TFTs

What is a TFT

As a display device TFT stands for Thin Film Transistor and is used to enhance the operation and usefulness of LCD displays. An LCD is a fluidic display device that uses a crystalline filled liquid to manipulate a rear illumination polarized source by means of an electrostatic field between two thin transparent metal conductors such as indium tin oxide (ITO) in order to present an image to the viewer. This process can be used in both segmented or pixelated display devices but is found synonymous with color TFT displays.

When an LCD is used to display moving images the inherent slow rate of change between fluid states over a large number of pixel elements can be a problem due in part to capacitive effects, which causes moving image blurring. By putting a high speed LCD controlling device in the form of a thin film transistor right at the pixel element on the glass surface, the LCD image speed issue can be greatly enhanced and for all practical purposes eliminates image blurring.

Other benefits of these thin film transistors are they allow for thinner display designs and different pixel designs and arrangements to vastly improve display viewing angles.

TFT Applications

TFT displays are found in many applications these days, from mobile devices, appliance, medical devices, instrumentation, aircraft and certainly computer display devices as well as TV’s. The addition of the thin film transistor in LCD design vastly improved the use of LCD’s in all market areas.