As the applications of FPDs expanded quickly into various fields as mentioned above, in the mid-1990s, the home appliance and electronic industries began shifting the focus of R&D for display technology from CRTs to FPDs, and have been working hard to improve image quality and reduce costs.
For example, with regard to LCDs, technological innovations have recently improved the structure of liquid crystals, leading to the commercialization of panels with a wider viewing angle and improved moving image display performance. As well as the panels of LCDs and PDPs, many manufactures are focusing on refining the video signal processing circuits and panel driver circuits in order to further enhance image display quality. New interface standards such as HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) are also being established for degradation-free transmission of Hi-Vision broadcasts and other high-capacity digital signals. As the resolution of LCDs and PDPs increases, finer-pitch wiring patterns are required in the drive-circuit LSIs. To realize finer-pitch patterns in the circuit boards at a lower cost, mounting technologies such as COF (Chip On Film) and circuit-board related technologies including FPC are being developed and improved.
As these rapid technological developments continue, FPDs will become common products in our daily lives, supporting our business and daily activities as an essential "visual interface" in today's information-intensive world.
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