By Chris Nicholls
TAIPEI: Taiwanese display manufacturer TECO Nanotech has joined former Sony spin-off Field Emission Technologies as the second company in recent weeks to commit to Field Emission Display manufacture.
In a statement posted on website A to Z of Nano, the company said it would be “focusing on the research, development and manufacturing of carbon nano tube field emission display [sic] to step into the field of FPD panels and modular [manufacture]”.
While no further details were given, the statement suggests it will not just be Japan that will re-examine FED technology, following the collapse of the Canon/Toshiba agreement to build televisions based on similar SED (Surface conduction Electron emitter Display) technology.
Field emission display televisions are supposed to bring CRT picture quality to large screens, with each pixel using its own nano-sized phosphor gun to generate colour, resulting in faster response times than any current LCD or OLED technology.
Sony spin-off Field Emission Technologies was the first to announce it would start production of FED panels from late 2009, when it confirmed to Current.com.au that it would purchase the Pioneer plasma display factory when it ceases production.
The initial production run will be 10,000 units, all aimed at business use, but the company said it would look at moving into commercial television panel manufacture after that.
TECO Nanotech is an evolution of the original company, TECO Information Company limited, which began supplying colour monitors for domestic and overseas markets before an investment by TECO Electric and Machinery, UMC Group, KGI Group and NEC in 1997 to help build a factory for 17-inch LCD monitors and specialist CRT monitors.
The company became TECO nanotech in 2002.