NEW DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES MAKE HDTV PUSH

Three-Five Systems paired its 0.53” liquid-crystal-on- silicon (LCoS) microdisplay with Wavian’s light engine with goal of driving price for combination below $1,000. Philips is combining 1.3” microdisplay with 1,280x720 resolution, 300 lumens and 400:1 contrast ratio with light engine it said it expected to start producing at plant in Vienna in June and deliver by Sept. Philips plans to market 55W and 44W LCoS-based sets in U.S. and Europe starting in first half 2003 with goal of eventually pricing light engine/microdisplay combo under $2,000, said Philips Components Chief Technology Office Ad de Vaan. That’s departure from previous plan to have 64W LCoS set this year, but one that was needed as Philips developed light engine manufacturing capacity, company said. Both 64W and 36W sets were designed last year as prototypes for demonstrating LCoS technology, de Vaan said: “It will be very critical to get to less than $2,000” for light engine/micro display combo.”

Unlike Three-Five, however, Philips is focusing on single- panel, rather than 3-panel design, potentially eliminating some of alignment issues that have arisen with LCoS in past. Philips uses rotating prism technology that it says allows for switching speeds of less than 1 millisecond, compared with 10-12 milliseconds for some competitors. Philips will have microdisplays produced at 2 facilities, one of them being contract manufacturer Hanna Microdisplay Technologies’ foundry in Twinsburg, O. While single-panel approach may have edge in brightness, 3-panel has upper hand in production and yields, said Spatialight Dir. Claude Piaget, whose company has licensed its LCoS technology to 5 Chinese manufacturers, one of which -- China Electronics -- showed 52” rear-projection set at SID. Spatialight microdisplay manufacturer Varitronix, is expected to start pilot of production of Spatialight’s 0.77” (1,280x1,024 resolution, 350:1, 300-400 lumens) panel in July, increasing to volume by 4th quarter as first products targeting China hit market, Piaget said. MicroVue has started production at U.K. facility of its 0.88” LCoS display with 1,280x1,024 resolution, 200 lumens, 200:1 contrast ratio. MicroVue is joint venture of Scipher and PicVue Electronics.

As LCoS emerged at SID as potential competitor to CRTs and LCDs, other technologies also were seeking to elbow their way into market. Rainbow Technologies, which uses tiling technology to stitch together LCD panels, plans to introduce 42W displays with 1,024x768 and 1,280x1,024 resolutions for commercial and consumer applications by fall and add 32W in first half 2003, CEO Thomas Ruane said. Philips, which has 25% stake in Rainbow, has rights to tiled displays for commercial applications, and companies are in discussions on consumer market, he said. Chungwha Picture Tubes has started production of 21.5” LCDs using 680x880mm substrate tied together to form 37.5” tiled display. Rainbow is handling initial assembly at its Endicott, N.Y., facility with capacity of 200 displays per month. But goal is to move final assembly by fall to Silan, Taiwanese manufacturer that plans to invest $12 million to build line with 75,000-unit capacity, volume production to begin in first quarter. New 42W displays will target $5,000-$6,000 price and reduce power consumption to 150 w from current 295 w while eliminating cooling fan, Ruane said.

IFire continued efforts to land partner for its solid-state inorganic technology, taking wraps off color 17W prototype with 640x480 resolution, 300:1 contrast ratio, 300 candelas, 170? viewing angle and faster than 2 millisecond response time. Prototype was built in last 2 months at iFire’s Toronto facilities, which include former Litton Canada LCD plant, said Product Planning Dir. Donald Carkner. He conceded color uniformity of 17W needed to be improved and crosstalk eliminated, but said company had completed work on materials for displays with shift of processing technology to glass from ceramic. IFire also has consolidated power supply onto single board, combining AC/DC, pulsing and wave form, charge recovery. Goal is to increase size to mid-30” range and resolution to 1,280x768 within 12 month as prices fall to $2,000-$3,000, iFire Pres. Michael Goldstein said. IFire hopes to secure CE partner by start of pilot production next year, but is prepared to go it alone in raising $30-$50 million from parent Westaim or other sources, Goldstein said. “We're willing to wait for the right transaction and it’s a matter of being patient about it,” he said. “There’s been no change in the interest level [among potential partners], but the process has gotten slower because of the Japanese economy.” IFire parent had $140 million in cash at end of most recent quarter and while it “would like to have a partner” by start of pilot production, “we don’t have to have one,” Goldstein said. IFire will need partner by expected start of volume production in 2004, he said. IFire licensee TDK, which has rights to market technology for 12” and under displays, has started pilot production. It has shown 6.7” version of display for transportation applications and is said to have had discussions with truck manufacturers on developing it for instrument panels.