LG Display unveils oxide thin-film transistor for large digital X-ray detectors

SEOUL -- LG Display, a major flat panel maker in South Korea, jumped into a new market for medical imaging with an oxide thin-film transistor for large digital X-ray detectors that can implement high-definition images and high-speed videos for diagnosis and surgery. The company aims to actively tap overseas markets, saying the new product can perform well on low-power mobile and portable X-rays used by COVID-19 screening centers.

An oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) is made by depositing thin films of a semiconductor active layer as well as the dielectric layer and metallic contacts over a supporting substrate. It is a key component of digital X-ray detectors (DXDs) that make X-ray results into digital files and send them to personal computers. Digital X-ray image acquisition reduces waste and overhead for healthcare facilities while allowing for direct data capture and low noise during a patient session.

"The large-scale medical Oxide TFT is evaluated as the best TFT for DXD that can be used for diagnosis as well as surgery by implementing high-quality images and high-speed videos," LG Display said in a statement on February 23. The company presented two different sizes, 43cm×43cm and 35cm×43cm.

Due to a COVID-19 pandemic, X-ray filming has increased, boosting demands for digital X-ray detectors. TFTs using amorphous silicon (a-Si) are vulnerable to afterimage and noise while surgical X-ray devices require high-speed video shooting. LG Display said its large medical Oxide TFT has 100 times faster electronic mobility and 10 times lower noise characteristics. Radiation exposure can be reduced by more than 50 percent.