Active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays have been available on high-end smartphones for a while now, and there has been a lot of speculation about when we’ll start to see tablet devices equipped the same screen technology. I would like to take a closer look at why AMOLED technology is so hotly anticipated.

Chipmaking is arguably the most complex manufacturing operation in human history. To illustrate this:

Below is a brief excerpt of my most recent article on LED manufacturing-execution systems in LEDs Magazine. While an MES for LED fabrication offers a vast array of functional possibilities, my advice is to start with an out-of-the-box solution.

Photomasks, as regular readers of this blog may recall, are the blueprints used for making chips. The photolithography process prints the patterns etched on the mask onto silicon wafers to define transistors, memory cells and wiring – all the nanoscale structures that make up a functional device.

Just this year, we have seen a virtual explosion of touch panel growth fueled by the world’s seemingly insatiable appetite for touch-enabled devices. It is hard to say whether this growth will be tempered or continue amidst the promise of even greater adoption of mobility devices and invention of new “must have” products. In either case, touch technology is now a permanent member of the flat panel display family.

Fifty-three years ago today, Jack Kilby demonstrated a working integrated circuit (IC). The IC, is arguably the most important invention of the 20th century. The IC made many of the technologies and devices we use possible. 

I spoke with Applied Materials chief technology officer, Om Nalamasu about the IC and its impact on the hi-tech industry. He suggested, the "IC has been one of the primary contributors in transforming industrial society to Information and knowledge based society.

World-wide energy consumption is expected to increase by 40% over the next 20 years, and it is not exactly clear where all this additional energy is going to come from. Equally as puzzling is the surprising fact that most of the energy we produce is lost to the atmosphere as waste heat.

Applied Materials launched its new Applied Baccini® Pegaso™ solar cell manufacturing platform today. The Pegaso system represents the new state of the art in solar cell manufacturing and will help to drive the solar industry into the future.

But that’s not why I’m posting this video. I’m posting it because the Pegaso system is one of the most elegant pieces of machinery I’ve ever seen.

One is improving the efficiency of first aid delivery in the event of mass casualties. Another is fighting the proliferation of counterfeit drugs and untested medical devices in emerging countries through a mobile RFID-based system. And, a third is dedicated to promoting dental health among children who don’t have knowledge of daily brushing techniques and benefits.

Dow Jones recently reported on the future of tablet and smartphone displays. As the leading equipment supplier to the display industry, Applied Materials was called on to lend comment to the trends and technologies that will be driving the industry in the coming years.

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