Microdisplays are devices built directly on top of a silicon chip. Among display technologies, they exhibit a unique combination of properties being very small and lightweight with very high resolution and full colour capability. In the future they have the potential to be used in everyday items from mobile phones and camcorders to more esoteric objects such as the "wearable computer". They will soon be as unobtrusive as a pair of spectacles, enabling them to be used by firemen to impose an infrared image onto the real world, surgeons to access medical information or images while operating, car mechanics to access car manuals while servicing a car etc.
For many years, an interdisciplinary team at The University of Edinburgh has been involved in the development of these devices which incorporate a thin layer of liquid crystal on top of a silicon chip. The team, currently about twelve strong, includes members from two University Departments - Physics & Astronomy and Electronics & Electrical Engineering and further information about this activity is available.
These liquid crystal devices, often called Spatial Light Modulators or SLMs, were initially developed for telecomm applications and computer generated holography. However, in the early 1990's it became clear that they could also be used as microdisplays. Since then, using funding from the European Community and from the UK government, the team at The University has worked in collaboration with European and UK companies to develop microdisplays. These companies have included GEC Marconi, CRL (formerly part of Thorn EMI) and Micropix Technologies.
The Edinburgh University team, led by Dr David Vass, has gained a world-wide reputation for the design of liquid crystal over silicon microdisplays and for the application-specific processing of the silicon chips for the microdisplays (a key step in making them work well).
The team's most recent success, in a project called SLIMDIS (silicon liquid crystal miniature information display system), was to produce a display measuring 15 mm diagonal which, when magnified produced an image equivalent to that of a 17 inch computer monitor.
The University team is currently collaborating very closely with
Micropix technologies, a local SME, in the production of prototype
displays and in the development of processes for their mass production.
The microdisplay research activity gives an excellent example of how
University research can be commercialised through a close relationship
with companies and the ongoing support of University staff.
This process was instrumental in highlighting the need within
Scotland for enhanced facilities and resources such as those which
will be provided by the SMC.
In addition to the commercialisation activities
Micropix also continue to work with University research staff
on longer term research projects and are key collaborators in two
ongoing projects for which the University has received funding from EPSRC.
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