Samsung Announces New Blue Phase Technology For LCD Panels

The world’s largest provider of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels, Samsung has developed a new technology for LCD panels – Blue Phase, which the company claims offers more natural moving images with an unprecedented image-driving speed of 240 Hertz.

The innovative Blue Phase technology does not require liquid crystal alignment layers, unlike today’s most widely used LCD modes such as Twisted Nematic, In-Plane Switching or Vertical Alignment.

“Our Blue Phase mode is a major evolutionary development beyond conventional liquid crystal modes,” said Souk Jun-hyung, Samsung’s Executive Vice President. “Samsung’s development of the technology provides a tremendous opportunity to move image quality of LCD screens much closer to that of a real moving image.”

According to the company, “This new Blue Phase mode can make its own alignment layers, eliminating the need any mechanical alignment and rubbing processes. This reduces the number of required fabrication processes, resulting in considerably savings on production costs. Additionally, Blue Phase panels will reduce the possibility of bruising the LCD panel interface whereby pressure on the screen can impair uniform brightness. Overdrive circuits are currently applied to each LCD panel to improve the video image quality in premium LCD TVs, which are driven at 120Hz. The Blue Phase mode features a superior response rate, allowing images to be reproduced at 240Hz or higher without the need for any overdrive circuit.”

A 15-inch Blue Phase LCD panel will be unveiled at SID (Society for Information Display) 2008 international Symposium (held in Los Angeles) from May 18 to 23, and the mass production is expected to begin in 2011.