TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA - iFire Technology Inc., a subsidiary of The Westaim Corporation, today demonstrated a 17-inch prototype iFireTM display with 100 candelas per meter-squared brightness, eight-bit color and full-motion video response speed.
“This is an important step toward achieving the qualities required for our ultimate goal of a television display,” said Michael Goldstein, President, iFire Technology Inc. “In less than one year, we have transferred the performance qualities from our 8.5-inch display to our 17-inch display. It clearly demonstrates that our proprietary iFire display technology can be easily scaled to larger screen sizes.”
Unlike many flat panel display technologies that depend heavily on the use of expensive semiconductor-type thin-film manufacturing processes, the iFireTM flat panel display is a solid state electroluminescent technology that relies mostly on lower-cost, thick-film processes. Its manufacturing process uses a simpler screen-printing technique well known in the capacitor and printed circuit board industry that is less sensitive to contaminants. This translates into fewer process steps, higher yield and lower cost production equipment and facilities.
Compared with most other flat panel technologies, an iFireTM flat panel display is a very simple device. It does not involve vacuum, gases or liquids, making it more robust than other flat panel technologies with reduced susceptibility to shock, vibration and breakage. iFireTM displays emit light from the front portion of the display, resulting in a wide viewing angle and crisp, clear, full-color images. iFireTM flat panel displays boast one of the widest operating temperature ranges of any electronic display technology, meeting the demanding requirements of transportation displays and other high-reliability applications.
“We continue to advance our technology at an unprecedented pace when compared to other flat panel display technologies,” said Goldstein. “This achievement lays the groundwork for progression toward a large flat panel television with the visual performance of a CRT that will be available at a fraction of the cost of existing flat panel televisions.”
The Westaim Corporation is a technology incubator that launches exceptional technologies into the marketplace. In addition to iFire Technology Inc., its technology investments include Westaim Biomedical Corp., which has developed an infection control technology for use in the treatment of wounds, and Technology Deployment International, Inc. (TDI), a leader in e-business management software. A TSE 300 company, Westaim's common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol WED.
-30-
Contact:
Tony Johnston, Senior Vice President Corporate Affairs
The Westaim Corporation
(403) 234-3103
info@westaim.com
www.westaim.com
www.ifire.com
This news release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and the Company can give no assurance that these expectations are correct. Various factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in such statements, including financial considerations and those predicting the timing and market acceptance of future products. The Company disclaims any intention or obligations to revise forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this Cautionary Statement.
|