Date: 19/04/2012

Sharp produces LCD panels using IGZO oxide semiconductor

Sharp began producing the LCD panels incorporating IGZO oxide semiconductors in March 2012 at Kameyama plant no. 2.

IGZO (InGaZnO) is an oxide comprising indium (In), gallium (Ga), and zinc (Zn). A thin-film transistor using this material has been developed by Sharp in collaboration with Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. (a company based in Kanagawa, Japan, and led by President Shunpei Yamazaki).

Operations at Kameyama plant no. 2 was started in August 2006, manufacturing the highly advanced LCD panels for TVs. Production systems have subsequently been reorganized to focus on producing small- and medium-sized LCD panels for the smartphone and tablet terminal markets.

Sharp produced LCDs with smaller thin-film transistors and increased pixel transparency by employing advanced IGZO oxide semiconductors. This also consumed lower energy. In addition, proprietary ultraviolet-induced multi-domain vertical alignment (UV2A) technology employed in Sharp's AQUOS LCD TVs enables these displays to achieve high image quality.

Sharp will encourage the application of its new LCD panels to high-definition notebook PCs, LCD monitors and mobile devices.

Sample specifications of LCD panels incorporating IGZO
For LCD monitors For high-definition notebook PCs For tablet terminals
Display size 32 inches 10 inches 7 inches
No. of pixels 3,840 x 2,160 2,560 x 1,600 800 x 1,280
Pixel density 140 ppi 300 ppi 217 ppi