Tag Archives: Liquid Crystal

Merck announced liquid crystal smart window and smart window market

November 30, 2017, by Jennifer Colegrove Ph.D. Touch Display Research

Today, Merck announced it opened a new production facility for liquid crystal smart window modules in the Netherlands. The investment is around € 15 million.

Mr. Kai Beckmann, Member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and CEO Performance Materials, indicated, “We recently started taking orders from customers for modules that will be ready for delivery as of early 2018. The industry interest in liquid crystal windows we’ve seen so far is very positive.”

At SID DisplayWeek 2017 in California, Mr. Bob Miller, Senior Business Manager at Merck/EMD show us its liquid crystal smart windows in large format, see picture here. This is NOT PDLC (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal), but only liquid crystal.

Figure 1: Merck/EMD Mr. Bob Miller demonstrate their smart windows

Photo by: Dr. Jennifer Colegrove at Touch Display Research

In the recently published “Smart Windows Transparent Switchable Technologies, Supply Chain and Market Forecast 2017 Report,” Touch Display Research Inc., analyzed 19 smart window technologies, which include 16 active smart window technologies and 3 passive smart window technologies. Some can be both active and passive. More than 130 companies working on smart window technologies are profiled in the report.

Figure 2. Smart Window Transparent Switchable Technologies, Supply Chain and Market Forecast 2017 Report

Source: Touch Display Research, April 2017

“The smart windows industry is at the tipping point of accelerated growth,” said Dr. Jennifer Colegrove, CEO and Principal Analyst at Touch Display Research and author of the report. “There are billions of dollar opportunities for glass manufacturers, plastic film manufacturers, transparent conductor suppliers, adhesive and chemical companies, touch panel and display manufacturers.”

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Jennifer Colegrove and team

 

Touch panels, flexible/curved/foldable display, smart windows, quantum dots are hot topics at SID 2017

May 27, 2017, by Jennifer Colegrove Ph.D.

I just returned from SID DisplayWeek 2017 in the beautiful Log Angeles, California. It was my honor to meet some of you in person.

Touch panels, flexible/curved/foldable display, smart windows, quantum dots are hot topics at SID 2017. Each of these fields has some as expected, and also has some surprises.

Figure: SID 2017 exhibition floor

Photo by: Dr. Jennifer Colegrove at Touch Display Research

Mr. Bob Miller, Senior Business Manager at Merck/EMD show us its liquid crystal smart windows in large format, see picture here. This is NOT PDLC (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal), but only liquid crystal.

Figure: Merck/EMD Mr. Bob Miller demonstrate their smart windows

Photo by: Dr. Jennifer Colegrove at Touch Display Research

How many smart windows technologies are there? What’s the Pros and Cons of each type? Which company is investing in which? In the recently published “Smart Windows Transparent Switchable Technologies, Supply Chain and Market Forecast 2017 Report,” Touch Display Research Inc., analyzed 19 smart window technologies, which include 16 active smart window technologies and 3 passive smart window technologies. Some can be both active and passive. More than 130 companies working on smart window technologies are profiled in the report.

What are the surprises of each hot topic? More analysis of SID 2017 can be found in the “Touch and Emerging Display” monthly report.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Jennifer Colegrove and team

 

International Liquid Crystal Conference 2016 Review

August 4, 2016

I just returned from the International Liquid Crystal Conference (ILCC) 2016. I’m honored to be invited to give a presentation at this conference, and especially at Kent State University, which is my home University.

Figure 1: Kent Student Centers

Kent State University

Photo by: Dr. Jennifer Colegrove

Kent State University has changed a lot since I graduated with a Ph.D. in the year 2000. Many science buildings and dormitory buildings have been added. The Kent Student Center, the Library and the plaza in between had been remodeled.

The ILCC is very successful with about 700 attendees this year. It is the largest academic meeting in the field of liquid crystals, held biennially under the auspices of the International Liquid Crystal Society.

Quantum dot is a hot topic in this year’s ILCC. In my presentation about display market, I discussed several new opportunities:  flexible and curved displays, and quantum dot displays.

Figure 2. Dr. Jennifer Colegrove presenting at ILCC 2016 in Kent State University

Jenny ILCC 2016

At ILCC 2016, Crystalplex showcased their SapphireTM Quantum Dots, which they claim is air-stable quantum dots.

Figure 3. Crystalplex at ILCC 2016.

Crystalplex poster

Photo by: Dr. Jennifer Colegrove

Merck is also entering quantum dot field by signing a distribution agreement with Nanoco this week.

In the recently published “Quantum Dot 2016 Report (Third Edition),” Touch Display Research surveyed many quantum dot suppliers, display manufacturers and OEMs, and analyzed and forecasted the quantum dot display component market with detail of material type and form factor. This report profiles over 80 companies working on quantum dot materials and quantum dot components. Touch Display Research forecasts the overall QD display component and lighting and QLED market will surpass $2 billion by 2017, and reach $10.8 billion by 2026.

Figure 4. Quantum dot component for display and lighting market forecast

quantum dot forecast 2016

Source: Touch Display Research, Quantum dot 2016 report

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Jennifer Colegrove and team