Packaging & Materials: Ultra-Thin Lightweight Touch Panels Aim At Mobile Products

July 5, 2004

Mobile LCD devices such as cameras, cell phones, PDAs, industrial equipment, and medical devices can now take advantage of the Film-Film (FF) and Film-Film-Plastic (FFP) touch panels. They measure 0.65 and 23.0 mm thick, respectively, in diagonal sizes from 1.9 to 5.7 in. Made of an indium tin-oxide layer sandwiched between a flexible plastic film and separated by micro-dot spacers, they're rated for 60°C and 100,000-word operation. Both types of panels are available with clear or anti-glare anti-smudge finishes. Pricing for a 2.5-in. FF touch panel is about $5 each in 100,000-unit lots. A 3.8-in. FFP panel costs about $11 each in 10,000-unit lots. Delivery begins next year.

Fujitsu Components Inc. www.fcai.fujitsu.com; (800) 380-0059

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.