of 17.30% during the forecast period of 2022-2029. Twisted Nematic accounts for the largest type segment in the respective market owing to its low cost. The market report curated by the Data Bridge Market Research team includes in-depth expert analysis, import/export analysis, pricing analysis, production consumption analysis, and pestle analysis.
A thin-film-transistor display refers to a form of LCD that uses TFT technology for enhancing image quality including addressability and contrast. These displays are commonly utilized in mobile phones, handheld video game systems, projectors, computer monitors, television screens, navigation systems and personal digital assistants.
The increase in the smartphone and tablet proliferation acts as one of the major factors driving the growth of thin film transistor (TFT) display market. Technological advancements are leading a radical shift from traditional slow, bulky and imprecise resistive mono touch to highly sensitive multi-touch capacitive screen have a positive impact on the industry.
The increase in application areas of large e thin film transistor (TFT) display due to the advantages offered by these paper displays in terms of user experience, manufacturing cost, readability, and energy consumption further influence the market.
Additionally, rapid urbanization, change in lifestyle, surge in investments and increased consumer spending positively impact the thin film transistor (TFT) display market.
On the other hand, high cost associated with the manufacturing is expected to obstruct market growth. Also, lack of awareness and low refresh rate are projected to challenge the thin film transistor (TFT) display market in the forecast period of 2022-2029.
This thin film transistor (TFT) display market report provides details of new recent developments, trade regulations, import-export analysis, production analysis, value chain optimization, market share, impact of domestic and localized market players, analyses opportunities in terms of emerging revenue pockets, changes in market regulations, strategic market growth analysis, market size, category market growths, application niches and dominance, product approvals, product launches, geographic expansions, technological innovations in the market. To gain more info on thin film transistor (TFT) display market contact Data Bridge Market Research for an Analyst Brief, our team will help you take an informed market decision to achieve market growth.
The COVID-19 has impacted thin film transistor (TFT) display market. The limited investment costs and lack of employees hampered sales and production of electronic paper (e-paper) display technology. However, government and market key players adopted new safety measures for developing the practices. The advancements in the technology escalated the sales rate of the thin film transistor (TFT) display as it targeted the right audience. The increase in sales of devices such as smart phones and tablets across the globe is expected to further drive the market growth in the post-pandemic scenario.
The thin film transistor (TFT) display market is segmented on the basis of technology, type, panel type and end-use. The growth amongst these segments will help you analyze meager growth segments in the industries and provide the users with a valuable market overview and market insights to help them make strategic decisions for identifying core market applications.
The thin film transistor (TFT) display market is analysed and market size insights and trends are provided by country, technology, type, panel type and end-use as referenced above.
The countries covered in the thin film transistor (TFT) display market report are U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, Germany, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, Rest of Europe, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA).
North America dominates the thin film transistor (TFT) display market because of the introduction of advanced technology along with rising disposable income of the people within the region.
The thin film transistor (TFT) display market competitive landscape provides details by competitor. Details included are company overview, company financials, revenue generated, market potential, investment in research and development, new market initiatives, global presence, production sites and facilities, production capacities, company strengths and weaknesses, product launch, product width and breadth, application dominance. The above data points provided are only related to the companies" focus related to thin film transistor (TFT) display market.
Welcome at Riverdi University. In this lecture we’ll talk about different kinds of glass in TFT LCD displays and surfaces that we use to protect displays, or we can use to protect with the glass the entire devices
We will talk about different types of glass in TFT LCD displays, then the surface treatments, what we do to achieve different parameters of glass surfaces, about the hardness – important when we want to protect something, then about painting the glass, how we do it and what we can achieve, IK rate, how much mechanical impact we can place on the glass, and will it withstand this still and at the end about laminated glass, why we laminate glass and what we can achieve by doing that.
The most important thing with the glass in TFT LCD displays is to protect the display, but not only. As you can see on the pictures above, glass is an element of the design of the devices. It makes devices look better and can be designed in a way that protects not only the display, but the entire surface of a device, like for example for the coffee machine on the picture above, where we have a display with some additional graphic that covers the whole front of the device. Glass is one of the best materials that we use in electronics to protect screens, because it is very hard and it is hard to scratch. It is mechanically strong, cheap, and exceptionally good in optics. For glass, the transparency rate is typically more than 90% or even 95% percent. It is widely available, we know a lot of techniques how to manufacture it and how to prepare it for some special advanced designs as we can change the shape of glass quite easily nowadays.
Now we will talk about types of glass that we use to protect screens and devices. Mainly we use two types of glass in TFT LCD displays, one is chemically strengthened glass, that we call CS type glass, the other is thermally tempered glass, hardened glass where we use hot temperature to make it stronger. For our standard products we typically use on the touch screens chemically strengthened glass. Our standard thickness is 1.1-millimeter thickness. This kind of glass is pretty strong, comparing to the regular glass. Chemical strengthening means that we treat the surface with ions, usually silver ions. We increase the strength of the surface of the glass because glass usually breaks when the surface breaks. We do not change the glass internally with chemical strengthening, we just change the surface hardness, and it is enough to make the glass much stronger.
Now let us talk about hardness of glass in TFT LCD displays. Of course, to talk about hardness we need to measure it. For that we have the Mohs scale where we have 11 different levels of hardness. Like you see on the picture above, the 10th is diamond and the 1st is talk. What we normally use is glass with hardness between 5 and 7. In some cases we also use Gorilla glass with hardness 9. It is used on our phones or tablets. As you can see, we can achieve hardness 7 with chemically strengthened glass and usually 6 with thermally strengthened glass. Gorilla glass is also chemically strengthened glass, patented by the Corning company and it is the strongest that we can achieve in the cover glass to protect the screen.
Now let us talk about the painting. We know the types of glass that we use in TFT LCD displays, we know how to make the glass stronger, we know the surface treatments, how to make the glass less reflective or anti-fingerprint or antibacterial, but it is not enough because glass will only be transparent. If we want to cover it, we need to paint it. Typically, we paint glass with the technique called Screen Printing. It is the most popular, cheapest and fastest technique.
The last point in this article is laminated glass. We laminate glass because of a few reasons. First, what is laminated glass. Laminated glass is like putting the film inside two glass sheets. This process is expensive, we need pressure, we need temperature, we need time, and we need an exceptionally clean environment, because when we laminate together two sheets of glass, we need to be sure that no particles get inside. This kind of process needs to be done in a Clean Room, so it is expensive, but as you see on the picture above, even if the glass is broken, it still holds up because of the laminated film inside.
We laminate glass mainly because of two reasons. One is mechanical strength and impact. We use it even in our homes. Many windows used nowadays are anti-vandal and that means they are laminated glass, and they are extraordinarily strong. The other reason to laminate glass is to put a film inside with some properties, usually to block the UV or IR light. IR means infrared so heat and UV means ultraviolet, short wavelength, extremely dangerous for electronics. When we have an outdoor application, some customers want to protect the displays, touchscreens or the e-paper displays also against UV. Then we use laminated glass and as you can see on the chart above the IR cut film and UV cut film are both transparent for visible light. We can see everything through them, but what is higher and what is lower is cut by UV and IR films. Most often we use only UV cut film because UV is more dangerous, for example it makes the film sensors for capacitive touchscreens turn yellow or it can decrease the contrast of the TFT (Thin Film Transistor) display by damaging the polarizer or color filters. The IR film is used in some applications to protect the display from heat. If we add it, we can decrease the temperature of the display surface. In another video we were talking about High-TN, so liquid crystals that can work in very high temperatures. For this kind of liquid crystals, we usually do not need to decrease the temperature of the surface because they can go up to 100 or 110 degrees, but regular displays can work up to 50- or 70-degrees maximum temperature. Using the IR cut film can solve the problem with blackening and increasing the display temperature too much.