Sharp has developed 7.0" tablet device equipped with MEMS-IGZO display for the first time in industry, and plans to commercialize the product mainly targeting Japan's B2B market in the first half of 2015. The MEMS-IGZO display on this tablet is a display jointly developed with Pixtronix, Inc., a subsidiary company of Qualcomm. By integrating Pixtronix's MEMS display technology and Sharp's IGZO technology, it achieved further power efficiency and higher color reproducibility compared to standard LCD. In addition, the display mode can be switched to appropriate setting matching the usage and display contents, such as High Brightness Mode to display vivid picture under sunlight and/or Grayscale/Monochrome Mode for low power consumption.

In addition, the tablet satisfies basic performance including LTE communication function for high-speed internet connection on the go, voice communication and waterproof design.

Qualcomm has already fitted a MEMS display in its prototype Toq smartwatch.

The way MEMS displays control the light from each pixel is different than the way LCD displays work.

LCD screens are built on a white backlight that sits at the rear of the screen. Each pixel is divided into red, green and blue subpixels with color filters. Current applied to the liquid crystal in front of each of those filters allows or blocks transmission of light of that color. In a MEMS screen, there are no red, green or blue subpixels. Instead, a electro-mechanical shutter allows or blocks light transmission through each pixel. Color is provided by the backlight, which cycles rapidly through red, green and blue. The shutters are synchronized to the backlight, moving open and shut in as little as 100 microseconds to let through light of the appropriate color.

A prototype 7-inch MEMS panel on display at the Ceatec exhibition in Chiba showed vividly deeper colors than would be typical on an LCD screen. The panel, which will be used in the forthcoming Sharp tablet, has a 1280 by 800 pixel resolution.

The tablet will run Google's Android 4.4, be based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and have built-in 4G wireless connectivity, said Sharp. A price or launch date was not announced.

Sharp has also on display at CEATEC a prototype 8K, 120Hz LCD display. Developed by Sharp, the NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories the display also supports reproduction of 22.2ch surround audio and achieves the highest color gamut achievable so far - 85% of the rec 2020 (BT.2020) color gamut.

Basic Specifications