Fujitsu develops method to make 100 inch plasma panels

11 Jul 2002

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a technology to produce very large plasma display panels of up to 100 inches, compared with 60 inches which is the current maximum.

The company says that the technology, based on many tiny glass tubes, will reduce power consumption and panel weight to one-quarter that of existing PDPs.

A series of red, blue and green 1 mm glass tubes are aligned in a series, sandwiched between electrodes. When a voltage is applied, ultraviolet light is emitted by the gas contained in each tube, and the light interacts with fluorescent material in the red, blue and green tubes.

The research unit of Fujitsu has developed a 15 cm square display containing 150 such tubes which successfully displayed the letter F.

The new technology's light-emission efficiency is about 300-400% higher than existing PDPs leading to energy savings of at least 75%.

Fujitsu Laboratories aims to develop a 100 inch display that is 3-4 inches thick in three to four years' time.

In a related development, Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display has announced plasma screens 30% brighter than current products with shipping to begin this summer. The H2 range will consist of three models: a 42 inch version with 1000 cd/m² brightness, and 32 and 37 inch versions with 900 cd/m² brightness.