Author

Kyle Chao

Date of Award

2011

First Advisor

Michael Bergman

Second Advisor

William Dunbar

Abstract

The world of display technologies can be a daunting field for consumers when purchasing new televisions or computer monitors. The vast technologies and complex jargon can be intimidating and confusing. This thesis offers material that is understandable to both the average consumer and the technical individual. It gives a glimpse of the history, physics, and industry practices of the different displays. An important concept is to clearly distinguish different technologies. In this case, CRTs, LCDs, and OLEDs were chosen. For decades, CRT technology dominated the display industry. Only recently have they begun to be phased out for newer and more efficient alternatives. LCDs were chosen since they are the most popular nowadays. OLEDs were chosen because of its future in the display industry. At the moment, they are mainly seen in mobile devices and rarely seen in larger televisions and monitors, but they are already showing a promising future. In addition to the background sections of the thesis, there are also laboratory exercises. These labs demonstrate the three types of display technologies in their most basic and comprehensible states. Although they appear nothing like an actual television, the basic operating principles still apply. Overall, the background sections and laboratory exercises are meant to allow the reader to learn about the different display technologies from different perspectives.

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