Partnership Targets Laser Patterning for Flat-Panel Displays

General Scanning Inc. of Watertown, Mass., and an undisclosed industry partner are developing a novel laser patterning system for use in the manufacture of flat-panel displays. The company will design and build a prototype system to prove the technology's effectiveness in flat-panel display manufacturing. The opportunity to introduce laser patterning to the manufacturing process comes from the industry's move toward 800 x 800-mm "third- generation" glass substrates capable of simultaneously making six to nine displays per substrate. Currently, flat-panel display manufacturers use "second-generation" substrates, fabricating two 10.4-in. laptop displays on a single piece of glass.