Toshiba Corp says it plans to invest over $80m on facilities to begin volume production of large – that is to say 10.8 by 7.7 from the fall. The company says it will produce a low-temperature thin film transistor liquid crystal display that is 10% to 20% thinner than standard ones by using low-temperature polysilicon instead of the usual amorphous silicon. The new type of display is claimed to process image data quicker than amorphous silicon displays. The 10.8 by 7.7 dimensions are twice the size of the largest low-temperature display currently on the market, but the company is not commenting on reports that its manufacturing technique is 20% cheaper as well. Toshiba has a big manufacturing joint venture with IBM Corp on liquid crystal flat panel displays, but the company not say whether it would share its breakthrough with the US firm or keep it all to itself.
