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SEOUL, South Korea, May 7, 2002-Marking a major industry milestone, LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd., a leading innovator of liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, has successfully developed a copper-based interconnect technology. As a result, LG.Philips LCD will be able to cost effectively manufacture light weight displays that afford higher brightness and reduced jitter-significant benefits aimed at OEM customers, and ultimately, today's consumer.

Traditionally, chromium and aluminum alloy interconnect process technologies have been the standard in the manufacture of TFT-LCDs. While copper-based technology promised to have a positive impact on display quality and cost, there were underlying concerns surrounding device contamination and poor manufacturing infrastructures-preventing other companies from successfully leveraging it as an interconnect material. Combating these challenges head on, LG.Philips LCD has been actively researching copper-based technology for more than four years, emerging as the first display manufacturer to successfully demonstrate efficient and effective use of this material.

LG.Philips LCD's new copper bus line affords several unique advantages, which include increased brightness of about 35 percent over current LCD technology, in addition to a 40 percent reduction in electromagnetic jitter. Furthermore, copper bus material costs 60 percent less than aluminum alloy, reducing manufacturing costs. Signaling its commitment, LG.Philips LCD has obtained over 50 related patents (with 20 additional patents submitted) since 1998 related to TFT-LCD copper circuitry technology.

According to Bruce Berkoff, LG.Philips LCD's executive vice president of marketing, LG.Philips LCD's copper bus line will accelerate the technology advancement for next-generation TFT-LCDs. LG.Philips LCD is making 'high-definition and large-scale' displays possible in future LCDs through its advanced technology leadership, such as this new copper bus line." noted Berkoff.

LG.Philips LCD's copper bus line has demonstrated the ability to transmit signals more than 2.5 times faster than traditional aluminum alloy. In addition, it allows for thinner interconnect lines, resulting in increased conductibility-stabilizing the signal, enabling a higher aperture ratio and increasing overall display brightness. It also simultaneously increases the ability to produce larger sized displays, without deteriorating display uniformity across the panel, which is typically vulnerable to manufacturing process changes. As a further advantage, using copper in production is more environmentally friendly than other conventional conductors since it uses water as a base, rather than acid.

LG.Philips LCD will be demonstrating prototypes utilizing its proprietary, copper-based TFT-LCD technology, along with other best-in-class TFT-LCDs for desktop monitor, notebook PC and television applications, during the 2002 Society for Information Display (SID) Symposium, May 19 - 24, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Mass. Editors interested in seeing this demonstration or learning more about LG.Philips LCD's TFT-LCD portfolio are encouraged to visit LG.Philips LCD's booth #2529-2636, or contact Stacey Voorhees via e-mail at svoorhees@mcapr.com to arrange a one-on-one briefing.