Brief Comment：The Influence of SONY’s 70-inch LCDTV Back Light Module to the Industry

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In CEATEC JAPAN 2007 exhibited recently in Japan , Japanese electronics giant SONY Corp announced the LED LCDTV back light module technology used in the latest 70-inch module of BRAVIA LCD TV . As one of the leader brands of LCD TV, SONY’s choice of back light module technology will certainly cause some influence to the industry, especially the trend of LED modules used in high-end LCD TV and designs of periphreals. It’s possible that the most common strategy might be mimicking SONY, SAMSUNG and SHARP.

SONY is using tricolor-RGB LED back light module technology ,which is with higher color purity and a wider color reproduction, not white light LED with narrower color reproduction. The development of tricolor-RGB LED back light module used in high-end products is very likely to maintain for a certain period, unless white light LED back light module could get an important technological breakthrough , improving its trait of color reproduction.

The LED module type, array, and diffuser plate combination adopted by SONY this time, were those with technological probroblems overcome and could be put into max production,able to be made into commercial products.

Comparing with SONY QUALIA 005 annouced three years ago, the LED modules used in the latest 70-inch LCD TV have more technological breakthrough than before. First, the amount of LED modules used were fewer in same size, although the actual decreasement in numbers was not declared, judging from the amount used in original QUALIA 005─46-inch module used 90 sets of LED modules, totally 450, 40-inch module used 60 sets, totally 325 LED modules, arranged in Green, Red, Blue, Red, Green 5 in 1 row array, LED sets were horizontally arranged in a file before being vertically arrayed.

In SONY’s new back light module, one LED set is composed of 4 LEDs, one Red and one Blue ,with two Greens. One RED LED spared, but with a light efficiency no less than before, the arrangement is in foursquare, not 5 in 1 row. The lens module in this back light module was changed into up-side-down arrangement , more efficient than before.

SONY originally used LEDs form Lumileds Corp. ,subdivision of Philips Lumileds Group. The supplier of new LED modules not revealed, but there were rumors that it was a Japanese origin, implying that Japanese Suppliers like Nichia Corp and TOYODA GOSEI Corp might have better chance of being adopted in Japanese electronic products.

Large-sized LCD TVs have higher price, thus could cover the increased cost of using modules made of multiple LEDs, meanwhile offer better graphics and power efficiency. Samsung ,Sharp and others are moving into 10th-generation LCD production line in order to cut into 6 pieces of 70-inch panel with economical benefit, the yield of present 60-inch panels and 70-inch panels were also improving, to be differentiating, there will be more and more large-sized panels using RGB LED back light module,this trend is certain, and the numbers of LED used will increase as well.

On the LED industry side, common Red, Green LEDs have been under-priced, Blue LEDs with higher price is the key of profitting. Red and Green LEDs used in LED back light modules is certainly higher class in quality and specifications. After top three panel makers adopted LED back light modules, other LCD TV makers and monitor manufacturers will have the possibility to follow their steps, expanding demands of LEDs from other LED suppliers.

About small-sized panel, the trend of white light LED back light module replacing common CCFL is obvious, we expect there to be a stronger upward in 2008.