Sunday, November 24, 2002
Future Looks Bright for Notebook Displays
Posted by Jason Dunn in "HARDWARE" @ 09:00 AM
This Gallium nitride sounds like impressive stuff - and if it has an impact on laptop screens, one would assume we'd see that trickle down to PDA screens. I wonder if this technology is complimentary or competitive with OLED technology?
"GaN will be the most efficient light source on the planet," DenBaars said. As an example of what can be achieved, he showed off a GaN flashlight which he said can last 100 hours on a set of batteries that would last just 20 hours in a typical flashlight. The technology has also been tested in auto headlights. In addition, because of the kind of light it can produce, a GaN light source also allows for displays that show more colors, he said. A GaN light source also can last longer than a fluorescent source because it's purely solid state--it's just a crystal, DenBaars said.
Today, a GaN backlight for a typical 14-inch notebook display costs about $100 to make, he said. Within a few years, that cost should fall to become comparable with current fluorescent lights. GaN shows promise as an efficient, long-lasting backlight technology, said Peter Glaskowsky, principal analyst at In-Stat/MDR, in San Jose, California. LED backlights like those made with GaN probably will initially be easier for manufacturers to use in handheld displays, because lighting a whole notebook LCD from diodes around the edge is a challenge, he added."
"GaN will be the most efficient light source on the planet," DenBaars said. As an example of what can be achieved, he showed off a GaN flashlight which he said can last 100 hours on a set of batteries that would last just 20 hours in a typical flashlight. The technology has also been tested in auto headlights. In addition, because of the kind of light it can produce, a GaN light source also allows for displays that show more colors, he said. A GaN light source also can last longer than a fluorescent source because it's purely solid state--it's just a crystal, DenBaars said.
Today, a GaN backlight for a typical 14-inch notebook display costs about $100 to make, he said. Within a few years, that cost should fall to become comparable with current fluorescent lights. GaN shows promise as an efficient, long-lasting backlight technology, said Peter Glaskowsky, principal analyst at In-Stat/MDR, in San Jose, California. LED backlights like those made with GaN probably will initially be easier for manufacturers to use in handheld displays, because lighting a whole notebook LCD from diodes around the edge is a challenge, he added."
