Typically a touch screen panel consists of two layer with one of them as a normal display screen while another thin glass layer on top of the display screen that provides the touch sensor functionality. This may change with the first success LCD panel product unveiled by IDT (Integrated Digital Technologies). Just recently, the Taiwanese company has announced a new LCD panel, named as iScreen that is embedded with solar cells, making the LCD fabrication process even simpler and cost effective.

The major advantage of the next generation LCD panel is it can get rid of additional film or glass needed on top of conventional LCD display that eventually reduce the thickness of end product as well as the manufacturing cost. According to reliable source, it could save as much as 30 percent of total manufacturing and labor cost by removing the external glass material. All these are made possible by having the new process technology that able to integrate solar cells directly into TFT array layer material itself during fabrication stage. More importantly, the next generation iScreen will be more reliable with longer life cycle since it consumes less power without additional layer stacking onto it.

IDT plans to start volume production by end of this year and the actual prototype with more details will be disclosed during Computex event held in Taipei next week.