Extreme views

Lumineq Displays is a business unit of Beneq, manufacturer and developer of thin film electroluminescent (TFEL) displays. In 2012, Beneq acquired the Finish-based electroluminescence business from US Planar Systems, and the resulting brand name is Lumineq. Lumineq works closely on the industrial production and development of transparent (TASEL) and non-transparent (TFEL) display technologies.

Electroluminescent materials emit light when an electrical current is passed through them. First discovered in the early 20th century, they have been used extensively in LEDs since the 1960s, but widespread use of the phenomenon in  display technology did not occur until the late 1980s, when reliability issues had been solved, and displays with more than one colour had been developed.

Lumineq displays feature technology which enhances the contrast ratio of the display by adding a light-absorbent layer behind the pixels. This prevents any incoming light from reflecting off the device and diluting the image, making the picture much sharper, and making the displays suitable for use in direct sunlight.

Robust & reliable

TFEL displays are robust and reliable, and usually used in extreme environments, where traditional displays cannot cope with the conditions. They exhibit the widest operating temperature range of any commercially available technology. The TFEL glass itself can operate down to -100˚C, whereas TFEL modules are rated as low as -60˚C without any decrease in response time, which is exceptionally fast response time (<1ms). The operating temperature of a TFEL display surpasses that of both wide temperature TFTs and automotive temperature range TFTs, without losing response or clarity of view and instant pixel response over the entire temperature range.

Over the last 30 years, TFEL technology has been proven in demanding applications ranging deep-sea vessels to operational systems in orbital spacecraft. Besides these extremes, TFEL displays have found their way into countless other applications, where reliability and accuracy are required, including the mining, marine, military, and medical sectors.

Lumineq TFEL displays comprise a solid-state glass panel, an electronic control circuit and a power supply. The TFEL glass panel, the heart of the assembly, consists of a luminescent phosphorous layer sandwiched between transparent dielectric layers and a matrix of row and column electrodes (see schematic below). The circuit board, which contains the drive and control electronics, is connected directly to the back of the glass panel.

TFEL displays comply with FCC Part 15, Subpart J, Class B and EN55022, Level B, when housed in a suitable enclosure.

360 degree viewing

TASEL transparent displays combine the rugged and reliable build of TFELs with the unique freedom of designing a completely transparent display. TASEL is ideal for consumer electronics, architectural use and other fields where viewing experience and product aesthetics is of paramount importance. The display is completely transparent and can be viewed from two sides, providing a 360 degree viewing angle. The brightness and image response time are exceptional. The display glass, is easily customised – it can be drilled or cut to custom sizes to fulfil design requirements.

TASEL displays – transparent EL displays – are ideal as head-up displays, or in scenarios where the display needs to be viewed from both sides. It is possible to make transparent displays using other technologies, such as OLED, but electroluminescence is a much more mature technology, and is better suited to transparent displays in many ways.

Using TASEL, transparent displays are easy to manufacture for high-end applications.