Merck’s liquid crystal technology Ultra-Brightness Fringe Field Switching (UB-FFS) has been recognized by the Society for Information Display (SID) with the 2015 SID Display Component of the Year Award in Gold. UB-FFS technology has made possible highly energy-efficient liquid crystal touchscreens for smartphones and tablet PCs that illuminate brilliant colors while still achieving a long battery life.
The SID awards Gold and Silver Display of the Year Awards in three categories: Display of the Year, Display Application of the Year, and Display Component of the Year. The awards have been presented annually to display industry companies and suppliers for innovative products and technologies since 1995. The Display Component of the Year Award is granted for a novel component that significantly enhanced the performance of a display.
With mobile devices, one of the greatest challenges is energy efficiency. UB-FFS technology exploits 15 % more of the display‘s backlight compared to FFS, thus lowering the energy required by the device by as much as 30 %. The devices thus consume less power and battery lifetime is increased. In addition, UB-FFS supports the trend towards higher display resolutions. The new switching mode, marketed as Licristal, is already being used in many smartphones and tablet PCs.
UB-FFS technology from Merck already received the German Industry Award in April and the Meyer-Galow Prize for business chemistry in November 2014.
Image: Merck LC Production in Japan. ©: Merck KGaA.
- Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
- Society of Information Display (SID), Campbell, CA, USA
- UB-FFS Technology for LC Displays
- SID-Wiley Series in Display Technology
