Samsung Develops World's First ''Blue Phase'' Technology to Achieve 240 Hz Driving...

Samsung Develops World's First ''Blue Phase'' Technology to Achieve 240 Hz Driving Speed for High-Speed Video

SEOUL, South Korea--(Business Wire)--
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world's largest provider of
thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels announced
today that it has developed the world's first "Blue Phase" LCD panel -
which will offer more natural moving images with an unprecedented
image-driving speed of 240 Hertz (Hz). Samsung is planning to unveil a
15" model of its Blue Phase LCD panel at the SID (Society for
Information Display) 2008 International Symposium, Seminar and
Exhibition, which will be held in Los Angeles from May 18 to 23.

Samsung Electronics Executive Vice President Souk Jun-hyung, who
leads the Display R&D Center of LCD Business, said, "Our blue phase
mode is a major evolutionary development beyond conventional liquid
crystal modes. Samsung's development of this technology provides a
tremendous opportunity to move image quality of LCD screens much
closer to that of a real moving image."

Developed with an extremely cost-efficient design, the Samsung
Blue Phase mode does not require liquid crystal alignment layers,
unlike today's most widely used LCD modes such as Twisted Nematic,
In-Plane Switching or Vertical Alignment. The new Blue Phase mode can
make its own alignment layers, eliminating the need for any mechanical
alignment and rubbing processes. This reduces the number of required
fabrication processes, resulting in considerable savings on production
costs. Additionally, blue phase panels will reduce the possibility of
bruising the LCD panel interface (whereby pressure on the screen could
impair uniform brightness).

Overdrive circuits are currently applied to each LCD panel to
improve the video image quality in premium LCD TVs, which are driven
at 120Hz. The blue phase mode features a superior response rate,
allowing images to be reproduced at 240Hz or higher without the need
for any overdrive circuit. The term "Blue Phase" was coined when the
technology's developers observed bluish hues while watching their new
liquid crystal mode in operation.

While other academic and corporate institutions have researched
this new liquid crystal mode, Samsung is the first to unveil a
commercially viable product prototype using the "Blue Phase"
technology.

Samsung Electronics expect to begin mass-producing its Blue Phase
LCD in 2011. The LCD panels will be mainly used in TVs that require
high-speed video reproduction.

About Samsung Electronics

For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Samsung Semiconductor
John Lucas, APR, 408-544-4363
j.lucas@ssi.samsung.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008