General Competition (November 1994)

Diamond Diode Field Emission Display Process Technology Development

Sponsor: Nano-Proprietary, Inc. (formerly SI Diamond Technology, Inc.)

• Project Performance Period: 6/1/1995 - 5/31/2000
• Total project (est.): $7,072,000.00
• Requested ATP funds: $3,465,000.00

The American Diamond Display Venture, comprised of SI Diamond Technology, Inc., and Supertex, Inc., proposes to develop and demonstrate the critical processing technology needed to develop an FPD based on a new concept, the Diamond Diode Field Emitter Display (DFED). The enabling technology is a thin-film diamond material and coating process. When electrons from the diamond-coated cathodes bombard phosphor-coated anode pixels, those pixels light up. The ATP project will address four major obstacles, including fabrication of large-area diamond coatings at low cost. The DFED has the potential for producing higher performance FPDs at lower cost and higher yield than is possible with current FPD technology. Liquid crystal display (LCD) technology is the most widely used platform for the flat-panel displays (FPDs) used in portable electronics, computers, and military systems. But LCD technology has several drawbacks, including performance limitations, high power consumption, complex manufacturing requirements, and high cost. By developing innovative technology that overcomes these problems, U.S. companies could recapture the FPD market, now dominated by the Japanese.

For project information:

Howard K. Schmidt, (713) 529-9040
HKS@DIAMOND.com

Active Project Participants

• Supertex, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA)
  [Original, Active Member]
  

ATP Project Manager

Michael Schen, (301) 975-6741
michael.schen@nist.gov