Setting off a 3D revolution in plasma panels.

What's amazing about full high-definition 3D panels? The emission rate and brightness.

Kawase: "A crisp, high-definition video image is achieved by instant and bright lighting of the panel. We've been pursuing the rate of emission and brightness for a long time. While using the high-definition technology that we had developed, our target was to produce an overwhelmingly advanced panel that could generate beautiful 3D video images."

Sugimoto: "The video image produced by a plasma panel is made possible through the emission of light from phosphors. In seeking to achieve unprecedented emission rate and unprecedented brightness, we developed new phosphors. In addition to focusing on materials, we also completely overhauled the structure of the panel, the drive voltage, and every other aspect of the unit."

The 3D revolution in plasma panels as brought to you by these developers is a new chapter in the history of television.

Bright panels featuring greater luminous efficiency.

The 3D video images are achieved by alternating images for the left and right eyes at high speed—1/120 seconds per image(*1). In other words, a single image is played for a shorter duration than with 2D video. For this reason, the key to beautiful video images on 3D panels is in the mechanism that emits bright light for short durations.

Sugimoto: "We sought to find phosphors that instantaneously emit light. The properties of phosphors made by baking a combination of elements vary significantly in terms of composition ratios, baking temperature, and other factors. Thorough tests are conducted while changing the conditions in tiny increments. In this way, we searched for phosphors with a high level of luminous efficiency."

Kawase: "Improving luminous efficiency was the most difficult task we faced in the design process. You want to elicit maximum brightness from a phosphor with a given amount of electrical power. We perfected a panel with the level of brightness and energy-saving properties we were looking for while determining the optimal level of drive voltage and varying the panel thickness by microns."

A panel with significantly improved luminous efficiency was perfected through the collaborative efforts of engineers from design development and material development.

Eliminate blur from 3D video images.

Clear 3D video images depend on our ability to reduce the amount of crosstalk from the overlap of two image layers. Crosstalk is a phenomenon that occurs when the image for one eye appears before the image for the other eye has disappeared.

Kawase: "By their nature, plasma panels are effective for 3D. This is because crosstalk does not easily occur since the images are refreshed for the entire screen at once thanks to the self-luminescence of the panel. However, we accepted the challenge of reducing the afterglow from phosphors as part of our goal of achieving even sharper 3D video images."

The afterglow phenomenon can even be seen in our day-to-day lives. For example, you might have noticed the vague residual light emitted immediately after turning off a fluorescent light bulb — this is afterglow.

Sugimoto: "To achieve the right brightness, we'd like to strengthen the phosphor that we use. The stronger the light being emitted, the longer the afterglow. Ours was a battle of contradictions. We produced numerous trial phosphors and succeeded in shortening the afterglow to approximately one-third for phosphor corresponding to R (red), G (green), and B (blue). (*2)"

Incorporate the aspirations of our colleagues into the panels.

Toru Kawase is involved in the design of incorporating numerous component technologies developed by others into a single panel. The quality of the panel is significantly affected by the method of integrating such technologies.

Kawase: "Each individual technology represents the crystallization of the efforts of our engineers. In order to make sure that such efforts are not squandered, I aspire to achieving the optimal level of quality through a design that elicits the advantages of each technology to the maximum extent possible. Even if a prototype turns out to successful, we can't just immediately commercialize it. For example, we have to simplify the panel structure to start a production line and improve the design to obtain cost savings. We will find solutions while collaborating with many engineers."

Toru Kawase works to consolidate the aspirations of engineers through his designs.

Captivated by the process of creating materials.

The development of phosphors is outside Kazuhiko Sugimoto's field of expertise; he studied machinery as a student. Sugimoto discovered the path on his own in the course of his work.

Sugimoto: "After joining the company, I designed equipment and had many opportunities to go out into the field where the materials were actually being developed. Through this, my interest in work involving the creation of fundamental materials for our products was piqued, and I thought that I'd like to try this work myself as well."

Ten years later….

Sugimoto: "When a phosphor that has just been baked doesn't light up, I am disappointed to the extent that I had harbored hopes for success. Nevertheless, there are times when the right answer can be derived from failure."

The more he seeks, the more Kazuhiko Sugimoto becomes captivated by the appeal of phosphor.