VESA Announces Early Certification Program for USB Type-C Devices
The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) recently announced the official launch of its early certification test program for products incorporating the new USB Type-C connector and the DisplayPort Alternate Mode standard. Using the DisplayPort Alt Mode standard, a USB Type-C connector and cable can deliver full DisplayPort audio/video performance (driving monitor resolutions of 4K and beyond), SuperSpeed USB data, and up to 100 W of power. DisplayPort is the only display interface alt mode natively supported by both standard USB-C connectors and cables. The new DisplayPort Alt Mode over USB-C Early Product Certification Program is intended to help ensure interoperability early on in development cycles.
“During new-technology development, products often are ready to ship before compliance test programs are complete. Conformance testing, however, is still vital to helping ensure a smooth roll-out and positive user experience with early products,” said Jim Choate, compliance program manager for VESA. “To help USB Type-C product manufacturers address this challenge, VESA created the DisplayPort Alt Mode over USB-C Early Product Certification Program to help speed both the path to compliance and time to market for new products.”
Nearly a dozen tablets, laptops, and monitors have been certified through the pilot phase of this early certification program, including products from Intel, Dell, Asus, HP, and LG Electronics. Several dozen more certified products are expected to be available by the end of the year.
NEW PRODUCT BRIEFS
Henkel Offers New Precise Edge-Control Liquid Optically Clear Adhesives
Henkel Adhesive Technologies’ electronics business has developed and commercialized a novel suite of liquid optically clear adhesive (LOCA) materials that offer significant process and design enabling capabilities for touch screens including smartphone, notebook, all-in-one (AIO) PC, and large-format displays. The new Loctite brand materials are precise edge control (PEC) LOCA formulations that allow for the construction of displays with narrow-bezel and ultra-narrow-bezel architectures.
These adhesives have unique properties that allow them to remain at the edge of the touch panel without any overflow. For use with touch and large-format displays, Loctite PEC LOCA materials are available in pre-gel, high viscosity, and pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) formulations and deliver significant process benefits as compared to traditional LOCA materials.
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Grauling Research Announces New Coating Technology for Improved Sensor Performance
Grauling Research, a North American research company and global supplier of coating materials, consumables, and equipment support for the thin-film optical-coating industry, is now offering IR-ISE (Infrared-Improved Sensor Efficiency), an improved photoconductive infrared sensor coating developed with new technology (Fig. 1). This IR thin-film coating greatly enhances performance and improves the efficiency of infrared sensors; in many applications, the coating also seals and protects the device, eliminating the need for glass encapsulation.
The novel thin-film coating was developed for use with lead sulfide (PbS) and lead selenide (PbSe) sensors. Due to the high index of refraction in current lead-salt sensor technology, around 40% of the incident IR radiation in today’s common sensor materials is lost due to surface reflection. The advanced IR-ISE thin-film PbS and PbSe coating designs can reduce the surface reflection of incident radiation by utilizing environmentally rugged, single or multi-layered, thin-film coatings. In applications where glass encapsulation is no longer needed, the new IR-ISE reduces the size and weight of the photodetector and lessens the amount of time, materials, and labor costs needed for assembly.
Fig. 1: This sensor array uses Grauling Research’s new photoconductive infrared sensor coating.
CPT and Evonik Partner Create Metal-Oxide-Based Panel
At Display Week in San Francisco last month, German specialty chemical company Evonik Industries and Taiwanese display maker Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT) jointly presented an enhanced 5.8-in. LCD panel using iXsenic metal-oxide semiconductor material.
iXsenic is a solution-processable inorganic metal-oxide semiconductor for the display industry that is supplied by the Resource Efficiency segment of Evonik. It is applied under ambient conditions: no vacuum environment is needed, which results in a simplified process, high yield, and cost advantages. iXsenic is best applied via slot-die coating.
Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT) is dedicated to offering a full range of panel sizes, and positions itself as a leader for visual telecommunication products and an all-around innovator for optronic technology.
LG Innotek Unveils Fingerprint Sensor Module without Button
LG Innotek recently announced an under-glass fingerprint sensor module, a departure from ‘button-type’ modules that require users to press a raised square or circular button for the fingerprint to be read accurately. To effect this, LG Innotek cut a shallow furrow of 0.01 in. (0.3 mm) thick on the lower back side of the cover glass and installed the fingerprint sensor inside it (Fig. 2).
With this module, the sensor is not exposed to the outside of the device, so the manufacturer can produce a sleekly designed smartphone. The fingerprint recognition area can be indicated by various patterns , according to the design of the product. The new module has a false acceptance rate (FAR) of 0.002%. •
Fig. 2: LG Innotek’s new fingerprint sensor is implemented under the display glass.