LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A. - iFire Technology Inc., a subsidiary of The Westaim Corporation, today unveiled a 17-inch prototype iFire^TM flat panel TV display. The experimental TV display was developed in part through collaboration with a large Japanese consumer electronics television company. The first public demonstration will occur at the annual conference of the Society for Information Display (SID) in Long Beach, California (May 16 to 18).

“This early prototype proves that iFire^TM-based flat panel displays can be scaled into larger sizes, which represents a fundamental breakthrough in the development of TV products,” said Michael Goldstein, President of iFire Technology Inc. “This joint development project is an example of the due diligence undertaken by TV partner candidate companies evaluating the iFire technology.”

Since December 1999, iFire Technology has achieved all of its milestones with its flat panel technology, including:

• An 8.5-inch QVGA (320 X 240v) pixel format, full-color display with an average brightness of 150 cd/m2 in December 1999 – an improvement of 300 per cent in only six months. The brightness breakthrough was a result of a proprietary new materials system that the company branded iFire^TM;
• A non-exclusive licensing arrangement with Japan-based TDK Corporation for displays under 12-inches, signed in February 2000. Under the agreement, the companies will collaborate on iFire^TM display technology to further accelerate the technical development and mass production infrastructure;
• A 17-inch display with 100 cd/m2 brightness, demonstrated in May 2000, proving iFire^TM flat panel display technology can be scaled without compromising brightness, color or image quality.

iFire Technology’s strategy is to become a leading supplier of branded flat panel display modules for the large screen TV market. iFire Technology plans on commercializing its iFire^TM display through a partnership with major electronics companies.

Unlike many flat panel display technologies that depend heavily on the use of expensive semiconductor-type thin-film manufacturing processes, the iFire^TM 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 yields and lower-cost production equipment and facilities.

Compared with most other flat panel technologies, an iFire^TM 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. iFire^TM displays emit light from the front portion of the display, resulting in a wide viewing angle and crisp, clear, full-color images. iFire^TM 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.

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. Westaim's common shares are listed on Nasdaq under the symbol WEDX and on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol WED.

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Contact:
Tony Johnston, Senior Vice President Corporate Affairs
The Westaim Corporation
(403) 234-3103
info@westaim.com
www.westaim.com
www.ifire.com


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