Jul 16 2009
TCZ Pte. Ltd., a joint venture of Cymer, Inc. (NASDAQ:CYMI) and Carl Zeiss SMT AG, announced today that the company has received its first order--from a large Korean display maker--for the TCZ-900A, TCZ's production tool for flat panel display (FPD) fabrication. The TCZ-900A is designed to manufacture both advanced liquid crystal displays (LCD) and next generation Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) displays used in cell phones, laptops and televisions.
TCZ, using Cymer's industry-leading light source technology and the innovative optics expertise of Carl Zeiss SMT, has developed a patented laser crystallization technology which improves uniformity, while increasing throughput and reducing the cost of crystallization by up to 50 percent compared to current industry standards.
TCZ's unique ability to support many different display sizes while significantly increasing panel throughput was a driving factor in the Korean display maker's selection of the new technology, which will enable the production of the industry's most visually appealing and cost-effective displays in the years to come.
"With their dynamic colors and ultra thin-screens, OLED displays are forecasted to be the next big growth engine for the FPD industry," said David Knowles, president and chief executive officer of TCZ. "Our first order, from a market leader in OLED manufacturing, validates the unique enabling technology of our product."
Laser crystallization is a key step in the manufacturing process for many types of LCD and OLED displays. A glass plate, coated with a thin film of amorphous silicon, is exposed to a high-power laser that converts the silicon into a poly-crystalline form, which is then used to create the pixel control circuit. The TCZ Crystallization System uses a 600W laser, twice the power of current systems, to form a very narrow line focus that is 730 mm long, allowing a gen 4 size glass plate (730mm x 920mm) to be processed in a single pass. This approach produces very uniform crystalline silicon material across the entire glass plate, which is needed to support the high-performance OLED pixel circuits.
The first TCZ-900A shipment is scheduled for the third quarter of 2009. For additional information, or to speak with a TCZ representative, please contact Kelly Hamor at (619) 234-0345.