IPS panel

{{short description|Screen technology used for liquid crystal displays}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{multiple issues |

{{more citations needed|date=October 2013}}

{{original research|date=October 2013}}

}}

IPS (in-plane switching) is a screen technology for liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). In IPS, a layer of liquid crystals is sandwiched between two glass surfaces. The liquid crystal molecules are aligned parallel to those surfaces in predetermined directions (in-plane). The molecules are reoriented by an applied electric field, while remaining essentially parallel to the surfaces to produce an image. It was designed to solve the strong viewing angle dependence and low-quality color reproduction of the twisted nematic field effect (TN) matrix LCDs prevalent in the late 1980s.{{cite web|last=Cross|first=Jason|date=18 March 2012|title=Digital Displays Explained|url=http://www.techhive.com/article/251988/digital_true_explained.html?page=4|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402131332/http://www.techhive.com/article/251988/digital_displays_explained.html?page=4|archive-date=2 April 2015|access-date=19 March 2015|work=TechHive|publisher=PC World|page=4}}

History

The True depth method was the only viable technology for active matrix TFT LCDs in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Early panels showed grayscale inversion from up to down,{{cite web |title=TFT Technology: Enhancing the viewing angle |url=https://riverdi.com/technology/#technology-Angle |publisher=Riverdi (TFT Module Manufacturer) |access-date=5 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423135213/http://riverdi.com/technology#technology-Angle |archive-date=23 April 2016 |quote=However, [twisted nematic] suffers from the phenomenon called gray scale inversion. This means that the display has one viewing side in which the image colors suddenly change after exceeding the specified viewing angle.}} (see image [https://riverdi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/g_inversion.png Inversion Effect]) and had a high response time (for this kind of transition, 1 ms is visually better than 5 ms). In the mid-1990s new technologies were developed—typically IPS and vertical alignment (VA)—that could resolve these weaknesses and were applied to large computer monitor panels.

One approach patented in 1974 was to use inter-digitated electrodes on one glass substrate only to produce an electric field essentially parallel to the glass substrates.{{cite web|url=http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?locale=en_EP&CC=US&NR=3834794 |title=Bibliographic data: US3834794 (A) ― 1974-09-10 |website=Espacenet.com |access-date=9 October 2013}}{{US Patent|3834794}}: R. Soref, Liquid crystal electric field sensing measurement and display device, filed 28 June 1973. However, the inventor was not yet able to implement such IPS-LCDs superior to TN displays.

After thorough analysis, details of advantageous molecular arrangements were filed in Germany by Guenter Baur et al. and patented in various countries including the US on 9 January 1990.{{cite web |url=http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?locale=en_EP&CC=US&NR=5576867 |title=Bibliographic data: US5576867 (A) ― 1996-11-19 |website=Espacenet.com |access-date=9 October 2013}}{{patent|US|5576867|patent|title=G. Baur, W. Fehrenbach, B. Staudacher, F. Windscheid, R. Kiefer, Liquid crystal switching elements having a parallel electric field and beta o which is not 0 or 90 degrees, filed 9 January 1990}} The Fraunhofer Society in Freiburg, where the inventors worked, assigned these patents to Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

Shortly thereafter, Hitachi of Japan filed patents to improve this technology. A leader in this field was Katsumi Kondo, who worked at the Hitachi Research Center.{{cite web |url=http://informationdisplay.org/IDArchive/2014/MarchApril/HonorsandAwards.aspx |title=2014 SID Honors and Awards |website=InformationDisplay.org |access-date=4 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416002430/http://informationdisplay.org/IDArchive/2014/MarchApril/HonorsandAwards.aspx |archive-date=16 April 2014 }} In 1992, engineers at Hitachi worked out various practical details of the IPS technology to interconnect the thin-film transistor array as a matrix and to avoid undesirable stray fields in between pixels.{{cite web|url=http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?locale=en_EP&CC=US&NR=5598285 |title=Espacenet{{Snd}} Bibliographic data |website=Worldwide.espacenet.com |date=28 January 1997 |access-date=15 August 2014}}{{US Patent|5598285}}: K. Kondo, H. Terao, H. Abe, M. Ohta, K. Suzuki, T. Sasaki, G. Kawachi, J. Ohwada, Liquid crystal display device, filed 18 September 1992 and 20 January 1993. Hitachi also improved the viewing angle dependence further by optimizing the shape of the electrodes (Super IPS). NEC and Hitachi became early manufacturers of active-matrix addressed LCDs based on the IPS technology. This is a milestone for implementing large-screen LCDs having acceptable visual performance for flat-panel computer monitors and television screens. In 1996, Samsung developed the optical patterning technique that enables multi-domain LCD. Multi-domain and in-plane switching subsequently remain the dominant LCD designs through 2006.{{Cite news|url=http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v382/n6593/pdf/382666c0.pdf |title=Optical Patterning |publisher=Nature |date=22 August 1996 |access-date=13 June 2008}}

Later, LG Display and other South Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese LCD manufacturers adopted IPS technology.

IPS technology is widely used in panels for TVs, tablet computers, and smartphones. In particular, most IBM products marketed as Flexview from 2004 to 2008 have IPS LCDs with CCFL backlighting, and all Apple Inc. products marketed with the label Retina Display[https://www.apple.com/iphone-5c/specs/ Technical specifications iPhone 5c] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031105000/https://www.apple.com/iphone-5c/specs/ |date=31 October 2013 }}[https://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/#comparison-chart Comparison of iPad models] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024015359/http://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/ |date=24 October 2012 }} feature IPS LCDs with LED backlighting since 2010.

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align:left;"

|+ Hitachi IPS technology development[http://www.ips-alpha.co.jp/en/technology/ips.html IPS-Pro (Evolving IPS technology)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329145251/http://www.ips-alpha.co.jp/en/technology/ips.html |date=29 March 2010 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.barco.be/barcoview/downloads/IPS-Pro_LCD_technology.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=24 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115091442/http://www.barco.be/barcoview/downloads/IPS-Pro_LCD_technology.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2012 }}

style="width:12%;"| Name

! Nickname

! Year

! style="width:12%;"| Advantage

! Transmittance or
contrast ratio

! Remarks

Super TFTIPS1996Wide viewing angle100/100
Base level
Most panels also support true 8-bit-per-channel colour. These improvements came at the cost of a lower response time, initially about 50 ms. IPS panels were also extremely expensive.
Super-IPSS-IPS1998Colour shift free100/137IPS has since been superseded by S-IPS (Super-IPS, Hitachi in 1998), which has all the benefits of IPS technology with the addition of improved pixel refresh timing.{{quantify|date=September 2014}}
Advanced Super-IPSAS-IPS2002High transmittance130/250AS-IPS, also developed by Hitachi in 2002, improves substantially{{quantify|date=September 2014}} on the contrast ratio of traditional S-IPS panels to the point where they are second only to some S-PVAs.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}
IPS-ProvectusIPS-Pro2004High contrast ratio137/313The latest panel from IPS Alpha Technology with a wider colour gamut{{quantify|date=September 2014}} and contrast ratio{{quantify|date=September 2014}} matching PVA and ASV displays without off-angle glowing.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}
IPS AlphaIPS-Pro2008High contrast ratioNext generation of IPS-Pro
IPS Alpha Next-GenIPS-Pro2010High contrast ratio

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align:left;"

|+ LG IPS technology development

style="width:15%;"| Name

! Nickname

! Year

! Remarks

Horizontal IPSH-IPS2007Improves{{quantify|date=January 2012}} contrast ratio by twisting electrode plane layout. Also introduces an optional Advanced True White polarizing film from NEC, to make white look more natural{{quantify|date=January 2012}}. This is used in professional/photography LCDs.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}
Enhanced IPSE-IPS2009Wider{{quantify|date=January 2012}} aperture for light transmission, enabling the use of lower-power, cheaper backlights. Improves{{quantify|date=January 2012}} diagonal viewing angle and further reduce response time to 5 ms.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}
Professional IPSP-IPS2010Offer 1.07 billion colours (30-bit colour depth).{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}} More possible orientations per sub-pixel (1024 as opposed to 256) and produces a better{{quantify|date=January 2012}} true colour depth.
Advanced High Performance IPSAH-IPS2011Improved colour accuracy, increased resolution and PPI, and greater light transmission for lower power consumption.{{cite web |author=tech2 News Staff |url=http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/lg-announces-super-high-resolution-ah-ips-displays-19506.html |title=LG Announces Super High Resolution AH-IPS Displays |date=19 May 2011 |website=Firstpost.com |access-date=10 December 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211104520/http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/lg-announces-super-high-resolution-ah-ips-displays-19506.html |archive-date=11 December 2015 }}

Technology

=Implementation=

In this case, both linear polarizing filters P and A have their axes of transmission in the same direction. To obtain the 90 degree twisted nematic structure of the LC layer between the two glass plates without an applied electric field (OFF state), the inner surfaces of the glass plates are treated to align the bordering LC molecules at a right angle. This molecular structure is practically the same as in TN LCDs. However, the arrangement of the electrodes e1 and e2 is different. Electrodes are in the same plane and on a single glass plate, so they generate an electric field essentially parallel to this plate. The diagram is not to scale: the LC layer is only a few micrometers thick, very thin compared with the distance between the electrodes.

The LC molecules have a positive dielectric anisotropy and align themselves with their long axis parallel to an applied electrical field. In the OFF state (shown on the left), entering light L1 becomes linearly polarized by polarizer P. The twisted nematic LC layer rotates the polarization axis of the passing light by 90 degrees, so that ideally no light passes through polarizer A. In the ON state, a sufficient voltage is applied between electrodes and a corresponding electric field E is generated that realigns the LC molecules as shown on the right of the diagram. Here, light L2 can pass through polarizer A.

In practice, other schemes of implementation exist with a different structure of the LC molecules{{Snd}} for example without any twist in the OFF state. As both electrodes are on the same substrate, they take more space than TN matrix electrodes. This also reduces contrast and brightness.

Super-IPS was later introduced with better response times and colour reproduction.{{cite web|url=http://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/lcd-panel-types.php|title=LCD Panel Technology Explained|publisher=PChardwarehelp.com|access-date=13 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114031401/http://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/lcd-panel-types.php|archive-date=14 January 2012}}{{unreliable source?|date=October 2012|reason=Anonymous site, no editorial staff, uncited elsewhere, anonymous author. See Talk}}

File:Wiki dell lcd.jpg shape is used to widen the viewing cone.]]

= Advantages =

  • IPS panels display consistent, accurate color from all viewing angles.[http://www.ipslcd.com/en/front/home/main.jsp Comparisons done by LG Display]

{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113080608/http://www.ipslcd.com/en/front/home/main.jsp |date=13 January 2013 }} A comparison in 2014 of IPS vs. TN panels concerning color consistency under different viewing angles can be seen on the website of Japan Display Inc.[http://www.j-display.com/english/technology/jdilcd/pictureq.html Visual comparison of IPS and TN done by Japan Display Inc.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328230635/http://www.j-display.com/english/technology/jdilcd/pictureq.html |date=28 March 2014 }} Also, compared to TN panels, IPS panels can display more color spaces.

  • Unlike TN LCDs, IPS panels do not lighten or show tailing when touched. This is important for touch-screen devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers.[http://www.lgdisplay.com/eng/product/technology/IPS IPS "Stable Panel"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502194224/http://www.lgdisplay.com/eng/product/technology/IPS |date=2 May 2015 }}
  • IPS panels offer clear and razor-sharp images without reflections, a wide viewing range, stable response time and better coloring.{{Cite web |title=Panel Mount Monitors {{!}} 7 to 27 inches {{!}} Beetronics |url=https://www.beetronics.com/open-frame-panel-mount-monitors |access-date=21 October 2023 |website=beetronics.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/panel_technologies.htm|title=Panel Technologies: TN Film, MVA, PVA and IPS Explained|first=Simon|last=Baker|date=30 April 2011|publisher=Tftcentral.co.uk|access-date=13 January 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629182048/http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/panel_technologies.htm|archive-date=29 June 2017}}{{unreliable source?|date=October 2012|reason=Anonymous site, no editorial staff, united elsewhere, unestablished author}}{{cite web|url=https://www.esportsource.net/monitors/ips-tn-panel/|title=IPS or TN panel? |first=Winston|last=Mark|date=30 June 2021|publisher=EsportSource.net|access-date=7 February 2022}}

= Disadvantages =

  • IPS panels require up to 15% more power than TN panels.{{cite web|last1=Ivankov|first1=Alex|title=Advantages and disadvantages of IPS screen technology|url=http://www.versiondaily.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-ips-screen-technology/|website=Version Daily|access-date=25 September 2017|date=1 September 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926041030/http://www.versiondaily.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-ips-screen-technology/|archive-date=26 September 2017}}
  • IPS panels are more expensive to produce than TN panels.
  • IPS panels have slower/longer response times than TN panels.{{cite web|title=Display and Graphics Guide|date=3 May 2017 |url=https://www.isc.upenn.edu/how-to/display-and-graphics-guide|access-date=14 February 2019|publisher=The University of Pennsylvania}}
  • IPS panels are sometimes vulnerable to a defect called backlight bleeding.

Alternative technologies

=Plane to Line Switching (PLS){{anchor|PLS}}=

Toward the end of 2010 Samsung Electronics introduced Super PLS (Plane-to-Line Switching) with the intent of providing an alternative to the popular IPS technology which is primarily manufactured by LG Display. It is an "IPS-type" panel technology, and is very similar in performance features, specs and characteristics to LG Display's offering. Samsung adopted PLS panels instead of AMOLED panels, because in the past AMOLED panels had difficulties in realizing full HD resolution on mobile devices. PLS technology was Samsung's wide-viewing angle LCD technology, similar to LG Display's IPS technology.{{cite web|title=Samsung Adopts IPS instead of AMOLED: Why?| date=9 November 2012 |url=http://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20121109023018&spage=1/|publisher=Seoul Shinmun|access-date=9 November 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221112303/http://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20121109023018&spage=1%2F|archive-date=21 December 2012}}

Samsung asserted the following benefits of Super PLS (commonly referred to as just "PLS") over IPS:{{cite web|title=Samsung PLS improves on IPS displays like iPad's, costs less|url=http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/12/01/samsung.intros.pls.as.improvement.on.lcds/|publisher=electronista.com|access-date=30 October 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027053321/http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/12/01/samsung.intros.pls.as.improvement.on.lcds|archive-date=27 October 2012}}

  • Further improvement in viewing angle
  • 10 percent increase in brightness
  • Up to 15 percent decrease in production costs
  • Increased image quality
  • Flexible panel

=Advanced Hyper-Viewing Angle (AHVA)=

{{anchor|AHVA}}

In 2012 AU Optronics began investment in their own IPS-type technology, dubbed AHVA. This should not be confused with their long standing AMVA technology (which is a VA-type technology). Performance and specs remained very similar to LG Display's IPS and Samsung's PLS offerings. The first 144 Hz compatible IPS-type panels were produced in late 2014 (used first in early 2015) by AUO, beating Samsung and LG Display to providing high refresh rate IPS-type panels.{{cite web|url =http://hexus.net/tech/news/monitors/74389-au-optronics-develops-144hz-refresh-ips-type-display-panels/|title =AU Optronics develops 144Hz refresh IPS-type display panels|date =8 September 2014|url-status =live|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150517054538/http://hexus.net/tech/news/monitors/74389-au-optronics-develops-144hz-refresh-ips-type-display-panels/|archive-date =17 May 2015}}{{cite web|url =http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/144hz-ips-type-panels-developed-1440p-as-well.html|title =144Hz IPS-type Panels Developed{{Snd}} 1440p as Well|date =8 September 2014|url-status =live|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150518101537/http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/144hz-ips-type-panels-developed-1440p-as-well.html|archive-date =18 May 2015}}

Manufacturers

See also

References

{{Reflist}}