TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA – iFire Technology Inc., a subsidiary of The Westaim Corporation, today announced a technology breakthrough that further simplifies the manufacturing process for its flat panel displays. The development, called the Color by Blue method, will result in capital and production cost reductions of approximately 15 percent.
Using the Color by Blue method, iFire will replace its current triple-patterned (red, green and blue) phosphor system with a single high performance blue phosphor system, simplifying the manufacturing process. In order to generate the red and green light necessary for a full color display, the Color by Blue process will use color conversion media, which can absorb the blue light, and re-emit red or green. The first prototype 17-inch displays using Color by Blue are expected to be demonstrated at the annual Society for Information Display conference in Baltimore, May 18-23, 2003.
“We continue to find ways to simplify our technology as we move closer to production,” said Anthony B. Johnston, President of iFire Technology. “Our current triple-patterned phosphor system is an excellent low-cost process to develop high quality flat panel displays and Color by Blue will give us an even greater manufacturing cost advantage over other flat panel technologies. This is a significant breakthrough in the flat panel display industry.”
iFireTM displays already have a potential 30 to 40 percent manufacturing cost advantage over other flat panel technologies. iFire estimates that Color by Blue will lower the capital cost of its first large volume factory, with an annual output of approximately 250,000 finished modules per year, by approximately 15 percent to US$156 million.
“Compared to the triple-patterned phosphor approach, Color by Blue is an even easier way to fabricate full color TDEL panels – we are further simplifying an already simple process,” said Dr. Xingwei Wu, Vice President of Science, iFire Technology. “Color by Blue requires even fewer processing steps, which will reduce the manufacturing cycle time, and offers easier phosphor deposition and better uniformity control, which will improve manufacturing yield. It also improves the display’s image quality and gray scale capability.”
iFire plans to begin commercial volume production of 34-inch high-definition television (HDTV) display modules in the 2005 timeframe. Under a recently signed agreement, Dai Nippon Printing will utilize its primary production line in Kashiwa, Japan, to develop the front-end manufacturing processes for iFire’s thick-film dielectric electroluminescent (TDEL) display technology. Front-end processes include substrate preparation and the fabrication of row electrodes and the thick-film dielectric layer on mid-30-inch glass substrates. The panels will then be shipped to iFire’s facility in Toronto, Canada, where back-end processes such as the deposition of blue phosphor, column electrodes, and color conversion layers, as well as electronics assembly, will be completed by iFire.
To support the partnership with Dai Nippon Printing, iFire has expanded its collaboration agreement with Sanyo Electric Company, Ltd. of Japan to include development of mid-30-inch flat panel displays. Access to the Dai Nippon Printing facility will also advance Sanyo and iFire’s collaborative display performance initiatives on product-sized displays.
Color by Blue is based on the physics of photoluminescence. An iFireTM display uses electricity to excite inorganic phosphors, which then emit light. In the traditional triple pattern method, three electrically active phosphors are used to generate red, green and blue light. With Color by Blue, only the blue phosphor is used, and color conversion materials, which can absorb the blue light and re-emit red or green light, are used to generate the other colors.
The Westaim Corporation’s technology investments include: NUCRYST Pharmaceuticals, which researches, develops and commercializes medical devices and pharmaceutical products based on its nanocrystalline silver technology; and iFire Technology, which has developed a revolutionary low-cost flat panel display. Westaim's common shares are listed on Nasdaq under the symbol WEDX and on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol WED.
-30-
For more information contact:
David Wills, Investor Relations
The Westaim Corporation
(416) 504-8464
info@westaim.com
www.westaim.com
This news release may contain forward-looking statements, including those concerning capital and production cost reductions and advantages, applications of technology, production methods and location, manufacturing productivity, timing of demonstration and production, and performance initiatives. 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 (i) complexities associated with developing the flat screen manufacturing process; (ii) cost estimates based upon assumptions that may prove not to be realistic; (iii) general industry and market conditions; and (iv) the other risk factors set forth in our Form 40-F as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 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.
|