Q+A CENTER

OSRAM Opto Semiconductors (Santa Clara, Calif.) is replacing CCFLs in notebook computers and adding either white or RGB LEDs. The advantage of using white LEDs is that it saves about 25 percent in power, explains Francis Nguyen, Senior Production Marketing Manager of LED products. "The RGB LEDs cost about 40 percent more, but its main advantage is a wider color gamut," he says.

OSRAM also has begun lighting large displays, such as a Sony 70-inch LCD with 1,152 of its Golden Dragon Argus RGGB LEDs, Nguyen says. It combines OSRAM's ThinGaN® (indium gallium nitride) technology with its ARGUS® lens.

Takin' It To The Streets

The historic solution to creating sunlight readable displays has been to overpower the ambient light. A number of companies have taken a different route to solving the problem.

"There are two ways to do outdoor," explains Robert Dunhouse, Engineering Manager, Display SBU at NEC Electronics America. "One is brute force—crank up the backlights. Originally, there was a whole industry of modifying panels to do this, but power consumption and heat became issues. Then there's the more elegant way: using anti-reflective coating and recycling backlight."

Santa Clara, Calif.-based NEC uses transflective technology, both internal or external. "Internal is a reflective layer on top of the TFT [thin film transistor] atop the glass assembly," Dunhouse says. "There are openings to allow light through. You get transflective and transmissive light. The external doesn't have internal reflective layers. It's comprised of an enhanced backlight using light-recycling technology and antireflective film on the front of the panel."