Flat Panel Displays In the Beginning And How They Evolved

摘要

The path of the evolution of today's high information content flat panel displays is littered with failed attempts. The origin of today's most-successful Flat Panel Display, the a-Si AMLCD, started, perhaps, at the David Sarnoff Research Center with the R. Williams Domains observation of dynamic scattering. The climax is exhibited today in the Samsung HDTV. Samsung is the world's largest manufacturer of a-Si AMLCDs. The end points are merely symbolic in time chosen for this presentation that is intended to highlight the major discoveries, show-stopping demonstrations, and brilliant contributions during the intervening period of 48 years. There is also social and political commentary as to why Flat Panel Displays evolved the way they did—a virtual success story. To make this success story more digestible, it is framed in ten-year phases.