HDTV Forum

SED = Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display

This is a new phosphor pixel based flat panel display technology that is very similar to our old CRT devices from a joint effort by Toshiba and Cannon. The twist is that rather than have RGB electron emitting guns and scanning the electron beams across the screen and firing the phosphor pixels each individual pixel has its own electron emitting device which is what makes the flat panel footprint possible. Expected time to market? Toshiba is hoping for sometime 2005.

A few things to look at upon arrival. What is the fill factor like? Will the panel meet 3 screen heights without visible pixel structure? How resilient will the phosphors be in terms of burn in?

FYI, this is my summarized version of how this SED works:

---------------------------------------------
SED
Toshiba and Canon have been working together since 1999 in a join
venture for the development of SED panels, expected to be 55 inches
and above. Flat panel TV with SED (surface-conduction
electron-emitter display) technology is said to be similar than CRT
beam-emitting technology to obtain comparable clear images but with a
flat panel. SED handles fast images without jagged edges and consumes
one-third the electric current needed by plasma. Although the first
SED televisions could be available in 2005, full production is
expected in 2006.

SED is formed by two glass plates with vacuum in between, one mounted
with electron emitters and pixels similar in number to those of a CRT
electron gun, and another glass plate coated with a fluorescent
substance. The technology has a very narrow slit (several nanometers
wide) made from ultrafine-particle film; reaction to voltage produces
a tunneling effect and the emission of electrons, which are
accelerated by the voltage applied between the glass plates and
collide with the fluorescent-coated glass plate, which emits light.

SED has a wide angle of viewing, similar to CRT. Larger screens can
be manufactured increasing the number of electron emitters to match
the required number of pixels. SEDs do not need electronic-beam
deflection. Wall-mounted large-screen TV displays can be made with
only a few centimeters thick.
---------------------------


Best Regards,

Rodolfo La Maestra

SED never made it to market due to LCD taking over at prices that SED simply could not compete with being a new technology without any volume.

That is sad. Based on what I was reading it sounded like it might be the best of Plasma and LED. High quality, great blacks and low energy consumption.
Oh well.
Brian.