Capacity improvement for color‐filter fabs through computer modeling and iterative simulation

Abstract— This study proposes the iterative Simulation‐Based Release (ISR) policy for color‐filter (CF) fabs based on iterative simulation. In the studied CF fabs, multi‐domain vertical‐alignment (MVA) equipment has the capability and flexibility to provide additional production capacity of black‐matrix (BM) and red, green, and blue (RGB) layers. Fab throughput can be increased by setting up MVA equipment to process BM and RGB layers when its available production capacity is larger than the scheduled manufacturing target. An AutoMod simulation model was developed and validated based on a real CF fab in Taiwan. A heuristic lot release plan was developed and used as the input of simulation. A better release plan can be developed by taking advantage of the MVA's line idle periods over the planning horizon generated from simulation and releasing new lots to the MVA line to increase its throughput. Release plans can be modified iteratively when the simulation results of the previous release plans show sufficient idle periods for the MVA line operation. The case study demonstrated that the proposed ISR is effective in idle‐time reduction (more than 60%) and throughput improvement (more than 2% in following months).     

Processes,characterizations, and system applications of color‐filter liquid‐crystal‐on‐silicon microdisplays

Abstract— A color‐filter liquid‐crystal‐on‐silicon (CF‐LCOS) microdisplay that integrates color filters on silicon for color will be presented. The color‐filter process on silicon was optimized to achieve fine resolution and precise alignment of the color filters on the pixel array, good adhesion to the silicon suface, and a flat surface for the liquid‐crystal cell assembly. Important optical and electrical parameters of the color filters were extracted to establish an electro‐optical model of the CF‐LCOS microdisplays for device simulation. Thermal, chemical, and light‐stability characterizations were performed to ensure the stabilty of the color filters and CF‐LCOS microdisplays. With color CF‐LCOS microdisplays already available, the projection or viewing optics is greatly simplified. This CF‐LCOS microdisplay is ideal for near‐to‐eye displays because of its low‐power consumption and compactness. The CF‐LCOS microdisplay could also withstand medium light illumination for medium‐sized projectors. A single‐panel projector based on one CF‐LCOS microdisplay of 1280 × 768 × RGB resolution was demonstrated.     

Color performance of an MVA‐LCD using an LED backlight

Abstract— The color performance, including color gamut, color shift, and gamma curve, of a multi‐domain vertical‐alignment (MVA) liquid‐crystal display (LCD) using an LED backlight are calculated quantitatively. Simulation results indicate that an LED backlight exhibits better angular color uniformity and smaller color shifts than a CCFL backlight. Color gamut can be further widened and color shift reduced when using a color‐sequential RGB‐LED backlight without color filters, while the angular‐dependent gamma curves are less influenced using different backlights. The obtained quantitative results are useful for optimizing the color performance and color management of high‐end LCD monitors and LCD TVs.     

Letter: Novel approaches to realize high‐resolution AMOLED display

Two different approaches to realize high‐resolution active‐matrix organic light‐emitting device (AMOLED) display were delivered. By adopting specific organic light emitting diode (OLED) structure with pre‐pattern electrode and the utilization of color filter, we successfully simplify the fabrication process with fine metal mask (FMM)‐free or one‐FMM solutions. Each approach was demonstrated with a 4.4″ panel with 413 ppi pixel density based on real stripe RGB. Both panels possessed low power consumption, low reflectivity, and superior NTSC performance. Because the utilization of FMM was avoided or reduced, higher production yield, higher throughput, and lower cost could be achieved. Therefore, these two approaches are very promising for mass production of high‐resolution AMOLED display.     

The luminance resolution characteristics of multi‐primary‐color display

Abstract— In this paper, the resolution characteristics of multi‐primary‐color (MPC) display systems are analyzed. That four‐primary‐color (4PC) displays can increase the effective resolution for achromatic images in the luminance domain by a factor of two as compared to conventional RGB‐based displays with MPC‐specialized subpixel rendering, which is proposed in this paper, is demonstrated. Five‐ and six‐primary‐color (5PC and 6PC) display systems can reproduce denser luminance data than conventional RGB‐based display systems and solve a problem of MPC displays, viz. an increase of production costs and a decrease in the aperture ratio caused by increasing the number of subpixels in one pixel. This is an essential advantage of MPC display systems, which is related to the combination of the proposed color‐filter architecture and image processing. Thus, a completely new advantage of MPC display systems, in addition to their well‐known capabilities of color reproduction and power saving, is proposed.     

Quantum dots: The ultimate down‐conversion material for LCD displays

Assuming that large color gamut and therefore better color reproducibility will be a highly desired feature of all displays as we look to the near future, we make the case in this paper that quantum dots (QDs) are currently the down‐conversion technology of choice that will allow liquid crystal display makers to cost‐effectively reach and exceed 100% of the NTSC (National Television Standard Committee) and Adobe RGB color standards while achieving maximum system efficiency. We will discuss in detail the numerous fundamental advantages of QDs over phosphors, along with their scientific origins, and make the case that QDs are the ultimate light generating material for next‐generation displays.     

A new field‐sequential‐color LCD without moving‐object color break‐up

Abstract— A new display method for field‐sequential‐color liquid‐crystal displays (FS‐LCDs) that reduces the negative effects of color break‐up associated with moving objects has been developed. The method is called Adjustment of Color Element on the Eyes (ACE), and it relies on the position on the eyes of RGB color sub‐images. It was confirmed that color break‐up also does not occur for peripheral objects when using ACE.     

Avoiding the Look‐Ahead Pathology of Decision Tree Learning

Most decision‐tree induction algorithms are using a local greedy strategy, where a leaf is always split on the best attribute according to a given attribute‐selection criterion. A more accurate model could possibly be found by looking ahead for alternative subtrees. However, some researchers argue that the look‐ahead should not be used due to a negative effect (called “decision‐tree pathology”) on the decision‐tree accuracy. This paper presents a new look‐ahead heuristics for decision‐tree induction. The proposed method is called look‐ahead J48 ( LA‐J48) as it is based on J48, the Weka implementation of the popular C4.5 algorithm. At each tree node, the LA‐J48 algorithm applies the look‐ahead procedure of bounded depth only to attributes that are not statistically distinguishable from the best attribute chosen by the greedy approach of C4.5. A bootstrap process is used for estimating the standard deviation of splitting criteria with unknown probability distribution. Based on a separate validation set, the attribute producing the most accurate subtree is chosen for the next step of the algorithm. In experiments on 20 benchmark data sets, the proposed look‐ahead method outperforms the greedy J48 algorithm with the gain ratio and the gini index splitting criteria, thus avoiding the look‐ahead pathology of decision‐tree induction.     

High performance color‐converted micro‐LED displays

A full‐color micro‐LED display can be achieved by red, green, and blue (RGB) chips or by a blue/ultraviolet (UV) micro‐LED array to pump downconverters. The latter helps relieve the burden of epitaxial growth of tri‐color micro‐LED chips. However, such a color‐converted micro‐LED system usually suffers from color crosstalk and low efficiency due to limited optical density of color converters. With funnel‐tube array and reflective coating on its inner surface, the crosstalk is eliminated, and the optical efficiency can be improved by more than two times. In addition, the ambient contrast ratio is also improved because of higher light intensity. The color gamut of this device is approximately 92% of DCI‐P3 standard.     

15‐in. RGBW panel using two‐stacked white OLED and color filters for large‐sized display applications

Abstract— A 15‐in. HD panel employing two‐stacked WOLEDs and color filters for which the color gamut can be as high as 101.2% (CIE1976) and the power consumption is 5.22 W. The WOLEDs exhibit a current efficiency of 61.3 cd/A and a power efficiency of 30 lm/W at 1000 nits and their CIE coordinate is (0.340, 0.334). A 15‐in. RGBW panel was investigated to verify the electrical and optical performance compared to that of a 15‐in. RGB TV made by using FMM technology. The characteristics of the 15‐in. RGBW panel are comparable to those of the 15‐in. RGB panel. Color filters combined with WOLEDs is a possible patterning technology for large‐sized OLED TV, which surpasses the limits of fine‐metal‐mask technology.     

Full‐color transflective cholesteric LCD with image‐enhanced reflector

Abstract— A full‐color bistable transflective cholesteric liquid‐crystal display (Ch‐LCD) was demonstrated by using an imbedded image‐enhanced reflector (IER) on top of each transmissive subpixel. The RGB colors were achieved by patterning conventional color filters on a black‐and‐white Ch‐LCD. In addition, the IER on top of each transmissive subpixel provides similar paths for the transmissive backlight and the reflected ambient light. A simple transflective Ch‐LCD was demonstrated.     

Full‐color AMOLED with RGBW pixel pattern

Abstract— A full‐color AMOLED display with an RGBW color filter pattern has been fabricated. Displays with this format require about one‐half the power of analogous RGB displays. RGBW and RGB 2.16‐in.‐diagonal displays with average power consumptions of 180 and 340 mW, respectively, were characterized for a set of standard digital still camera images at a luminance of 100 cd/m². In both cases, a white‐emitting AMOLED was used as the light source, and standard LCD filters were used to provide the R, G, and B emission. The color gamuts of these displays were identical and the higher overall efficiency of the RGBW format results from two factors. First, a large fraction of a typical image is near neutral in color and can be reproduced using the white sub‐pixel. Second, the white sub‐pixel in an RGBW AMOLED display is highly efficient because of the absence of any color filter. The efficiency of these displays can be further enhanced by choosing a white emitter optimized to the target display white point (in this case D65). A two‐emission layer configuration based upon separate yellow and blue‐emitting regions is shown to be well suited for both the RGBW and RGB formats.     

Power‐saving primary design for displays enclosing a target color gamut

Abstract— Display primaries are optimized for the trade‐off between the total primary power and color gamut under the requirement that a target color gamut is enclosed by the color gamut of the display. LED displays and HDTV color gamut are taken as examples. Compared to the display using a set of typical commercial RGB LEDs, it was found that a total optical (electrical) power of 23.6% (15.6%) can be saved for the display using optimal RGB LEDs. Although the size of the display color gamut is sacrificed, the color gamut of the display using optimal RGB LEDs still encloses the HDTV color gamut. The combined effect of the LED luminous efficiency and white‐point condition on the determination of the optimal LED wavelengths and bandwidths is also studied.     

New technologies for advanced LCD‐TV performance

Abstract— Samsung intends to be the world leader in LCD‐TV through a combination of superior product technology, advanced process execution, and aggressive capitalization. This paper explores and updates Samsung's latest developments toward its goal of ultimate LCD‐TV performance and market leadership. Samsung's development of Super PVA (S‐PVA) represents a key performance achievement. S‐PVA is a new technology which enables screen quality advantages over S‐IPS and MVA, including high transmittance, >1000:1 contrast ratio, and wide angle of view with no off‐axis image inversion. This new technology is described in detail. This paper also addresses the other remaining performance issues facing LCD‐TV, including Samsung's plans for addressing these challenges. Until recently, inter‐gray response time and associated motion blur were significant issues for achieving quality LCD‐TV images. Samsung has invented DCC‐II technology to achieve sub‐10‐msec response time, and this achievement is described. Other technology advancements, including next‐generation color performance and ultra‐low black performance, are discussed. Samsung has announced the development of a 57‐in. full‐HD (1920 × 1080) LCD‐TV panel, the world's largest, based on S‐PVA technology. This product represents the culmination of many technical breakthroughs, and is discussed herein. Samsung's LCD manufacturing strategy, which includes the world's first generation 7 LCD fab, is also described.     

Suppression of color breakup in color‐sequential multi‐primary projection displays

Abstract— Field‐sequential projection displays exhibit a phenomenon of color breakup (Rainbow effect). This is considered to be a disturbing artifact with negative marketing impact. The results of a psychophysical experiment comparing the visibility of the phenomenon in RGB and multi‐primary displays is described. Surprisingly, it is found that color breakup in color‐sequential projection displays with five primaries is equally (for 75 Hz) or less (for 105 Hz) visible than in similar displays with three primaries (at 180 Hz), despite the lower refresh rates.     

Multi‐primary‐color LCD: Its characteristics and extended applications

Abstract— The development of multi‐primary‐color (MPC) display systems is one of the big paradigm shifts in recent display technologies and induces new potentials of display devices. The development of MPC display systems for different goals is briefly reviewed. Especially, by employing MPC systems, it is possible to reproduce the real material colors faithfully and efficiently. For signal processing, MPC systems have a big advantage in the so‐called color‐reproduction redundancy. A number of applications can be derived from this characteristic, such as improving the viewing‐angle dependency issue and power savings. On the other hand, MPC systems have a typical trade‐off versus RGB‐standardized input signals, especially for reproducing bright green. New algorithms to moderate this trade‐off on MPC systems by employing color‐reproduction redundancy are proposed. The goal of our algorithms is to maintain the compatibility with RGB‐based input signals though the initial display design so that the characteristics of MPC systems are not changed or lost. These algorithms indicate that MPC display systems are applicable not only for a specifically limited objective but also for other applications, e.g., TV broadcasting.     

Capacity planning with capability for multiple semiconductor manufacturing fabs

A capacity planning system (CPS) that considers the capacity and capability of equipment is developed for multiple semiconductor manufacturing fabs. On the basis of pull philosophy and the assumption of infinite equipment capacity, the system determines each lot's release time, start fab, and the capability of the equipment. CPS includes three main modules—the WIP-Pulling Module (WPM), the Workload Accumulation Module (WAM) and the Wafer Release Module (WRM). WPM pulls WIP from the end of the process route to meet the master production schedule (MPS). WAM then calculates the expected equipment loading in different time buckets. If WIP cannot meet the MPS requirement, then for each lot to be released, WRM evaluates the expected loading of many fabs, based on the lot's planned start time, and then determines the lot release time, the start fab and the equipment capability, to optimize the workload balance among all fabs. Simulation results indicate the effectiveness and efficiency of this system. A CPS that combines Adjusted Release Time (ART) and Path Load performs best in terms of three performance measures. This finding shows that CPS based on the combination of ART and Path Load can efficiently balance the equipment workload among the various fabs, on various days, and across various equipment at various levels of demands.     

Electro‐optic properties of an intrinsic half‐V‐mode FLCD and its application to field‐sequential full‐color LCDs using a poly‐Si TFT matrix array

Abstract— An intrinsic half‐V‐mode ferroelectric liquid‐crystal display (FLCD) exhibiting a high contrast ratio (300:1), owing to defect‐free gray‐scale capability, with a high response speed (τ ? 400 μsec) and good switchability with TFTs, has been developed. Furthermore, this FLCD features high‐temperature reliability owing to the use of a special hybrid alignment technique. We successfully fabricated an active‐matrix poly‐Si TFT field‐sequential full‐color (FS FC) LCD with XGA specifications and a 0.9‐in. diagonal using a half‐V‐mode FLCD and an RGB light‐emitting‐diode (LED) array microdisplay. It is shown that the fabricated active‐matrix FS FCLCD exhibits good moving‐image performance with high full‐color display capability.     

A dual‐gap RGBW transflective TFT‐LCD with adjustable color gamut

Abstract— An adjustable‐color‐gamut dual‐gap RGBW transflective liquid‐crystal display that uses a four‐color manufacturing process and a color‐processing algorithm to achieve the appropriate color performance in both the transmissive and reflective modes is presented. Based on superior‐color‐transformation units, the total brightness and color gamut can be modified under different ambience. The highest NTSC color gamut in the reflective mode (reflectance, 4.4%) that has been fabricated successfully for a RGBW 1.5‐in. dual‐gap panel is 23% with a 7%, 17%, and 40% NTSC color gamut in the transmissive mode by using different algorithms. Compared to a typical RGB panel, it not only provides flexibility for any environment but also satisfies a variety of personal requirements. Based on personal preference, users have more choices to adjust the LCD settings such as color saturation, brightness, etc. The smart RGBW TRLCD will definitely become the developing trend towards sunlight‐readable LCDs in the near future.     

Color error from an RGB‐stripe pixel structure

Abstract— Most direct‐view color displays have a sub‐pixel structure similar to the RGB‐stripe structure. The video data for R and B are produced on the condition that they are reproduced at the same position as G but they are displayed on the screen with 1/3 of a pixel separation from the corresponding G pixel. This pixel structure thus entails a convergence error of 1/3 of a pixel. The modified s‐CIELAB method was applied to investigate color errors produced by the RGB‐stripe pixel structure. The results show that the pixel structure can degrade the image quality even for a viewing distance where the pixel structure is not visible because the color difference caused by the structure has a low‐frequency component and the human vision can detect it. The same method was applied to the convergence error and it was shown that the necessary convergence accuracy is around 1/4 of a pixel.