In a Thin CRT a pixel is composed of an array of submicron-sized field emission electron sources. The electrons accelerate across a 1-mm vacuum gap and excite standard CRT color phosphors. An acceleration potential greater than 5 kV ensures that properties such as brightness, color purity, and response times rival those of color television; while size, weight, and power specifications compete with AMLCD notebook computer displays. Candescent Technologies, in partnership with Hewlett Packard and several other partners, intends to use this technology in direct competition with established AMLCD manufacturers of portable computer displays.

This talk will outline the fabrication process and indicate the critical features of the technology. In a high volume manufacturing business, considerations of cost and yield are critical to the design. We will describe how these manufacturing issues guide our business plan, our business organization, and our technology strategy, often by building on lessons we have learned from the semiconductor industry.

David Bergeron has been with Candescent since August, 1994. Prior to that he was the Process Technology Manager for CMOS Logic and Memory at IBM in Burlington, VT. In this position he was responsible for IBM's process development and manufacturing integration for the PowerPC, the Intel 486 microprocessor, and 16 MB DRAM's. Roger Barton has been with Candescent since June, 1993. Prior to that he was a Visiting Professor at Stanford University, Dept. of Materials Science and Director of Materials R&D at Conductus, a start-up dedicated to the commercialization of thin-film electronic products made from high-temperature superconductors.