Display consortium receives funding, awards lithography contract

The US Display Consortium (USDC, San Jose, CA) received new funding of $25 million from the US Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). The consortium is thus assured of a $50 million budget for operations and development because member companies have pledged to match the ARPA funds. New USDC chief Michael Ciesinski says, although the government`s renewed commitment continues development of display technology at the present pace, "the challenge is to accelerate the effort and create a thriving industry that can succeed without government funding." In addition, USDC awarded photolithography-company Tamarack Scientific (Anaheim, CA) a $2.1 million, 18-month contract to develo¥a large-area (840 ¥ 1025 mm), high-throughput (u¥to 80 panels per hour) exposure tool based on scanning-projection technology for manufacturing flat-panel displays.