LCD Technology | The History and Timeline of Liquid Crystal Display

With the creation of the pixel, a new way to view the world was born – and it remains a vital link to the way we connect safely in the world

Fifty years ago, a pair of physicists in a Swiss laboratory began untangling a mystery that had been intriguing a handful of other scientists for several years.

Here was their conundrum: Could miniscule electrical jolts unwind the spiral molecular structure of a new substance known as “liquid crystal,” causing the crystals to block light, then re-twist them and allow light to pass through again?

The physicists – Dr. Martin Schadt and Dr. Wolfgang Helfrich – placed the liquid crystal between two plastic surfaces carrying a grid of transparent electrodes. In so doing, they discovered they could create individual picture elements, or “pixels,” which could be used to form shapes.

They filed a Swiss patent for the idea on Dec. 4, 1970. Though it attracted scant attention at the time, the milestone now stands as the birthdate of the liquid crystal display (LCD) – the technological platform which has transformed consumer electronics and presented a brilliant new way to view the world.

Early LCD developers took a few years to figure out that specialty glass, not plastic, was the best stable substrate for the delicate LCD circuitry and the color backplane component. Once they did, they turned increasingly to Corning to supply them with extraordinarily stable, flat, fusion-formed glass, able to preserve the critical properties of the liquid crystal and withstand high processing temperatures.

And LCDs rapidly transformed from “passive matrix” models, mostly used in pocket calculators and digital watches, to “active matrix” LCDs in which each sub-pixel was controlled with an isolated thin-film transistor. AMLCDs enabled wide viewing angles; brilliant, fast-moving images; and high-resolution images that had never been possible before.

Corning Incorporated was a critical player in this development, and eventually became the world’s leading supplier of LCD glass substrates. And Corning® EAGLE XG® Glass, the world’s first LCD substrate with no arsenic or other heavy metals, went on to exceed sales of 25 billion square feet, making it one of the most successful products in Corning’s history.

The technology has also emerged as one of society’s most essential tools for engaging with
the outside world.

Early LCD developers felt they were onto something big when they discovered how shapes could emerge from light-blocking crystals. Corning joined them in providing the best glass substrates to keep improving the technology, believing that glass could shape a future of brilliant, lifelike, go-anywhere displays.

That long view shaped a future of smartphones, tablets, and immersive displays.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic catapulted us all into a new, socially distant way of life, and we used those vivid displays to pivot quickly. We’ve continued to learn, conduct business, be entertained, and interact with one another in creative and spectacular new ways, all through remarkable displays.

And when our society begins to move into a post-pandemic way of life, the newest innovations in displays will help fill future niches and open mental and physical worlds.

Like anything that’s been around for 50 years, LCDs have had a distinct growth curve. In honor of LCDs’ 50th birthday, we share a look back at their development from novelty to ubiquity

1970s: Calculators and watches.

LCDs didn’t start to attract commercial attention until about mid-century. In 1974, Japanese manufacturer Casio released the Casiotron, billed as the first digital watch to include a calendar function. Around the same time, pocket calculators with LCD screens went mainstream, relegating slide rules to desk drawers everywhere.

Why did they matter? While visually primitive by later standards, they were wildly different from analog methods of timekeeping and calculation. As such, they harnessed the fresh energy of a culture newly centered on youth.

Early 1980s: “Toy TVs” made on LCD pilot lines.

Targeted mainly at a narrow range of high-end customers, the small screens had a slow refresh rate, low resolution, and a very limited viewing angle. They were mostly a novelty and existed in a crowded field of new flat-panel display technologies.

Why did they matter? Even with ’80s-era performance issues, LCD technology intrigued many because the consumer had never before seen a color video display in flat-panel form. Corning was part of the concept development, supplying Matsushita with fusion-formed glass for a 3-inch AMLCD television in 1986. It was a tiny hint of the massive sea change in consumer electronics that would be in full swing more than two decades later.

1990s: Laptop (notebook) computers.

LCD was the only technical flat-panel platform of that time that was both very thin and able to operate at the low voltage of battery power. Consumers were suddenly untethered from power cords. By 1995, more than 10 million laptops had been sold.

Why did they matter? LCD technology was a foundational technology for notebooks, allowing people to create and interact with complex information everywhere. The laptop trend held great potential for Corning, since the devices needed to be a lightweight at possible. Corning’s ability to make thin glass through its fusion draw process – resulting lighter-weight material – became even more important.

Early 2000s: Thin LCD desktop monitors.

Thanks to production capability for sizes larger than notebook PC displays, LCD monitors began to replace bulky CRT monitors in businesses, offices, and homes.

Why were they important? Progressively larger and lower-cost LCDs, with their sleek profile and low-fatigue viewing experience, transformed home and office desktop computers. Corning helped make possible the explosive sales of new glass with larger sizes and improved performance. It expanded its manufacturing footprint from Japan to Korea, Taiwan and China.

Thanks to production capability for sizes larger than notebook PC displays, LCD monitors began to replace bulky CRT monitors in businesses, offices, and homes.

Late 2000s: Affordable large-screen LCD TVs.

The ability to generate larger and larger glass substrates and meet new manufacturer process and material requirements brought large-screen LCD TVs well within the budgets of mainstream consumers around the world.

Why were they important? LCD technology overcame its early performance issues and – through its scalability – surpassed plasma as the high-definition TV platform of choice. The technology also signaled the death knell for CRT televisions. By 2007, LCDs were ubiquitous, from mobile phones to the largest TVs. Corning EAGLE XG Glass, capable of scaling to large size, would dazzle the industry and help fuel the fast-growing market.

2010s: Next-generation information devices.

LCDs and now OLEDs, an evolutionary platform building upon LCD’s active-matrix technologies, are fueling an ongoing electronics revolution. The newest TV technology, 4K Ultra HD, is being deployed at a faster rate than any previous advancement, due in large measure to the flexibility of the LCD platform. Market watchers are on the lookout for commercialization of powerful 8K technology as well.

Why are they important? The question ceases to be “What is the next display technology after LCD?” and instead becomes “How far can we take the LCD platform in terms of product, process, and performance in sustaining the Information Age?”

We continue to advance the industry we helped create

Most CRTs have long since headed to the recycling yards, replaced by flat-panel LCD TVs and monitors. Those once-cutting-edge sets are aging, too, and consumers do replace them – but at a far slower rate than when the platform was entirely new.

Still, the market size is enormous. More than 200 million LCD TVs are sold each year, with much of the demand coming from China. Consumer appetite for TVs has remained reasonably steady – with some notable short-term fluctuations – over recent years. Screen sizes are getting larger, and 55- and 65-inch models are commonplace. Corning's Gen 10.5 glass greatly increases economy of scale for panel makers as they produce these very large TVs. Corning launched its first Gen 10.5 manufacturing plant in Hefei, China in 2018.

LCD remains the dominant technology platform for TVs, and sales generally accelerate with new innovations like larger screen sizes, smart TVs, 4K, and 8K.

It’s a remarkable story that began with the breakthrough discoveries of 1970. And it continues with innovators in not only in glass technology, but in every other facet of the electronics supply chain.

We believe their collective story has no end in sight.

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