| QVGA |
Means a format of 320 pixels across by 240 rows high. Derived from Quarter VGA. |
| RCF Film Reflective |
A smooth silver piece of aluminum foil, bonded to the rear polarizer, that reflects incoming ambient light. Backlighting cannot be used with a reflective LCD. |
| Reflective |
LCD modules selectively reflect subpixels of ambient light through the liquid crystal cells, back to the viewer. They do not have backlights, which greatly reduces their power requirement. Good in bright lighting or outdoors. |
| Refresh Rate |
Applicable to CRTs but not LCDs, refresh rate equals the number of times per second that the electron gun redraws the image on the screen. For example, if a CRT's refresh rate is set to 60 Hz, the screen image will be redrawn 60 times a second. Low refresh rates will cause the image to flicker, resulting in eye strain or other problems. For this reason, refresh rates on CRTs should be set as high as possible. |
| Resolution |
The number of pixels in a given active area arranged horizontally by vertically that make up an image. More pixels means higher and better the image quality. LCD devices have a single fixed "true" resolution but may accommodate other resolutions using in-built compression or expansion technology. |
| Resist, Photoresist |
The light sensitive material used in the manufacture of photomasks.Resist is also used in the next step in the production where the pattern on the photomasks is projected on a substrate*. So called i-line resist is a common type used for 365 nm exposure wavelength. |
| Retardation Film |
The retardation film compensates the birefringence effect on the display. "Normal" STN appears yellow/green and blue. When compensated with a retardation film, the display is compensated to appear black and white. |
| RFC / Reflective Color LCD module |
Reflective Color LCD module. |
| RGB |
Abbreviation for Red, Green, Blue which are the component colors of white light. |
| Saturation |
Saturation is the degree to which the hue of the color is undiluted by its complimentary color to form white. |
| Saturation Voltage |
RMS voltage required to turn fluid to 90% on. |
| SAW / Surface Acoustic Wave |
A touch screen that functions using sound waves giving you X Y & Z axes. |
| SECAM |
A touch screen that functions using sound waves giving you X Y & Z axes. |
| Segment |
An active element of a digit, usually 7 segments for numeric and 14 segments for alpha/numeric digits. |
| Shadow mask |
Central component in all color television screens and computer monitors. The shadow mask is a thin metal plate covered with very small holes that define the pixels in a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT). It is mounted inside the screen close to the front glass. Without the shadow mask it is not possible to project a color image on the screen. |
| SIL (Single-In-Line) |
An LCD module that has a single row of connection holes, and an LCD glass with a signle contact edge. |
| SLM |
The SLM (Spatial Light Modulator) technology uses an array of individually controlled micro mirrors on a silicon chip. A small part of the pattern to be exposed is programmed into the chip and transferred to the photomask with a flash from a laser. The technology is reflective and can be used with short wavelengths that are absorbed by transmissive optics. Another advantage is that the SLM exposes a large part of the pattern in one flash, a million pixels, which increases the throughput. |
| Smectic |
Describes a liquid crystal material whose elongated molecules in layers and oriented perpendicular to the layer. |
| Solar Technologies |
Your LCD Partner that assists your company with panel requirements and excess inventory. |
| Static Drive |
Same as "direct drive". |
| STN |
Abreviation for passive matrix. It is derived from Super Twisted Nematic which describes the liquid crystal molecular arrangement. |
| Strike Voltage |
is another name for Starting Discharge Voltage, the voltage necessary to initially light a CFL. |
| Stuck Pixel |
See Pixel Anomaly. |
| Subpixel |
The individually controlled element of an LCD display. Each pixel is made up of three independently controlled sub-pixels. In a color display these sub-pixels have red, green, or blue color filters. Or, in the case of a grayscale display, each sub-pixel will have a clear transparent filter, allowing the full grayscale range to be displayed. Each sub-pixel is capable of generating different intensities, creating a range of colors or grayscale values, which is perceived as a mixture of each sub-pixel value. |
| Substrate |
The material on which the image from the photomask is projected in the lithographic process. The material can be glass, metal or silicon; a light sensitive layer of photoresist or photo emulsion is deposited onto the surface, which enables exposure. |
| SVGA Resolution |
800 x 600 pixel count (800 pixels across by 480 rows high). Derived from Super VGA. |
Glossary
