Merck 2008 Annual Report Download - page 59
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54 | Merck Annual Report 2008
Investments in research and production
In order to maintain our leadership position in display materials, we continue to invest
in research and development as well as in production plants. At € 85 million, the divi-
sion’s R&D spending exceeded the previous year’s level. At the Darmstadt site we fur-
ther expanded our production facilities and broke ground for a new chemical research
center, which will also accommodate liquid crystal and organic light-emitting diode
(OLED) research. We are expanding our site in South Korea in order to strengthen our
research and development and further intensify our cooperation with customers.
LC core business: Merck is technology leader
Based on more than 100 years of experience in liquid crystal manufacturing, we are
the global technology leader in the LC industry and the leading development partner
to the global display industry, especially for highly complex, specific LC mixtures for
technically sophisticated applications. Combining our expertise with our customers’
allows us to continuously develop interesting products for consumers and introduce
them to the market. We are already working together on technologies for the coming
decade to further significantly improve picture quality.
New technologies for displays
PS-VA (polymer stabilized vertical alignment) is the next generation in display
technology. It offers better contrast, even faster switching times and, above all, bet-
ter energy efficiency as backlighting can be significantly reduced. By means of an
additional polymer layer, the VA molecules in the display are pre-aligned in a certain
direction to achieve the above-mentioned advantages. Innovative materials from
Merck have helped pioneer this technology. Some devices with PS-VA displays are
already on the market, for example the new PlayStation Portable (PSP). Another inno-
vation was presented in August at the International Consumer Electronics Trade Fair
(IFA) in Berlin: the first LCD television with 200/240-hertz technology, produced with
our liquid crystal mixtures. It enables even higher definition of fast moving pictures,
for example sports programs.
Touch panels
The division is not only a manufacturer of liquid crystal mixtures, but also an impor-
tant partner to the display industry in other areas. Our patented etching pastes for
the isishape® product range are an important component in the manufacture of touch
panels. The very thin films used in touch panels must be selectively processed. The
layers are often only a few nanometers thick, or about one-thousandth the thickness
of a human hair. Touch panels are increasingly used, for example, in high-tech mobile
phones, automatic ticket and other vending machines, as well as navigation devices.
Merck is an important devel-
opment partner to the global
display industry.
The new generation of displays
offer higher definition and
energy efficiency.