Toshiba announces 1mm-thick 7-inch LCD touchscreen

The Toshiba Mobile Display division has come up with an integrated touch panel that’s only as thick as a dime. The company has developed a 7-inch LCD panel that’s just 1mm thick.

The low temperature poly-silicone (LTPS) thin-film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) is less than half as thick as a conventional LCD touchscreen. Toshiba said the technology, compared to conventional LCDs that require an extra touch panel layer to be applied, provides a better picture, and is 57 percent less thick, 48 percent lighter at 225 grams, and has a 10 percent less surface reflection ratio.

This is good news for manufacturers since they won’t have to go through the process of adding a touch panel to the LCD. Toshiba is marketing this as a technology to use for vehicle mounts, and for industrial applications.

Toshiba said its smaller size “enables the design of more compact products for mobile applications.” It also reduces the impact on the environment by saving resources and power.

The LCD can be seen first at the SID 2011 International Symposium, Seminar, and Exhibition taking place in Los Angeles next month. If it lives up to the hype we don’t expect this display just to be used in vehicles or industrial settings. Thinner screens are desirable for both smartphone and tablet devices, and a 7-inch screen makes it perfect for tablets.

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