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New Ways with Displays

Flat panel displays are beginning to be used in new ways. From large screens for digital advertising, to information kiosks inside airport terminals, elevators and on trains — to displays where you can read books — nanomanufacturing technology drives it all.

True Colors on Display

Did you know the average 50” LCD TV controls 1.3 million pixels, each capable of 16,777,216 color variations? At the core of this complex operation is an ultra-small device, the thin film transistor, which moderates the voltage applied to each individual liquid crystal cell. Transistors are formed in Applied’s equipment, one layer at a time.

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Bigger, Better, Cheaper

In 1992, LCD screen sizes were 10.4”, smaller than a piece of paper. Today's display factories can produce six 46” large flat panel television screens all at the same time. Liquid crystal displays are made with precision manufacturing similar to what is used to make chips — machines that lay down thin films on glass substrates the size of garage doors. Making them big makes them cheaper — this is where Applied fits in.

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