Samsung Electronics has announced that it has developed the largest TFT-LCD TV panels without using color filters (CF). The new CF-free 32-inch TFT-LCD TV panels will be showcased at FPD (Flat Panel Display) International 2005, opening in Yokohama, Japan on October 19, with volume production to begin in the second half of 2006 at the earliest, according to a Samsung press release issued yesterday.
The newly developed panels use LEDs as backlight sources, which are expected to help the company shorten production time and save material costs as well as facility investment, according to Seongsik Shin, vice president of the Samsung Electronics LCD R&D Center.
To keep up with its Korean rival, Taiwan-based LCD panel maker AU Optronics (AUO) stated that the company now also has researchers involved in related product development and will continue to observe the potential of the market for LCD TV panels with LED backlights.
Chang Wen-yi, chairman of Taiwan-based CF maker Sintek Photronic, revealed that the advanced technology for Samsung’s new product indeed is a big breakthrough. However, industry sources pointed out although Samsung can save production costs from color filters, compared to conventional LCDs which require both a cold cathode fluorescent (CCFL) backlight and a color filter, units prices for LEDs are still relatively high with one-watt LEDs costing about US$3.
Samsung Electronics CF-free TFT-LCD TV panels
Photo: Samsung Electronics
