SCOTTSDALE, AZ—Yet another entry in a long line of digital paper alternatives debuted today at the DEMO 2005 show. The NanoChromics Display (NCD), from Dublin, Ireland–based Ntera promises tremendous power savings over traditional LCD screens, at a production cost equivalent to LCD.
The NanoChromics display adds a patented nanotechnology process to the 30-year-old electrochromics display market. The company claims that its display will deliver a crisp paper-like image, with no loss in contrast across the entire 180 degree viewing arc.
According to Ntera, the screens themselves are easy to make. A traditional LCD fab can be retrofitted to make NanoChromics easily and cheaply—by simply adding a $20,000 oven and tweaking some of the processes. The company claims that its screens can be produced with better yields, and at lower costs than LCD.
The display incorporates a reflective layer of titanium dioxide—the chemical used to make paper white. A second layer of electrochromic viologen sits above the reflective background, and when excited, flips from bright white to a blue so deep, it's almost black. Although monochromatic screens are due first, multiple layers of different colored viologens could deliver color displays. The screen also switches relatively rapidly from white to dark, unlike other digital paper prototypes we've seen. That should deliver reasonably good response time, though it'll be a while before they get to 60 frames per second.
The image remains on the display even after power is removed, and does not require a backlight. That cuts power requirements dramatically, according to the company. Although painting the initial image takes more power than with an LCD, once displayed, the image will remain for days or weeks without needing another charge. The company claims this means NanoChromics displays will use about 10% of the power of traditional LCD screens.
We've seen these promises before. How close are they to delivering? Based on the prototypes we observed, they've got a way to go. The company showed off a modified iPod and an eBook reader using the display. The iPod demo was compelling: The screen was crisp and bright and made the production iPod look drab in contrast. But the eBook was not ready for prime time. To keep the display active, we had to continually depress the contrast key—not a likely user scenario.
Still, Ntera claims that first production glass will be shipping at the end of the year, and intimated that a medical device manufacturer would be first out of the gate. It's a fascinating technology, and one we'll be keeping an eye on. Perhaps this is the one that will change the world. But the odds are against it.
For more DEMO coverage, see eWeek.com's special report.