Toshiba Introduces World's Smallest Low-Temperature Poly-Silicon TFT LCD With XGA Resolution; 6.3-Inch LCD Offers the Same Image Quality as Printed Materials - Toshiba LTM06C310 - Product Announcement

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, Nov 15, 1999

Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. (TAEC) Wednesday announced that Toshiba Corp. reinforced its leadership in low-temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) thin film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal displays (LCDs), with the development of the world's first 6.3-inch display with XGA resolution, the LTM06C310.

The new LCD's 1,024 x 768 pixel image is supported by a 0.126-millimeter dot pitch that achieves a density of 202 pixels per inch (ppi).

Toshiba is continually positioning itself at the cutting edge in low-temperature poly-silicon LCD technology through such innovations as the industry's first 4-inch display offering VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixels).

With this latest 6.3-inch LTPS LCD breakthrough, the company brings a resolution matching that of high caliber printed color materials, such as found in magazines, to a compact LCD panel similar in size to a typical photograph or a paperback book.

"This new low-temperature poly-silicon TFT LCD development, with its photo-like 202ppi resolution, it is yet another example of Toshiba's efforts in providing leading edge solutions which fill the growing requirement for high resolution LCDs in emerging applications," said Steve Vrablik, business development director for LCDs at TAEC.

The market for mobile products is growing and diversifying as cellular phones and PDAs take on e-mail and Web-browsing capabilities. In addition, the demand for digital cameras is also booming. Advances in all of these areas are fueling the demand for smaller, brighter, higher-resolution displays that are able to operate on low battery power.

Toshiba's new 6.3-inch LTPS display is expected to support further developments in such areas as electronic books (e-books) and personal digital-picture viewers.

Low-temperature poly-silicon TFT LCDs offer the most promising solution for mobile personal equipment of any commercialized display. Using crystallized silicon, it allows electrons to pass through transistors with much greater mobility than in amorphous silicon TFT LCDs, thus producing a higher resolution and a brighter display.

The transistors are also significantly smaller, which enables the display drive circuits to be formed directly on the display's glass substrate, reducing pin connections by 95 percent.

Main Features of the LTM06C310: -- A high-resolution of 202ppi -- equivalent to printed materials. -- XGA resolution -- expanding applications in such areas as electronic books and personal digital-picture viewers. -- 6.3-inch display -- similar in size to a typical photograph or a paperback book. -- High reliability through a reduced pin count. -- Power consumption is cut to 2.2 watts as a result of the larger aperture ratios enabled by the low-temperature poly-silicon process technology.

6.3-Inch LTPS TFT LCD Specifications:

Part number:        LTM06C310
Pixel count:        1,024 x 768 (XGA)
Pixel pitch:        0.126 x 0.126mm (202 ppi)
Display size:       6.3-inch/16.1-centimeter diagonal
Gradation:          64-gray scale per color (262K colors)
Brightness:         70cd/m2
Contrast ratio:     250:1
Response time:      ton   toff: 40ms
Dimensions:         151.9(W) x 115.8(H) x 7.6(D) mm
Weight:             130g
Power consumption:  2.2W

Pricing and Availability: The new 6.3-inch LTPS TFT LCD will be available in Q2'00. Sample pricing for the LTM06C310 will be approximately $1,000 each.

Toshiba's LTPS TFT LCDs are currently produced in its new manufacturing facility Fukaya Operations in Fukaya, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The state-of-the-art facility has mass production capabilities for leading-edge, large-size LTPS TFT active matrix LCDs which provides the company with a firm basis for meeting future and current LCD demand.

Toshiba's line-up of LTPS TFT LCDs also includes a 4-inch with VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixels), an 8.4-inch with SVGA resolution (800 x 600 pixels) and a 10.4-inch with XGA resolution (1,024 x 768 pixels). Toshiba's LTPS TFT LCDs position the company ahead of others in achieving the first commercialized production of low-temperature poly-silicon TFT LCDs in large-size formats.

LTPS TFT LCD technology offers a wide range of features including ultra-high resolution (with capabilities up to and beyond 200 pixels per inch), high durability, light weight, high brightness and low power consumption, providing a lighter, thinner, more versatile solution with ultra-high resolution capability.

Toshiba's LTPS TFT LCDs are ideal for palm-top, hand-held, mini-notebook, monitors and notebook applications as well as other innovative products in emerging markets.

More On Low-Temperature Poly-Silicon TFT LCD Technology:

LTPS technology incorporates an LCD cell composed of poly-silicon, a material capable of achieving higher electron mobility than the amorphous-silicon found in typical active matrix and other LCDs today. Therefore, peripheral driver circuits that control the display can be integrated directly onto the substrate, eliminating the need for externally mounted driver ICs around the display panel.