Sharp's IGZO low-power, high-res display technology gets its time to shine at IFA
Alongside the slew of 90-inch TVs, Sharp also used this year's IFA to show off something a little less glamorous. Its IGZO technology (that's indium gallium zinc oxide, kids) was developed in conjunction with the Semiconductor Energy Laboratory. According to Sharp, the displays "have a significantly higher translucency [compared to traditional LCD TFT displays]. This improvement means that smaller or fewer LEDs are needed for the backlighting." The result is less power consumption for high-res displays and higher sensitivity on touchscreens, with far less noise to contend with.
The company plans to create three panel sizes to start: 10-inch (2560 x 1600), seven-inch (1280 x 800) and 32-inch (3840 x 2160). Sharp was also demoing a prototype seven-inch tablet (which you can see in the gallery below) alongside the displays. The representative we spoke with wouldn't reveal anything about specific products the company plans to produce using the technology, but did tell us that we can expect to see some IGZO products in 2013. Check out an explanatory video after the break.%Gallery-163988%
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Fascinating brilliance due to new displays
Unrivalled touch-sensitivity from an ultra-low power screen technology that delivers a brilliant picture; this is why IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) technology which Sharp will show during IFA 2012 is causing such a stir. "IGZO is a real quantum leap in display technology. The technology can be used for, among others, mobile terminal devices such as smart phones, for which the demands on screen resolution are constantly increasing, but also in TVs", explains Alberico Lissoni, Vice President Consumer Electronics at Sharp Europe. Compared to traditional LCD TFT displays, IGZO products have a significantly higher translucency. This improvement means that smaller or fewer LEDs are needed for the backlighting. These new displays are not only smaller, they also have a much less power consumption
Both Sharp and SEL have agreed to accelerate the developments concerning useful life and production costs to meet the substantial demand in the market. Lissoni continues, "Sharp will be introducing LCD displays with the new IGZO technology worldwide. We are only at the start of this new development and we strongly believe IGZO has a huge potential."
Sharp announced that it will be producing three panel varieties with IGZO technology: a 10-inch LCD panel with 2560 x 1600 pixels, a 7-inch panel with 1280 x 800 pixels and a 32-inch panel with 3840 x 2160 pixels. At the same time Sharp is working on possible future uses and is researching other areas of application.
