4orK project

"Development of a 4K compatible LCOS microdisplay device for D-cinema, medical imaging and simulation applications"

Announcement

The project ForK was aborted in July 2008 because of the bankruptcy of one of the key contractors (Gemidis). Although not all objectives have been realised, a number of results can be reported. For example, a state-of-the-art VAN liquid crystal mixture was developed. A summary of the results can be downloaded here.

Project abstract

Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) combines two very well-known technologies, namely the IC/CMOS and the Liquid Crystal (LC) technologies. As both of these are very mature, it is obvious that LCOS has a huge potential for very high-end applications, more than any other (projection) technologies.

The aim of the FORK project is the development of an LCOS microdisplay device for very diverse applications in simulation, medical imaging, control rooms and digital cinema. These applications require or benefit from very high pixel counts, high contrast ratio's, very high light fluxes and very good colour and brightness uniformity, analog pixel addressing and high response times.

In order to meet all of these criteria, challenging research is needed in the field of LCOS backplane and driver design, LCOS backplane processing, IC (Integrated Circuit) stitching, new or improved Liquid Crystal (LC) mixtures, LC assembly and thermal design and packaging.

The FORK project consortium gathers European competence centers, each having expertise in one or more of the technology fields mentioned above. This consortium has drawn an ambitious though realistic workplan in which the targeted project objectives can be reached successfully.