SCREEN Prepares to Establish Joint Company to Manufacture Display Production Equipment in China

SCREEN Holdings has concluded a basic agreement to establish a new company in Changshu, China with Taitoh Machinery Shanghai and Tri-Diamond Intelligent Technology (Changshu). The joint management company, SCREEN FT Changshu will manufacture production equipment for the display and energy device fields and will be positioned as a subsidiary of SCREEN Finetech Solutions, a core member of the SCREEN Group.

The company is due to begin operation in October and is expected to strengthen SCREEN's manufacturing network in the Chinese market.

JDI Announces Development of Transparent Glass-based Capacitive Fingerprint Sensor

Japan Display (JDI) announced that it has developed a transparent glass-based capacitive fingerprint sensor by applying the company's capacitive multi-touch technology used in its other LCDs. JDI plans to start commercial shipments within its 2018 fiscal year, which ends March of 2019.

JDI is striving to enter the sensor business arena in preparation for the era of highly-developed security, and gain its new position in this non-display sector by leveraging its experience and know-how fostered through the development of low-temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) LCDs.

JDI's glass-based capacitive fingerprint sensor applies the basic touch functionality technology that is integrated in its in-cell Pixel Eyes displays which have been used in smartphone and digital still camera applications. With Pixel Eyes, the touch functionality is integrated into the glass substrate by detecting the changes in capacitance that occur when a finger touches the LCD surface. The glass substrate identifies the area touched by the finger through the detection of the changes in capacitance.

This technology has evolved within JDI to the extent that the company has succeeded in enhancing it to detect the changes in capacitance caused by the recesses and ridges of an individual's fingerprints. This further technological development made it possible to form JDI's new capacitive fingerprint sensor on a transparent glass substrate. JDI will expand the lineup to include larger or smaller sizes as well as this 8 x 8mm sensor.

JDI Announces Development of 30cm-wide High Resolution Electronic Paper Module for Electronic Shelf Label Market

Japan Display (JDI) announced that it has developed a 30cm-wide high resolution electronic paper (ePaper) electronic shelf labels (ESL). The 30cm-wide three-color module is based on the long-term strategic alliance with E Ink Holdings for the ePaper business. Through the alliance with E Ink, JDI is now delivering samples of this ePaper and plans to start commercial shipments as early as the third quarter 2018.

Since most merchandise shelves used in retail stores are 90cm (about 3 feet) or 120cm (about 4 feet) wide, a 30cm-wide ePaper is a practical width. This new product enhances the usefulness of the shelf labels by fully utilizing the spaces in front of the merchandise to increase the display area for prices and other advertising information. The 30cm-wide display can also show information for multiple merchandise items on one display.

The newly-developed 198ppi ePaper meets higher resolution need and can more faithfully show complicated characters, as well as provide an increased amount of pixel density to display a greater number of characters or sharpened images.