Milestone-Proposal:Color Plasma Display
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Docket #:2024-36
This proposal has been submitted for review.
To the proposer’s knowledge, is this achievement subject to litigation? No
Is the achievement you are proposing more than 25 years old? Yes
Is the achievement you are proposing within IEEE’s designated fields as defined by IEEE Bylaw I-104.11, namely: Engineering, Computer Sciences and Information Technology, Physical Sciences, Biological and Medical Sciences, Mathematics, Technical Communications, Education, Management, and Law and Policy. Yes
Did the achievement provide a meaningful benefit for humanity? Yes
Was it of at least regional importance? Yes
Has an IEEE Organizational Unit agreed to pay for the milestone plaque(s)? Yes
Has the IEEE Section(s) in which the plaque(s) will be located agreed to arrange the dedication ceremony? Yes
Has the IEEE Section in which the milestone is located agreed to take responsibility for the plaque after it is dedicated? Yes
Has the owner of the site agreed to have it designated as an IEEE Milestone? Yes
Year or range of years in which the achievement occurred:
1993
Title of the proposed milestone:
Color Plasma Televisions (Plasma-TV), 1993
Plaque citation summarizing the achievement and its significance; if personal name(s) are included, such name(s) must follow the achievement itself in the citation wording: Text absolutely limited by plaque dimensions to 70 words; 60 is preferable for aesthetic reasons.
The first practical color plasma television (Plasma-TV) was a 21-inch model commercialized by Fujitsu in 1993. Critical inventions of Tsutae Shinoda that made it possible included surface discharge with a reflective three-electrode structure, and Address-Display-Separation for full-color video. The success of this product accelerated the development of large-screen flat panel displays, and made a major contribution to the popularity of large wall-mounted television sets worldwide.
200-250 word abstract describing the significance of the technical achievement being proposed, the person(s) involved, historical context, humanitarian and social impact, as well as any possible controversies the advocate might need to review.
In the 1990s, CRTs with a 37" cathode ray tube were released as large displays, marking the maximum practical size for CRT technology. Consequently, there was a race to develop PDPs, VFDs, LCDs, and other large-scale displays to replace CRTs.
PDPs offer advantages such as the capability to produce large display devices at a low cost, along with superior display performance including wide viewing angles, high-speed response, and high contrast.
Color plasma display panels (PDPs) have been developed through the development of surface discharge, a reflective three-electrode structure, and new device drive method by Tsutae Shinoda of Fujitsu. The team led by him developed 21" color PDPs that was able to display moving picture and was released in 1993. The plasma display was called as Plasma-TV. Due to its excellent visibility and durability, Plasma-TV gained popularity throughout the 2010s as large TVs for home use and monitor for personal computers.
By 1996, a 42-inch color Plasma TV was released This marked the debut of large-screen flat TVs over 40 inches with PDP technology. Observing the growth of the Plasma-TV market, LCD technology was further developed to create large-screen TVs. In 2000, the company released its first 30-inch widescreen LCD TV, followed by a 45-inch model in 2003. During this period, Plasma TVs established a new market for larger TVs, which LCDs began to follow. Thus, the current market for large-screen TVs owes its development to the advent of plasma televisions.
IEEE technical societies and technical councils within whose fields of interest the Milestone proposal resides.
IEEE Electron Devices Society
In what IEEE section(s) does it reside?
IEEE Organizational Unit(s) which have agreed to sponsor the Milestone:
IEEE Organizational Unit(s) paying for milestone plaque(s):
Unit: IEEE Kansai Section
Senior Officer Name: Yoshinobu Kajikawa
IEEE Organizational Unit(s) arranging the dedication ceremony:
Unit: IEEE Kansai Section
Senior Officer Name: Yoshinobu Kajikawa
IEEE section(s) monitoring the plaque(s):
IEEE Section: IEEE Kansai Section
IEEE Section Chair name: Yoshinobu Kajikawa
Milestone proposer(s):
Proposer name: Hitoshi Hirakawa
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public
Proposer name: Chiaki Ishikawa
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public
Proposer name: kobai
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public
Please note: your email address and contact information will be masked on the website for privacy reasons. Only IEEE History Center Staff will be able to view the email address.
Street address(es) and GPS coordinates in decimal form of the intended milestone plaque site(s):
Shikoh Tech Co., Ltd. 1-81 Hama, Awaji City, Hyogo 656-2304, Japan
GPS coordinate: 34.548229,134.99793,17
Describe briefly the intended site(s) of the milestone plaque(s). The intended site(s) must have a direct connection with the achievement (e.g. where developed, invented, tested, demonstrated, installed, or operated, etc.). A museum where a device or example of the technology is displayed, or the university where the inventor studied, are not, in themselves, sufficient connection for a milestone plaque.
Please give the address(es) of the plaque site(s) (GPS coordinates if you have them). Also please give the details of the mounting, i.e. on the outside of the building, in the ground floor entrance hall, on a plinth on the grounds, etc. If visitors to the plaque site will need to go through security, or make an appointment, please give the contact information visitors will need. As stated in this proposal, Fujitsu withdrew from the plasma display business by 2008. Tutae Shinoda and the plasma display development group were carved out from Fujitsu and inherited the plasma display technology. Based on this technology, Shikoh Tech Co., Ltd. was established in 2015. Since then, they have been developing products using plasma technology.
The plaque will be placed on the premises, near entrance gate, of Shikoh Tech Co., Ltd.
Are the original buildings extant?
No.
Details of the plaque mounting:
The plaque will be placed on the premises, near entrance gate, of Shikoh Tech Co., Ltd.
How is the site protected/secured, and in what ways is it accessible to the public?
The plaque will be placed on the premises of Shikoh Tech Co., Ltd. and can be seen with prior permission.
Who is the present owner of the site(s)?
Maho Hirayama, President of Shikoh Tech Co., Ltd.
What is the historical significance of the work (its technological, scientific, or social importance)? If personal names are included in citation, include detailed support at the end of this section preceded by "Justification for Inclusion of Name(s)". (see section 6 of Milestone Guidelines)
Justification of name in citation
Dr. Tsutae Shinoda is the person who made the color plasma display panel (PDP) practical first in the world. The current PDP industry is not existed without his effort and results in color PDP technologies. He has not only solved the essential issues on both a panel structure and a driving method, which prevented the color PDP from a practical use, by his own efforts and inventions, but also succeeded to put a large area PDP into practical use. His developed technologies are the essential and the de fact technologies employed for all current PDP products.
He joined Fujitsu laboratories in 1973 and has been engaged in development of AC PDP. In the middle of 1970’s Fujitsu labs. transferred their research achievements of monochrome PDPs to the production department and started to look for the new subject. In those days, the AC PDPs were come into the practical use by using the opposed type discharge. To realize the color PDP with the structure, the color phosphor and the discharging gas, which emits the ultra violet ray by the discharge and excites the phosphor, were used. However the life time was very short, that was about 100 hours, because of the phosphor degradation by the ion bombardment. Many research groups including Fujitsu and University of Illinois researched this structure but they stopped the research because they could not overcome the life issue and judged that this is the dead end. Thus, Fujitsu laboratories decided to stop the research on plasma display. However, he investigated the methods for the colorizing PDP. Then he noticed the surface discharge method that was once researched by Fujitsu for color plasma display for numeric but was stopped [1]. Also, he found this method was researched in Bell laboratories for monochrome PDPs [2]. He thought color PDP would be realized if both technologies were combined.
The development of first small surface discharge structure color PDP
Dr. Shinoda started a trial of surface discharge type color PDP in 1979. He made the small panel that consists of two intersected electrodes which are covered by the dielectric layer respectively on a glass plate so called two electrodes surface discharge type PDP. The stripes of three-color phosphor layer like French national flag were formed on the other grass plate. He found the life time of the phosphor layer was extended more than 2000 hours with his test panel however he also found the voltage rise because of the degradation of the dielectric layer at the cross point of the two electrodes. This was caused by the ion bombardment because of the strong electrical field. Namely, he considered the function of the electrodes and he finally reached to the idea of the three electrodes surface discharge structure in which the cell selection function and display function of the electrodes were separated in 1982 [3,4].
To realize practical the full color PDP, he invented and developed the following key technologies and achievements:
1. The invention and development of the three-electrode structure
2. The invention and development of the reflective structure
3. The invention of stripe rib structure
4. The invention and development of high-speed drive methods
The details of these achievements will be explained later, but a brief overview of their key points is provided here.
The Invention and development of the Three-Electrode Structure [P1,3,4,6]
As mentioned above, this invention was conceived while he was in a hospital bed. In conventional two-electrode surface discharges, the electrodes were created on the same surface, which caused a strong electric field at the electrode intersections. This led to degradation of the discharge surface, an increase in drive voltage, and the creation of defective points. To mitigate the electric field intensity, he devised a structure with two parallel display-specific electrodes on one substrate and a single dot-selection electrode on the opposing substrate. This approach reduced electric field concentration and prevented degradation
The invention and development of the reflective structure and success of the world first three-color PDP[P1,6,7]
At the beginning, the transparent structure was adopted in which the phosphor layer is placed in front of the discharge and the emission from the phosphor go through this layer in 1979. Although the structure improved the life time, the remained issue was low luminance. He invented the reflective structure in which the phosphor layer is placed back of the discharge in 1988. The structure improved the luminance and life time at the same time and achieved 10,000 hours operation life time that was the goal for the production. These results persuaded the managers of production department and opened the door to the production [N3]. The first color PDP production was 20-inch three colors PDP for financial display (1990). This consists of red and green phosphors and displayed three colors red, green and yellow. With this product he confirmed the ability of this method with great confidence.
The invention of stripe rib structure [P2,11,13,17]
He started his new project with 5 colleagues to realize a full color PDP in 1991. The target of the project was a 21-inch full color PDP with VGA (640 x 480) resolution. The pixel pitch was 0.8 mm in three colors PDP but it was 0.22 mm in the 21-inch full color PDP. Thus 4 times higher resolution was required to achieve this, then he invented the stripe rib structure that has the rib only on the one substrate in 1990. This structure is so simple comparing to the previous color PDPs’ structure. He judged that the high-resolution panel could be manufactured with the current technologies. The fabrication of the high-resolution panel had many difficulties but the team developed new material for the rib, new rib structure, new electrode structure and new phosphor fabrication method then finally the production process of full color PDP was completed in 1992.
The invention and development of high-speed drive methods [P3,12,20,21]
On the other hand, there was not a good driving method to display a moving image with 256 gray levels those are standard of HDTV. He analyzed the limitation and found that, using the wall charge, high speed driving can be realized by separating the pixel selection period and displaying period. This method was named address display period separation (ADS) method.
The development of 21-inch and 42-inch full color PDPs
As a result of the development, a 256 gray scale in 21-inch color PDP became possible in 1990. In January of 1993, the world first full color 21-inch PDP were released[N1].The realization of the 21-inch full-color PDP had a significant impact on and brought transformative changes to the display market, which had long anticipated the advent of wall-mounted televisions. First and foremost, in the television market, Fujitsu General led the way by developing a 21-inch television and releasing it in 1993 as the world's first of its kind. This marked the debut of the first flat-screen television over 20 inches worldwide[N2]. Additionally, in the information display market, it revolutionized the stock price display system at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in the United States. At the time, the NYSE used stacked CRTs to display stock prices. However, with the increasing volume of displayed information, the display capacity was expected to reach its limit. To address this, a design concept was proposed to line up flat-panel displays of approximately 20 inches in three vertical rows. Upon learning that Fujitsu had developed the 21-inch full-color plasma display, the NYSE adopted it. This marked the first use of full-color flat-panel displays for stock price displays [N7].
He and his colleague had been thinking that real target market of PDP was larger than 40-inch that CRT cannot realize. So, he started to develop a 42-inch in April of 1993. At that time sand-blast method for the rib formation method and special glass of PD200 that had been asked the development to the glass company were introduced to improve the accuracy [22]. As a result, the world first 42-inch color PDP was released in 1996.The success of the 42-inch color plasma display marked the beginning of widespread adoption of large-screen wall-mounted televisions and intensified competition in this market. Fujitsu quickly responded in 1995 by announcing in 1996 the construction of a new factory with an investment of 60 billion yen. Furthermore, in 2000, the company announced plans to establish a mass production facility capable of producing 100,000 units per month [N4,N8].
These resulted in inviting the Japanese companies to join large area plasma Display Market for wall mounted plasma Television[N10]. On October 17, 1995, the Denpa newspaper wrote: "With the commercialization of Fujitsu's 21-inch and 42-inch PDPs, plasma TVs came into the spotlight as the favorite display for wall-mounted TVs, and companies developing PDPs rushed to commercialize them. Fujitsu announced that it would start mass production of the Model 42 in October 1996 and invest 60 billion yen over the five years until 2000 to create a production system of 100,000 units per month. In addition, Matsushita (Panasonic) announced that it would start shipping samples of 26-inch PDPs for TVs in October 1995 and 40-inch color PDPs in June 1996. In addition, NEC will build a plant with a monthly production capacity of 1,000 units by the end of 1995, invest 80 billion yen by 2000, and establish a system of 150,000 units per month to mass-produce 40-inch color PDPs. Pioneer announced a prototype of the 40-inch color PDP and said it would commercialize it by the end of FY96. In addition, 20 inches is said to be the limit of practical use of LCDs.“ Thus, at that time, 20-inch LCD was considered to be the limit, and color PDPs took the lead in opening up and spreading the market for large-screen wall-mounted TVs.
Subsequently, plasma display production expanded to Japan, Korea, and China. In terms of screen size, it led the way in large-screen innovations, introducing 50-inch, 60-inch, and even 100-inch models to the market. This not only pioneered the large-screen wall-mounted television market but also contributed to shaping and expanding the market [24].
At that time, LCD technology, which had been primarily focused on small screens for devices like laptop computers, entered the large-screen market several years later. As a result, the large-screen market witnessed intense competition between PDP and LCD technologies. This competition led to the widespread adoption of large-screen televisions globally, driving significant transformations in visual culture and continuing to contribute to society to this day. Shinoda, who had realized large-screen wall-mounted televisions through plasma technology, pursued further challenges in new developments. Aiming to create visuals that feel "as if they are right there" or "as if you are right here," he advanced the development of displays capable of delivering life-size images. This involved creating ultra-large wall displays of at least 2 meters by 3 meters, leveraging the plasma television technology mentioned above. Simultaneously, he also took on the challenge of developing new applications of plasma technology [25,26].
Additionally, Dr. Shinoda’s efforts are not only for the contribution to the image culture but also very good example that one engineer can make very big innovative contribution if he keeps going eagerly even in the difficult circumstances. He was caste famous Japanese TV program “Project-X: PlasmaTV ,Start from the character of Lave (愛）” and also gives a lecture to the students from elementary school to university, engineer and general public more than several ten times every year. In his lecture he always says that it is very important to keep trying for your dream without abandon and encourage them. He also coaches the young people as the visiting professor of the University of Tokyo [27] and the leader of the national project, and still goes for the ideal PDP with them. Thus, his contribution to the education for young engineer is also great.
Without Shinoda's development of surface discharge, the reflective three-electrode structure, and the ADS subfield method, the color PDP would not have been possible. Furthermore, without his obsession with colorization and his desire to bring cutting-edge products such as the 21-inch and 42-inch displays to the world, the color PDP would not have been born. Further more, if Fujitsu had not persisted with his monochrome PDP business despite incurring losses, it would have been impossible for him to develop his technology. Additionally, organizational strength was necessary to transition from technological development to commercialization and mass production to improve quality. Without any of these factors, business success would not have been achievable. However, the ability to lead an organization stems from the will and capability to take action, pioneer new directions, and open up new possibilities. If an entrepreneur is defined as someone with strong will and determination to achieve their goals, then Dr.Shinoda can certainly be considered an entrepreneur in the broadest sense.
Key Papers and Patents by Dr. Shinoda
Amid Fujitsu Laboratories' withdrawal from the development of color PDPs, Tsutae Shinoda independently succeeded in achieving fundamental breakthroughs in the technology. In 1983, Fujitsu Akashi laboratories closed and quitted to research color PDP. Tsutae Shinoda transferred to Fujitsu where the monochrome PDP business was continued. He was permitted alone to continue the development of color PDP technologies, and finally he succeeded to establish the color PDP technologies from research level to practical level. He became the key figure leading the commercialization of color PDPs by elevating the initiative to a company-level project. Consequently, he has published a wide range of papers and patents, covering topics from theoretical innovations to practical applications. Below are some of his representative works:
papers
[3] Tsutae Shinoda, Yoshinori Miyashita, and Kazuo Yoshikawa: "Characteristics of Surface-discharge Color AC-Plasma Display Panels," SID 81 Digest, pp.164-165 (1981)
Media:Characteristics of Surface-discharge.pdf
This paper is the first to report the prototyping and evaluation of a color PDP using surface-discharge technology.
[6] T. Shinoda, M. Wakitani, T. Nanto, T. Kurai, N. Awaji, M. Suzuki: "Improvement of Luminance and Luminous Efficiency of Surface-Discharge Color ac PDP," SID 1991 Digest, pp. 724-727 (1991)
Media:Improvement of Luminance.pdf
This paper introduces the effectiveness of reflective surface-discharge color PDPs and the characteristics of the first practical application in a stock price display using a three-color PDP.
[20] Tsutae Shinoda, Masayuki Wakitani, and Kazuo Yoshikawa: "High Level Gray Scale for AC Plasma Display Panels Using Address-Display-Period-Separation Sub-Field Method," IEICE Transactions on Electronics, Vol. J81-C-II, No. 3, pp. 349-355, (1998) (in Japanese).
media:㉑ High Level Gray Scale for AC Plasma Display Panels using Address.pdf
Although written in Japanese, this paper thoroughly discusses the concept, experimental validation, and implementation of 256 gray-scale levels in PDPs, with a detailed focus on the 21-inch PDP.
Below is the abstract: Abstract This paper describes the principle of a new gray scale driving method for Plasma Display Panels (PDPs) and explores the potential for gray scale driving in color PDPs with approximately 1000 lines of vertical resolution. The paper compares the conventional line-driven sub-field method, the simultaneous-driven sub-field method, and a new Address/Display-Period-Separated Sub-field method (ADS method) for time-modulated gray scale driving. It demonstrates that the new method has the potential to support 8-bit video display with a vertical resolution of 1000 lines. This method has been implemented in a 21-inch color PDP with 480 lines of vertical resolution, enabling 8-bit video display, and has already been commercialized.
[17] Tsutae Shinoda, Masayuki Wakitani, Toshiyuko Nanto, Niriyuki Awaji, and Shinji Kanagu: "Development of Panel Structure for a High-Resolution 21-in-Diagonal Full-Color Surface-Discharge Plasma Display Panel," IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 77-81, January 2000.
Media: Development of Panel Structure.pdf
This paper summarizes the development outcomes of the 21-inch color plasma display. It discusses advancements in the surface-discharge structure, key points in manufacturing, and the performance characteristics of the 21-inch PDP.
[13] T.Shinoda,K.Kariya, M.Wakitani, A. Otsuka, T.Hirose,: ”Development of large Color ac Plasma Display Panels,” THPM 15.2 IEEE, pp.254-255(1996)
media:⑬ Development of large color ac plasma display panels.pdf
This paper is the first report of 42-in.-color plasma display.
[26] Tsutae Shinoda,:” Progress in plasma technologies for Extra-large Screen Displays,” Proc. of ASID ’06, 8-12 Oct, New Delhi、pp.91-96(2006).
media:Progress in plasma technologies.pdf
This paper introduced the new concept of plasma display for extra-large wall display with Flexible Tube technologies.
Key Patents
Tsutae Shinoda made numerous inventions to realize color plasma display panels (PDPs). Among them, the following three patents are particularly important for the development of color PDPs. The key elements of these inventions include the three-electrode structure, reflective structure, stripe rib structure, and high-speed drive (ADS). These inventions represent the most fundamental and critical patents for color PDPs and have become de facto standards.
[P1] "Gas Discharge Panel," Japan Patent, 2,845,183
[Remarks] English Translation of Claim: Claim 1: A gas discharge panel, characterized by the following configuration: A three-electrode surface discharge-type color display panel comprising: A pair of sustain discharge electrodes that generate a sustain discharge, and A write electrode that generates a write discharge, positioned opposite the pair of sustain discharge electrodes, These elements are disposed on a pair of substrates that face each other across a gas discharge space, with at least one of the substrates being transparent. The sustain discharge electrodes are arranged on the transparent substrate located on the observation side, while the other substrate located on the rear side is provided with a phosphor layer that emits light upon discharge between the sustain discharge electrodes. The write electrode is arranged to extend beneath the phosphor layer. The sustain discharge electrodes are formed from a transparent conductive film, with a portion of the transparent conductive film including an electrode lead-out metal material layer extending along its longitudinal direction. The phosphor layer's light emission is made observable through the sustain discharge electrodes and the transparent substrate.
Description: This patent outlines the fundamental technology for a reflective-type PDP. It involves a three-electrode color PDP in which the phosphor is positioned on the rear substrate. UV radiation emitted from the discharge generated on the display electrodes of the front substrate excites the phosphor on the rear substrate, producing light that is emitted toward the front. This enhances the brightness of the display.
[P2] "Full Color Surface Discharge Type Plasma Display Panel," US Patent, 5,661,500, August 26, 1997
Description: This invention provides a method for achieving a high-brightness and high-resolution full-color PDP.
On the rear substrate, ribs are formed on a dielectric layer covering the address electrodes, running parallel to the address electrodes. The inner surfaces of the dielectric layer and ribs are alternately coated with phosphors of the R, G, and B colors. The front substrate has parallel display electrodes covered by a dielectric layer. The two substrates are aligned such that the electrodes are orthogonal to each other and are sealed together with gas enclosed. The ribs create high-resolution discharge spaces on the display electrodes. Although this is also a reflective-type structure like Patent [P1], the phosphors are formed across the entire surface of the rear substrate and ribs. This enables high brightness and wide viewing angles in the display.
[P3] "Method and Circuit for Gradationally Driving a Flat Display Panel," US Patent, 5,541,618, July 30, 1996
Description: This patent describes a method for achieving 256 levels of brightness for each dot of R, G, and B in a PDP.
Utilizing the ability of AC-PDPs to retain wall charges for extended periods, the system sequentially selects dots along the address electrodes during an address period, based on the display data, and generates discharges to establish wall charges across the entire screen. Afterward, a sustain discharge pulse is applied to the entire screen to display the image. This operation is repeated, with the display time modified in ratios of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128 to create 256 gradations for each color dot of R, G, and B. Since R, G, and B each have 256 gradations, the display achieves 16.77 million colors (256 x 256 x 256), suitable for HDTV. By performing this operation 60 times per second, the system enables smooth video display.
Awards for Dr. Shinoda
Tsutae Shinoda has received numerous prestigious awards for his achievements in the development of color PDPs. Below are some of the most notable examples:
[A4] Japan Prime Minister Patent Award, 2002
This award was granted for the invention of the high-speed driving method (ADS).
[A5] Karl Ferdinand Braun Award, The Society for Information Display, 2003
Media: Karl Ferdinand Braun.pdf
Retrieved December 26, 2024: https://www.sid.org/Awards/Individual-Honors-and-Awards/KARL-FERDINAND-BRAUN-AWARD
This award recognized the practical implementation of 21-inch and 42-inch color PDPs. It is one of the most prestigious awards given by SID.
[A6] Purple Ribbon Medal from the Emperor of Japan, Japan Government, 2004
This award was conferred in recognition of his significant contributions to the advancement of science and technology over many years. The Purple Ribbon Medal is one of the honors bestowed by the Emperor of Japan for remarkable achievements in the fields of science and technology, academic research, sports, and arts.
[A8] IEEE HONORARY MEMBERSHIP, 2007
Media: IEEE HONORARY MEMBER.pdf
Historical Significance
Background
In 1990s, cathode ray tube (CRT) displays were released in sizes up to 37 inches as large-screen displays, but this was the limit for CRT size expansion.
As alternatives to CRTs for large displays, technologies like Plasma displays (both of DC-type and AC-type), VFD (Vacuum Fluorescent Display) and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) were developed in a competitive race. However, VFDs faced difficulties with scaling up due to the need to maintain a vacuum within the device. Similarly, LCDs, which relied on TFT (Thin Film Transistor) technology, were considered limited to around 20 inches and were primarily focused on small, high-definition displays for computer markets. Meanwhile, plasma displays initially found practical applications in small orange displays for laptop computers( mainly DC-type) and information display (mainly AC-type) around 2000. However, due to their inability to achieve color display, plasma screens lost the market to LCDs, leaving the PDP (Plasma Display Panel) industry in a state of collapse. But Fujitsu had continued for information display in small business with AC PDP.
On the other hand, a large wall-mounted television screen had long been a dream for display engineers. Among those who pursued this vision most enthusiastically was NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). In 1972, NHK compared plasma displays, liquid crystal displays, and other candidates for flat-panel displays. Concluding that plasma displays were the most suitable, they began research using DC-type plasma display panels (PDPs). By 1978, NHK had succeeded in displaying television images on a 16-inch DC-type PDP. The grayscale method used at that time was the subfield method, which had been introduced by Mitsubishi in 1973[21]. However, despite approximately 20 years of continued research, the DC-type PDPs did not reach practical application. In 1978, the remaining challenges were identified as efficiency and brightness, but lifespan and structural complexity were also noted as persistent issues. To address efficiency and brightness, a method utilizing the internal memory of the PDP was considered. In the DC-type PDPs, a pulse memory method that made use of the spatial charges remaining after discharge was developed, and NHK focused its research on this method. Parallel to this, NHK also paid attention to the memory capabilities of AC-type PDPs, which utilized wall charges. Yokosawa, who later became a valuable advisor to Shinoda in the development of color PDPs, turned his attention in 1979 to the surface-discharge AC-PDP, which Shinoda had begun developing. NHK received panels for surface-discharge AC-PDPs with dot-patterned RGB phosphors from Fujitsu and developed the peripheral circuits. In 1983, they successfully displayed five subfield images on a surface-discharge color PDP for the first time and presented this achievement at SID (Society for Information Display). The panel measured 5×5 cm, with 100×100 dots painted with RGB phosphors, and a pitch of 0.5 mm [8]. After comparing the two methods, NHK decided to focus its development efforts on the DC-type PDP utilizing pulse memory. In 1986, they unveiled a 20-inch color PDP TV, and in 1989, they introduced a 33-inch model. The 33-inch PDP adopted the subfield method as the driving method for displaying high-definition images. However, due to insufficient driving speed, the panel was divided into two upper and lower sections, and one each line for the upper and lower halves, that is two scanning lines, were addressed simultaneously to improve addressing speed [10]. Nevertheless, as of 1994, efficiency, brightness, lifespan, and structural complexity remained unresolved challenges [9], and practical application had not yet been achieved.
Despite these challenges, Fujitsu achieved a 640x400 color PDP in 1992 and showcased it at that year’s Electronics Show, followed by its release. In 1993, Fujitsu introduced a 21-inch color PDP TV, and in 1996, a 42-inch model was launched. Thus, ultra-large flat-screen TVs exceeding 40 inches were first made practical by PDP technology. Observing the market development of color PDP TVs, the LCD industry began to target the large-screen TV market. In 2000, a 30-inch widescreen LCD TV was released for the first time, followed by a 45-inch model in 2003. During this period, plasma TVs pioneered a new market for large screens, with LCDs subsequently catching up.
Plasma display
Tsutae Shinoda enrolled in the Faculty of Engineering at Hiroshima University in 1968. In 1971, while selecting a topic for his graduation thesis, he visited several laboratories. One of these was the laboratory of Lecturer Dr.Heiju Uchiike, a mentor who had completed his doctoral studies at Tohoku University and had recently joined the Faculty of Engineering at Hiroshima University. At the time, Dr. Uchiike, then a lecturer, was conducting commissioned research on plasma displays for Fujitsu Laboratories. Although Shinoda initially wanted to engage in the emerging field of semiconductor research, Dr. Uchiike advised him otherwise, stating, "Many people are working on semiconductors, so it is impossible to become the best in the world. Instead, let’s do something no one else is doing." He encouraged Shinoda to research plasma display panels (PDP). At that time, few people were familiar with terms like "plasma display" or "wall-mounted television," and this was the first time Shinoda learned about plasma displays. At that time, Fujitsu Laboratories was advancing research on orange-colored AC plasma displays (PDP) as a candidate for flat-panel displays for computers, under a patent license from the University of Illinois. The AC-type PDP featured a structure in which the electrodes were covered with an insulating layer. However, there were issues: the discharge surface was made of lead glass, leading to high driving voltages and short lifespans. Fujitsu attempted to address these problems by coating the lead glass with a thin protecting layer. For this purpose, they enlisted Dr. Uchiike, who had been researching secondary electron emission from insulating films caused by electron impacts at Tohoku University, to develop the protectiog layer materials with high secondary electron emission jield by ion bombardment. After completing his doctoral studies, Dr. Uchiike joined Hiroshima University, where he continued research on PDP protecting layers. Shinoda decided to conduct his graduation thesis in this laboratory, initiating foundational research on protecting layers under Dr. Uchiike's guidance. PDPs emit light by discharging mixed noble gases, primarily neon with trace amounts of xenon, argon, and helium, emitting neon-colored light. The discharge voltage depended on the secondary electron emission from the discharge surface and exceeded several hundred volts at the time. The surface of the lead glass exposed to the discharge also faced ion impacts from the gas discharge. Over prolonged operation, the lead glass would deteriorate, causing fluctuations in the driving voltage. Thus, the protecting layer required two key properties: low discharge voltage and resistance to ion impacts. Drawing from his experience in secondary electron emission, Dr. Uchiike proposed using MgO. A custom-made device was built to measure secondary electrons generated by ion impacts, confirming that MgO exhibited high secondary electron emission yield. This led to the first experimental proof that higher secondary electron emission resulted in lower discharge initiation voltage, demonstrating MgO's excellence as a protecting layer. In 1973, Dr. Uchiike and Fujitsu presented these findings at IEDM, marking a global milestone[29][30]. MgO achieved the initial goals of low-voltage operation at about 90V and a lifespan exceeding 100,000 hours, leading to the practical application of monochrome AC-PDPs. Subsequently, MgO thin film became the standard protecting layer for all AC-PDP products, including both monochrome and color displays. The invention of the MgO protective layer involved contributions from three different companies: Fujitsu, IBM, and Owens-Illinois, leading to patent disputes in U.S. courts. Ultimately, Owens-Illinois was granted the patent rights
Tsutae Shinoda joined Fujitsu laboratories in 1973 and has been engaged in development of AC PDP after graduating Hiroshima University. In the middle of 1970’s Fujitsu labs. transferred their research achievements of monochrome PDPs to the production department and started to look for the new subject. In those days, the AC PDPs were come into the practical use by using the opposed type discharge. To realize the color PDP with the structure, the color phosphor and the discharging gas, which emits the ultra violet ray by the discharge and excites the phosphor, were used. However the life time was very short, that was about 100 hours, because of the phosphor degradation by the ion bombardment. Many research groups including Fujitsu and University of Illinois researched this structure but they stopped the research because they could not overcome the life issue and judged that this is the dead end. Thus, Fujitsu laboratories decided to stop the research on plasma display. However, he investigated the methods for the colorizing PDP. Then he noticed the surface discharge method that was once researched by Fujitsu for color plasma display but was stopped[1]. Also, he found this method was researched in Bell laboratories for monochrome PDPs [2]. He thought color PDP would be realized if both technologies were combined.
The development break-through of the color PDPs by the three-electrode surface discharge structure. Shinoda started a trial of surface discharge type color PDP in 1979. He made the small panel that consists of two intersected electrodes which are covered by the dielectric layer respectively on a glass plate so called two electrodes surface discharge type PDP[3]. The stripes of three-color phosphor layer like French national flag were formed on the other glass plate. He was so excited when he saw the brighter light from the panel than his expect as shown in the following Photo and he was sure the possibility of the practical use. He showed this panel to his boss and persuaded him to start the color PDP research. His boss agreed with him finally. The Japanese character means love.
He found the life time of the phosphor layer was extended more than 2000 hours with his test panel however he also found the voltage rise because of the degradation of the dielectric layer at the cross point of the two electrodes. This was caused by the ion bombardment because of the strong electrical field. He considered the function of the electrodes and he finally reached to the idea of the three electrodes surface discharge structure in which the cell selection function and display function of the electrodes were separated in1982 [4].
The invention of reflective surface-discharge structure and success of the world first three-color PDP At the beginning, the transparent structure was adopted in which the phosphor layer is placed in front of the discharge and the emission from the phosphor go through this layer in 1979. Although the structure improved the life time, the remained issue was low luminance. He invented the reflective structure in which the phosphor layer is placed back of the discharge in 1988[6]. The structure improved the luminance and life time at the same time and achieved 10,000 hours operation life time that was the goal for the production. These results persuaded the managers of production department and opened the door to the production. The first color PDP production was 20-inch three colors PDP for financial display in 1990. This consists of red and green phosphors and displayed three colors red, green and yellow. With this product he confirmed the ability of this method with great confidence[7].
He introduced a color plasma display device in 1989 by successfully extending its lifespan to be comparable to that of cathode-ray tubes. In 1990, Fujitsu began production and sale of plasma displays capable of displaying three colors (red, green, and yellow). Subsequently, in 1992, we launched the world’s first full-color plasma display device.
Structure and Operating Principle of Plasma Displays
Introduction
This study focuses on the practical development of surface-discharge color plasma display panels (PDPs), which became the first full-color PDPs to be commercialized globally. The most significant achievements emerged during the research on 21-inch color PDPs. These results paved the way for large-screen, high-resolution, and mass-production of color PDPs.
The research primarily addressed two aspects: the panel structure and driving method, leading to the following key innovations:
1. The invention and practical application of the three-electrode surface-discharge structure for the panel[P1,P2].
2. The invention and practical application of the Address-Display-Separation (ADS) driving method for full-color video display.
The research can be broadly divided into two major steps [P3]:
1. Investigating the fundamental panel structure to enable color display.
2. Studying panel structures and driving methods to achieve high-resolution full-color video display.
Initially, the primary goal of the color PDP research was to develop color displays for computer terminals. Addressing the challenge of developing long-lasting color PDPs required revisiting the fundamental structure. The conventional opposed-discharge structure, applied to monochrome PDPs, was deemed unsuitable, prompting a shift to studying surface-discharge designs[1]. However, conventional approaches to surface-discharge structures proved impractical for commercialization, necessitating the conception of a novel surface-discharge color PDP. By the early 1990s, as the basic panel structure was completed, there was increasing demand for beautiful video displays for both computer monitors and wall-mounted televisions. This called for high-resolution panels and driving methods for full-color video, marking the second stage of the research.
Fundamental Panel Structure for Color Display (Three-Electrode Surface-Discharge Color PDP)
Long Lifespan
Early color PDPs, developed as an extension of monochrome PDP structures, used an opposing-discharge design, as shown in Figure 1(a). This design featured phosphor coatings on the MgO (magnesium oxide) surface, which were excited by ultraviolet light generated during discharge. However, this method exposed the phosphors to direct discharge, causing rapid degradation. To address this issue, research shifted toward high-resolution, multi-color matrix surface-discharge PDPs, as shown in Figure 1(b) [3, 4]. This structure placed dual-layer electrodes on one substrate and generated discharge between them. By separating the discharge area and the phosphor layer, this approach prevented the phosphors from being subjected to high-energy ion bombardment, thus avoiding degradation. However, this design introduced a new problem: high electric fields formed at electrode intersections, causing high-energy ions to impact the MgO surface, leading to its degradation. This resulted in an increase in discharge voltage, posing another technical challenge.
Figure 1 
To address this issue, a three-electrode configuration was devised, which included the following measures: the display electrodes (a pair of display and display-scan electrodes) were designed as parallel electrodes to avoid the application of strong electric fields, and a third electrode (address electrode) was introduced for dot selection[4, 5, 6]. Figure 2 illustrates this cross-sectional structure and an example of a 4×3 matrix electrode arrangement.
Figure 2 
The driving principle of this method is as follows: Dot selection is performed between the address electrode and the display-scan electrode. First, a voltage is applied between the display-scan electrode Y1 and the selected address electrode An (where n corresponds to one of the four selected lines) based on the data to be displayed along this electrode. This generates a discharge at the address cell at their intersection. Subsequently, a sustain pulse is applied between the display electrodes X and Y to maintain the discharge in the display cell. Similarly, a voltage is then applied between Y2 and the address electrode to generate a discharge, followed by the application of a sustain pulse between X and Y. This process is repeated to achieve the display.
High Display Brightness
As described above, weakening the electric field concentrated on the electrodes resolved the lifespan issue caused by this factor. However, this structure presented a new challenge: the brightness was still insufficient for practical display applications. In the structure shown in Figure 2, the discharge occurs behind the phosphor layer. Ultraviolet light generated during discharge excites the phosphor surface, producing visible light. This visible light passes through the phosphor layer and is emitted externally as display light. However, part of the visible light is absorbed by the phosphor layer, reducing the brightness emitted externally. To address this, a reflective design was devised, positioning the phosphor on the rear side so that the light generated on the phosphor surface is directly emitted forward [6,7]. Figure 3 compares the reflective and transmissive structures, with the final adopted design shown on the right, representing the reflective structure.
The structure shown on the right in Figure 3 has the following key features:
1. Discharge occurs on the front side of the phosphor in a reflective configuration.
2. The ribs, which define each discharge cell, also play a crucial role. The phosphor is not only applied to the rear substrate but also formed on the surface of the ribs, resulting in a wider phosphor layer and a higher brightness.
In this design, ultraviolet light generated during discharge does not penetrate the phosphor layer but excites only its surface, producing visible light. The visible light travels in two directions: toward the surface and toward the phosphor layer. The latter is reflected by the phosphor layer, also contributing to the surface emission. Both display electrodes in this structure are transparent electrodes, allowing visible light to be efficiently emitted externally from the panel. This design achieved high brightness.
Figure 3 
Low-Voltage Operation
The introduction of the three-electrode structure proved advantageous for Integrated Circuit (IC) operation. In the conventional opposing-discharge structure, both dot selection and display functions were performed by the same electrodes. Dot selection required a high voltage of approximately 250V to generate discharge. Additionally, since a discharge gas different from that of monochrome PDPs was used to achieve color, the driving voltage was about 100V higher than that of monochrome PDPs. This necessitated the development of a new high-voltage ICs, which was a major hurdle for the commercialization of color PDPs. However, in the three-electrode structure, the combined voltage applied between the address electrode and the scan-side electrode was sufficient at approximately 250V. Moreover, since current flowed only during dot selection, the address electrode could operate at a lower voltage of around 80V and with reduced current. As a result, ICs with voltage tolerance same to those used for monochrome PDPs could be employed, significantly accelerating the realization of color PDPs. Thus, the reflective three-electrode surface-discharge structure was developed, enabling the practical application of color PDPs. By 1989, a three-color (red, green, yellow) PDP for stock exchange displays was commercialized [6,7]. This was the world’s first color PDP product. The panel, with a diagonal size of 50 cm, was significantly larger than conventional PDPs. The dot pitch was 0.8 mm, and the panel used red and green phosphors. The combined emission of these phosphors allowed for yellow display, enabling three-color representation.
Panel Structure and Driving Method for High-Resolution Full-Color Video Display
Achieving full-color display required solving two challenges: developing a high-resolution color PDP structure and researching gray-scale driving technology for video display. These challenges were addressed through research on a 21-inch full-color PDP
Research on High-Resolution Panel Structures
The target specifications for the 21-inch full color PDP were as follows:
• Display capacity: 640 × 480 pixels
• Each pixel consisted of red, green, and blue subpixels (dots) arranged alternately in horizontal stripes.
• This configuration resulted in 1920 dots horizontally and 480 dots vertically.
• The pixel pitch was 0.66 mm in both horizontal and vertical directions, with each dot measuring 0.22 mm × 0.66 mm, achieving unprecedented resolution compared to conventional PDPs.
In contrast, the three-color PDP structure had a complex rib and phosphor arrangement, resulting in a dot pitch of 0.8 mm and lower resolution. For the 21-inch color PDP, the required resolution increased approximately fourfold, with a 0.22 mm pitch. This demanded a new, simplified structure suitable for high resolution. To meet these requirements, research was conducted on a three-electrode PDP with striped ribs and phosphor arrangements. The final practical panel structure is shown in Figure 4 [P2,17].
The key features of this design include transparent parallel electrodes intersecting with striped ribs and phosphor patterns. The ribs served two purposes:
1. Isolating adjacent cells to prevent cross-talk during discharge.
2. Preventing light crosstalk.
The structure adopted for the 21-inch panel was simple, highly suitable for mass production, and facilitated the development of larger and higher-resolution panels. The manufacturing process for color PDPs was also established during the research on the 21-inch PDP [17].
Figure 4 
Research on Gray-Scale Driving Technology for Video Display
The concept of subfields had been proposed for gray-scale representation in AC-type PDPs [12,15,20]. For example, to achieve 256 gray levels without flickering, moving images are divided into 60 frames per second (each frame is referred to as a field). Each field is further divided into eight subfields. The number of emissions in each subfield is assigned in ratios such as 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128. By controlling the brightness based on these ratios, any of 256 levels of brightness can be displayed for each field through their combinations. Previously, this method was explored using a line-simultaneous addressing approach, but it suffered from slow driving speeds and failed to achieve the 256 gray levels necessary for high-definition television (HDTV). This limitation arose because pulses for dot selection (address pulses) and display pulses were mixed, leading to the insertion of redundant pulses and increased processing time[21]. To address this issue, the ADS (Address-Display-Separation) method, shown in Figure 5, was devised and developed [P3,12,20]. This efficient driving method leverages the characteristics of PDPs by temporally separating the address period from the display period as shown in figure 5(a). Since AC-type PDPs have electrodes covered with an insulating layer, the charges generated during discharge can accumulate on the insulating layer and remain there for a prolonged period. By utilizing this property, the ADS method first generates a discharge between the address electrode A and the sustain electrode Y for each dot according to the data during the address period. This process establishes a charge accumulation on the dielectric layer at the cross-section between selected A and Y across the entire panel (wall charges are set in the cells corresponding to the data). This operation is carried out during the address period, where dots are selected. During the display period, sustain pulses are alternately applied to the common X electrode for all dots and the Y electrodes, ensuring that only the cells with wall charges set during the address period sustain discharge (full-screen display). During this phase, sustain pulses are applied for a duration corresponding to the desired brightness level, producing the display. Afterward, the wall charges across the entire screen are erased. This marks the completion of the first subfield.
Figure 5 
Next, wall charges are set across the entire screen again, following the display data. In the second subfield, sustain pulses are applied for a duration twice as long as the first subfield, resulting in double the brightness. In subsequent subfields, this operation is repeated to achieve brightness levels four times, eight times, ... up to 128 times greater. In this way, 256 levels of gray-scale brightness can be achieved. A single cycle completes in 1/60th of a second.
When this process is continuously applied according to the input data, 60 frames per second are displayed, producing video with 256 levels of brightness for each of the red, blue, and green colors. This enables the representation of 16.78 million colors (=256×256×256), making high-definition (HD) video display possible.
This method features the complete separation of the address and display periods, with both periods applied across the entire screen in a temporally uniform manner, as shown in Figure 5(b). As a result, driving speed is improved, enabling the beautiful full-color video display with 256 levels of gray scale for 1000 scan lines, which was previously considered difficult to achieve with AC-type PDPs as shown in figure 6.
Figure 6 
The successful implementation of the 21-inch full-color PDP, a result of the above research, is shown in Figure 7. The success of the 21-inch model established all the foundational technologies for color PDPs, paving the way for large-screen, thin displays exceeding 21 inches—an area where LCD technology could not compete.
Figure 7 
The stripe structure adopted for the 21-inch model became the simplest design among all color PDPs developed at the time.
Figure 8 shows the display and specifications of the 42-inch color PDP developed by Fujitsu in 1996 [18,19]. This display was later commercialized as a wide-screen large-format television.
This structure demonstrated excellent manufacturability, ease of scalability to larger screen sizes, and support for higher resolution. As a result, large-screen color PDPs ranging from 40 to 150 inches were developed based on this foundational structure [25,26].
Figure 8 
The impact to the display industry [23,24]
Monochrome PDPs were increased the production during middle of 1980s as the PC monitor. However, this market was deprived by LCD because PDPs could not realize the color display and the PDP industry was in decline. All of the PDP manufactures except Fujitsu quitted their PDP business until the end of 1980s. However, the 21-inch color PDP changed the tide and the 42-inch color PDP played the absolute roll that told to the world that PDP is the cert of the wall hanging TV[N10]. Mitsubishi electronics and NEC re-joined PDP business and Pioneer joined as a new comer. Panasonic and Hitachi, they produced DC-PDP previously, changed their policy to AC-PDP. Additionally, Samsung and LG electronics in Korea joined to this business. Then the PDP market started to grow very rapidly. At the beginning of the growth was in the industrial and public markets but in 2001 consumer TV market over took the markets. The number of the production was 6.5 milion in 2005 and is expected more than 10 milion in 2007 and the size of the market will reach 50 billion dollars in the future. The success of color PDPs not only saved the PDP industry but also produced the new market of large area flat panel display. Now LCD entered this market which is expected to grow more than 100 billion dollars in the future. Also, PDPs accelerate the popularization of HDTV and digital broadcasting resulting in providing a new image culture.
PDP TV in the New Strategy of Selective and Concentrated Integrated Electrical Manufacturers
In July 1998, Fujitsu and Hitachi, Ltd. entered into a joint development agreement for next-generation PDP technology and its mass production capabilities, initiating their collaboration on PDP. In April 1999, the two companies' senior executives established Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display Limited, a joint venture dedicated to the development, manufacturing, and sales of these products. Consequently, both companies transferred their large-scale PDP operations to this new entity. This strategic alliance aimed to accelerate the development of next-generation PDPs more swiftly than other competitors, while simultaneously advancing new mass production processes to further distinguish themselves in the market.
On the production front, Fujitsu was involved in the mass production of PDPs at Kyushu Fujitsu Electronics Limited. The joint venture acquired the Saki Plant (Kunitomi Town, Higashimoro Prefecture, Miyazaki Prefecture) to serve as a manufacturing subsidiary. As a result of this partnership, the company planned to expand its monthly production capacity from the current 10,000 units to 70,000 units per month by the fiscal year 2001.
World Soccer Takes Off, but Doesn't Slow Down
In April 2001, Hitachi launched the WOOO series and smoothly entered the PDP TV market. The PDP displays were sourced from Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display. This year marked what is often referred to as the first year of plasma television. By June 2002, PDP TVs constituted only 2% of all TV shipments in Japan. However, their sales value approached nearly 670 million dollers (10 billion yen), representing one-quarter of the total TV sales value. Even after the World Cup concluded in July, customer interest showed no signs of waning. Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (now Panasonic), and Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. emerged as the top players in 2002. In terms of shipments, volumes were anticipated to double in fiscal 2002 and quadruple by fiscal 2003. It was predicted that PDP TVs would soon surpass CRT TVs in terms of monetary value. Globally, PDP TV shipments surged from 420,000 units in 2002 to 7.5 million units in 2006, capturing 3.5% of the total market for TVs 10.4 inches and larger. In comparison, LCD TVs accounted for 7.7% of the market in 2006, with shipments rising from 1.3 million units in 2002 to 16.2 million units.
Building the World's Largest Factory
In March 2004, Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display Limited announced an investment of nearly 450 million dollers (75 billion yen) to construct a new plasma panel plant in Miyazaki Prefecture. This decision was made in response to the growing popularity of flat-screen TVs, which led to a surge in demand for panels. By 2007, the company aims to increase its monthly production capacity from the current 50,000 units to 250,000 units. Currently, the production of panels is limited to 55 inches, but the new plant will be equipped to produce panels up to 80 inches. In 2003, the global market for plasma panels was 1.69 million units, with projections estimating it would reach 10 million units by 2007. Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display held the top position with a 25.1% market share in 2003. However, Matsushita Plasma Display, which ranked second, started operations at a new plant in April, while Samsung SDI, ranked third, and LG Electronics, ranked fourth, also ramped up their investments. The continuation of such large-scale investments is seen as a sign of significant expansion in the plasma TV market.
Market Trends for Plasma Display Panels (PDPs)
The 2005 report on industrial trends by the Optoelectronic Industry and Technology Development Association (pp. 119–120) includes the following insights: A rapid shift from CRT, which had long been a dominant force, to flat-panel televisions is underway. In the domestic television market, flat-panel televisions surpassed CRTs not only in value but also in unit sales in 2005. PDPs are playing a significant role in the large-screen television market for meter-sized displays, and like LCD TVs, the global market is expanding faster than anticipated. Various demand forecasts for plasma display are being made, and for reference, Figure 9 presents a demand forecast compiled by Denpa Shimbun. In fiscal year 2005, shipments were expected to exceed 5 million units, with forecasts of surpassing 8 million units in fiscal year 2006. By 2007, the market was projected to surpass 10 million units, reaching 15 million units in fiscal year 2009, coinciding with the Beijing Olympics. These projections far exceeded market forecasts from two to three years earlier.
Figure 9 
Traditionally, projection TVs dominated the market for televisions over 40 inches, with a market size of approximately 5 million units centered in North America. However, PDPs are rapidly expanding this market. The European and American markets, in particular, have seen significant growth, with Japan’s share retreating to around 15%, while Europe and the United States together account for nearly 70%, making them the primary markets for PDP TVs. Moving forward, the Chinese and Asian markets are also expected to grow, and by 2010, the global market share distribution is forecasted to be approximately 10% for Japan, 35% for North America, 27% for Europe, and 13% for China.
The growth of PDPs can be attributed to steady improvements in product technology. Enhancements include better image quality capable of reproducing high-quality video content such as movies from DVDs and digital broadcasts, annual power consumption comparable to LCDs on a per-display-area basis, and improved quality and reliability. Additionally, significant market expansion factors include substantial initial investments and ongoing price reductions. The retail price of a standard-definition 42-inch PDP TV has dropped well below $2,000, with high-definition 42-inch models priced around $3,000 and 50-inch models around $4,000.
Companies like Panasonic, LG, and Samsung SDI are actively investing to achieve market dominance, operating large-scale production lines capable of manufacturing six 42-inch panels simultaneously. Reports indicate plans to accelerate factory construction, with Panasonic expected to reach a monthly production capacity of 425,000 units and LG 550,000 units by fiscal year 2006, intensifying competition in market share and cost reduction.
In terms of product development, the focus is on full-HD panels. Historically, PDPs used 768-line scanning panels for HDTVs. With large-screen LCDs adopting 1,080-line full-HD panels, achieving higher resolution and definition became a challenge for PDPs. However, the fall of 2005 saw the development and prototyping of full-HD PDPs, showcasing superior image quality. Efforts to develop large-screen PDPs utilizing multi-panel production lines are also active, with ultra-large 103-inch PDPs drawing attention at exhibitions.
Japan’s PDP module production is dominated by three companies: Panasonic, FHP, and Pioneer. Panasonic's market share has grown, particularly with the operational start of its Amagasaki plant in the fall of 2005. The production value in fiscal year 2004 was 1.369 billion dollers (205.4 billion yen), up 12.8%, and was projected to rise by 13.4% to 233 billion yen in fiscal year 2005. While production volume saw even more significant growth, annual price declines exceeding 30% kept the value figures somewhat subdued. In 2006, reflecting further global market expansion, the strengthening of new production lines, an increased proportion of high-resolution modules, and a slowdown in price reductions, high growth of 37.5% is projected, reaching 155.3 million dollers (320.4 billion yen). The production value of PDP displays is expected to be approximately 2.623 billion dollers (393.5 billion yen) in 2005, roughly on par with the previous year. For 2006, a growth of 12.3% is forecasted, reaching 2.946 billion dollers (441.9 billion yen).
Although Japan’s PDP module production accounts for over 50% of the global total, about 70% of these modules are used in televisions manufactured overseas. Due to factors such as transportation costs and tariff issues, there is a strong trend toward local production of PDP TVs overseas. As this trend continues, it is crucial for Japan to further enhance the competitiveness of its PDP modules.
The Decline of PDP
In the latter half of the 2000s, as the mainstream display technology shifted from cathode ray tubes to thin displays, plasma TVs, which competed with LCDs for dominance in the flat-screen TV market, peaked around 2008. However, they began to lose global market share annually due to technological advancements and the lower prices achieved through mass production of LCDs, which became larger, thinner, more energy-efficient, and offered better image quality. Additionally, the falling prices of LCD TVs and their growing market share, coupled with a price reduction battle among Japanese and Korean electronics companies, led to a significant decrease in plasma TV prices. For example, the average price of a 42-inch plasma TV in the US market dropped from $3,026 in 2005 to $487 in 2010, roughly one-sixth of the original price. By 2014, all major manufacturers in Japan and Korea had announced their withdrawal from the plasma TV market. On October 31, 2014, the last company, China’s Sichuan Changhong, also ceased production, marking the end of the plasma display era.
What obstacles (technical, political, geographic) needed to be overcome?
Obstacles to be overcome
Obstacles in 1970s
Tsutae Shinoda joined Fujitsu laboratories in 1973 and has been engaged in development of AC PDP. In the middle of 1970’s Fujitsu labs. transferred their research achievements of monochrome PDPs to the production department and started to look for the new subject. In those days, the AC PDPs were come into the practical use by using the opposed type discharge. To realize the color PDP with the structure, the color phosphor and the discharging gas, which emits the ultra violet ray by the discharge and excites the phosphor, were used. However the life time was very short, that was about 100 hours, because of the phosphor degradation by the ion bombardment. Many research groups including Fujitsu and University of Illinois researched this structure but they stopped the research because they could not overcome the life issue and judged that this is the dead end. Thus, Fujitsu laboratories decided to stop the research on plasma display. However, he investigated the methods for the colorizing PDP. Then he noticed the surface discharge method that was once researched by Fujitsu for color plasma display but was stopped. Also, he found this method was researched in Bell laboratories for monochrome PDPs. He thought color PDP would be realized if both technologies were combined.
The development break-through of the color PDPs by the three-electrode surface discharge structure
Dr. Shinoda started a trial of surface discharge type color PDP in 1979. He made the small panel that consists of two intersected electrodes which are covered by the dielectric layer respectively on a glass plate so called two electrodes surface discharge type PDP. The stripes of three-color phosphor layer like French national flag were formed on the other grass plate. He was excited when he saw the brighter light from the panel than his expect and he was sure the possibility of the practical use. He showed this panel to his boss and persuaded him to start the color PDP research. His boss agreed with him finally. He found the life time of the phosphor layer was extended more than 2000 hours with his test panel however he also found the voltage rise because of the degradation of the dielectric layer at the cross point of the two electrodes. This was caused by the ion bombardment because of the strong electrical field. He considered the function of the electrodes and he finally reached to the idea of the three electrodes surface discharge structure in which the cell selection function and display function of the electrodes were separated in1982.
The invention of reflective surface-discharge structure and success of the world first three-color PDP
At the beginning, the transparent structure was adopted in which the phosphor layer is placed in front of the discharge and the emission from the phosphor go though this layer in 1979. Although the structure improved the life time, the remained issue was low luminance. He invented the reflective structure in which the phosphor layer is placed back of the discharge in 1988. The structure improved the luminance and life time at the same time and achieved 10,000 hours operation life time that was the goal for the production. These results persuaded the managers of production department and opened the door to the production. The first color PDP production was 20-inch three colors PDP for financial display in 1990. This consists of red and green phosphors and displayed three colors red, green and yellow. With this product he confirmed the ability of this method with great confidence.
The invention of the gradation method and the development of 21-inch and 42-inch full color PDPs
He started his new project with 5 colleagues to realize a full color PDP in 1991. The target of the project was a 21-inch full color PDP with VGA (640 x 480) resolution. The pixel pitch was 0.8 mm in three colors PDP but it was 0.22 mm in the 21-inch full color PDP. Thus 4 times higher resolution was required to achieve this, then he invented the stripe rib structure that has the rib only on the one substrate (1990). This structure is so simple comparing to the previous color PDPs’ structure. He judged that the high-resolution panel could be manufactured with the current technologies. The fabrication of the high-resolution panel had many difficulties but the team developed new material for the rib, new rib structure, new electrode structure and new phosphor fabrication method then finally the production process of full color PDP was completed in 1992. On the other hand, there was not a good driving method to display a moving image with 256 gray levels those are standard of HDTV. He analyzed the limitation and found that, using the wall charge, high speed driving can be realized by separating the pixel selection period and displaying period. This method was named address display period separation (ADS) method. As a result of the development, a 256 gray scale in 21-inch color PDP became possible in 1990. In January of 1993, the world first full color 21-inch PDP were released. He had been thinking that real target market of PDP was larger than 40-inch that CRT cannot realize. So, he started to develop a 42-inch in April of 1993. At that time sand-blast method for the rib formation method and special glass of PD200 that had been asked the development to the glass company were introduced to improve the accuracy. As a result, the world first 42-inch color PDP was released 1996.
What features set this work apart from similar achievements?
Features of PDP
Advantages
(1) Cost-Effectiveness for Larger Models: Historically, larger models were cheaper than LCDs (as of 2011, there was almost no price difference for models 60 inches or less).
(2) Wide Viewing Angle: Plasma TVs offer a wide viewing angle.
(3) Fast Response Speed: Ensures smooth motion in sports programs and action movies, reducing video blurring due to afterimage. With flat gamma characteristics, faithful gradation performance can be achieved with a relatively simple circuit.
(4) High Contrast: Capable of expressing images with a three-dimensional effect (compared to LCD TVs).
(5) Enhanced Video Resolution: Manufacturers promoting plasma TVs have developed their own "video resolution" index to demonstrate that actual definition is unlikely to be impaired even with fast-moving objects.
(6) Dynamic Brightness Control: Suppresses screen brightness as the white area increases, reducing glare and easing eye strain.
(7) Reduced Flicker: Less flicker compared to other display types.
(8) Greater Screen Strength: Higher screen strength compared to LCDs, making panel cracking less likely.
(9) Long Lifespan: Plasma panel lifespan is 100,000 hours (five times that of a cathode ray tube) until brightness is halved.
Disadvantages
(1) High Maximum Power Consumption: The maximum power consumption of a plasma TV is measured when all RGB pixels are 100% lit in full white display. Since some pixels rest during normal video playback, the power consumption fluctuates based on the projected image, with actual consumption typically around two-thirds of the maximum. Calculating actual electricity costs from annual power consumption shows it to be about 160% higher compared to LCD TVs of the same size (see the "LCD TVs" section for details).
(2) Difficulty in Miniaturization: Plasma TVs are challenging to miniaturize, making them less suitable for personal use.
(3) Limited Smaller Models: As of 2011, LCD TVs are available in sizes smaller than 20 inches, while major manufacturers’ plasma TVs start at 37 inches. However, smaller plasma models are less competitive, with only 42-inch and larger TVs being widely sold.
(4) Lower High-Definition Capability: Achieving high definition is more difficult compared to LCDs.
(5) Screen Reflection: The screen reflects light, necessitating consideration of reflection during installation. Recently, models with low-reflection panels have been introduced.
(6) Screen Burn-In: Similar to CRT TVs, plasma screens are prone to burn-in when displaying still images for prolonged periods. Current models incorporate measures to mitigate this issue, making it less of a critical disadvantage.
(7) Persistent Bands with 4:3 Video: Constant display of 4:3 video may leave bands on either side of the screen, prompting manufacturers to include gray back screen savers to counter this.
(8) seudo-Gradation: AC-driven plasma can only toggle red (R), green (G), and blue (B) on or off, relying on pulse drive to create the appearance of gradation. This results in a narrower color gamut compared to LCDs, which can adjust both the backlight and transmission filter. However, the latest plasma models support x.v.Color and can reproduce a high color gamut of 120% of the HDTV standard (ITU-R BT709).
Why was the achievement successful and impactful?
The achievement of developing the Color Plasma Display was successful and impactful due to its groundbreaking technology and significant contributions to the display industry. Color Plasma Displays allowed for the production of large, high-quality screens with excellent color reproduction, wide viewing angles, and high contrast ratios. This innovation not only enhanced the viewing experience for consumers but also set new standards for display technology, paving the way for future advancements in flat-panel displays. The widespread adoption of Color Plasma Displays in various applications, from home entertainment to professional uses, underscores their lasting impact and importance in the history of display technology.
Supporting texts and citations to establish the dates, location, and importance of the achievement: Minimum of five (5), but as many as needed to support the milestone, such as patents, contemporary newspaper articles, journal articles, or chapters in scholarly books. 'Scholarly' is defined as peer-reviewed, with references, and published. You must supply the texts or excerpts themselves, not just the references. At least one of the references must be from a scholarly book or journal article. All supporting materials must be in English, or accompanied by an English translation.
Bibliography
Papers&Website
[1] S. Sato, et. al.,” Surface-Discharge-Type Plasma Display Panel, ” IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, vol.23,no.3, pp.328-331,（1976）.
Media:1976 Surface Discharge Type Plasma Display Panel.pdf
[2] G. W. Dick, ”Single Substrate AC Plasma Display,” SID '74,Digest, pp.124-125,(1974).
Media:1974 Single Substrate AC Plasma Display.pdf
[3] Tsutae Shinoda, Yoshinori Miyashita, and Kazuo Yoshikawa,:” Characteristics of Surface-discharge Color AC-Plasma Display Panels,” SID 81 Digest, pp.164-165(1981)
Media:Characteristics of Surface-discharge.pdf
[4] T. Shinoda and A. Niinuma,: “Logically addressable Surface Discharge ac Plasma Display Panels with a New Write Electrode,” SID 1984, Digest, pp.172-175 ,(1984).
Media:Logically Adressable.pdf
[5] G. W. Dick,“Three-Electrode Per Pel AC Plasma Display Panel”, 1985 Int. Display Res. Conf., pp.45-50, (1985).
[6] T.Shinoda, M. Wakitani, T. Nanto, T, Kurai, N. Awaji, M. Suzuki,:" Improvement of Luminance and Luminous Efficiency of Surface-Discharge Color ac ＰＤＰ," SID 1991 Digest, p.724-727,(1991).
Media:Improvement of Luminance.pdf
[7] T.Nanto, M.Suzuki, N.Awaju, T.kurai, M.Wakitani,:“Optical characteristics of reflection-type Surface-Discharge AC Plasma Display Panels,” IDY 91-125, pp.51-56(1991)
[8] Minori Yokozawa, Seiji Sega, Hideomi Matsuzaki, ”Color TV Display with AC-PDP”, Japan Display ’83, pp.514-517,(1983).
Media:1983 Color TV Display with AC-PDP.pdf
[9]K.Takahashi,Y.Sasaoka,T.Atsumi,N.Ishobe,F.Sakamoto,N.Kosugi,K.Wani,H.Murakami,T.sakai,”A Long-life 26-in. dc Pulse-Memory Color PDP with Resister-in-cell Structure.,:SID DIGEST,pp.715-718, (1994).
Media:1994 A long-Life 26-in. dc Pulse-Memory Color PDP withResist.pdf
[10]Hiroshi Murakami, et.al., ”A 33-in.-Diagonal HDTV Display Using Gas Discharge Pulse Memory Technology”,”SID 91 Digest. Pp.713-716,(1991).
Media:A 33-in.-Diagonal HDTV.pdf
[11] T.Shinoda, M.Wakitani, T.Nanto, K.Yoshikawa, A.Otsuka, T.Hirose. ; "Development of Technologies in Large-Area Color ac Plasma Displays," SID 1993 Digest, pp.161-164,（1993）
media:Development of Technologies in Large-Area.pdf
[12] K.Yoshikawa, Y.Kanazawa, T.Shinoda, and A.Ohtsuka,:” A Full Color AC Plasma Display with 256 Gray Scale,“ JAPAN DISPLAY, pp.605-608 (1992).
[13] T.Shinoda,K.Kariya, M.Wakitani, A. Otsuka, T.Hirose,: ”Development of large Color ac Plasma Display Panels,” THPM 15.2 IEEE, pp.254-255(1996)
media:⑬ Development of large color ac plasma display panels.pdf
[14] S.Kanagu, T.Shinoda et al.:" A 31-in.-Diagonal Full-color Surface-Discharge ac Plasma Display Panel, "SID 1992, Digest, pp.713-716,(1992).
media:⑬ A 31-in.-Diagonal Full-color.pdf
[15]Tsutae SHINODA, “Color Plasma Display and Process Technologies for Making Fine Structures in Large Area,” International Conference on Micromechatronics for Information and Precision Equipment, pp.297-301,(1997).
Media:1997 Color Plasma Display and Process.pdf
[16] T.Nanto,Tsutae.Shinoda,Y.Awata.T.Kurai,M.Suzuki,:” A 15-in-Diagonal Color Surface Discharge AC-Plasma Display Panel,”Japan Display,pp.202-205, (1998)
Media:⑥ A 15 in Diagonal Surface discha.pdf
[17] Tsutae Shinoda, Masayuki Wakitani, Toshiyuko Nanto, Niriyuki Awaji, and Shinji Kanagu: “Development of Panel Structure for a High-Resolution 21-in-Diagonal Full-Color Surface-Discharge Plasma Display Panel”, IEEE Transaction on Electron Devices, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 77-81, January 2000
Media: Development of Panel Structure.pdf
[18] T.Hirose ,K.Kariya, M.Wakitani, A.Ohtsuka, T.Shinoda,; ”Performance Features of a 42-in.-Diagonal Color Plasma Display,” SID 1996 Digest. pp. 279-282, （1996）.
[19] Tsutae Shinoda,:” Reserch and Development of Surface Discharege Color Plasma Display,” IDRC( January 1998)
media:⑮Research and Development of Surface Discharge Color.pdf
[20] Tsutae Shinoda, Masayuki Wakitani, and Kazuo Yoshikawa, "High Level Gray scale for AC Plasma Display Panels Using Address-Display-Period-Separation Sub-Field Method," IEICE Transactions on Electronics, Vol. J81-C-II, No. 3, pp.349-355, (1998) (in Japanese).
media:㉑ High Level Gray Scale for AC Plasma Display Panels using Address.pdf
[21] K.Kurahashi, H.Tottori, F.Isogai, N.Tsuruta,:” Plasma display with gray scale,” SID Digest, pp.70-71,(1973).
[22] Tsutae Shinoda,:”PDP Manufacturing,” SID 2000, (January 2000)
[23] Heijyu UCHIIKE and Takayoshi HIRAKAWA,: “Color Plasma Display,” PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE, VOL. 90, NO. 4, pp.533-539,(APRIL 2002）
media:㉓ Color_Plasma_Displays.pdf
[24] Larry F. Weber,:”History of the Plasma Display Panel,” IEEE Transaction ON PLASMA SCIENCE, VOL.34, NO2, pp.268-278,(2006)
Media:㉔ History_of_the_plasma_display_panel.pdf
[25] Tsutae Shinoda and Kenji Awamoto,:” Plasma Dispaly Technologies for Large Area Screen and Cost Reduction,” IEEE Transaction on Plasma science,Vol.34, NO.2, pp.279-286 (April 2006)
[26] Tsutae Shinoda,:” Progress in plasma technologies for Extra-large Screen Displays,” Proc. of ASID ’06, 8-12 Oct, New Delhi、pp.91-96(2006).
media:Progress in plasma technologies.pdf
[27] T.YANO,K.UCHIDA, G.UCHIDA,Tsutae SHINODA, andH.Kajiyama,: “Panel Processing Effects on Discharge Characteristics of Plasma Display Panels,” J.Vac.Soc.Jpn.Vol.55,No.3 pp.35-38, (2013)
media:㉗ Panel Processing Effects.pdf
[28] Wikipedia: "Comparison of CRT, LCD, plasma, and OLED displays"
Retrieved 26 December 2024: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_CRT,_LCD,_plasma,_and_OLED_displays
[29] H.Uchiike, N.Nakayama, M.Ohsawa,:“Secondary Electron Emission Characteristics of Dielectric Materials in Plasma Display、” IEEE Int. Electron Devices Meeting （IEDM）,Digest, pp.191-194 (1973).
[30] H. Uchiike、K. Miura, N. Nakayama,T. Shinoda, Y. Fukushima,:“Secondary electron emission characteristics of dielectric materials in AC-operated plasma display panels,” IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices 、 Volume: 23, Issue: 11, pp. 1211 - 1217、（November 1976）.
key Patents
[P1] "Gas discharge panel", Japan Patent, 2,845,183
[Remarks] Translation in English: Claim in Patent: [Claim 1] A plurality of pairs of parallel display electrodes that define a display line are arranged on a substrate on the display surface side, and a plurality of address electrodes are arranged perpendicularly to the display electrodes on the substrate on the back side. Three types of phosphors with different emission colors are arranged relative to each other. A strip-shaped partition wall, which concludes the discharge space and defines the gap dimension of the discharge space, is disposed between the address electrodes. The phosphor is provided in strip form between the respective partition walls.
[P2] "Full Color Surface Discharge Type Plasma Display Panel", US Patent, 5,661,500, 1997.8.26
[P3] "Method and Circuit for Gradationally Driving A Flat Display Panel", US Patent, 5,541,618, 1996.7.30
News paper and Magazine
[N1] "Fujitsu to Pioneer PDP Market with Mass Production System by FY1994", Nihon Kogyo News, 19 April, 1993
Original Article written in Japanese: Media:NihonKogyo_News_Japanese.pdf
Translation in English: Media: NihonKogyo_News_English.pdf
[N2] "Color TV with multimedia use will release by Fujitsu General", Nihon Keizai News, 1 September, 1993
[Remarks] (first four lines of article transtrated in English) Fujitsu General will release a 21" color plasma TV for multimedia use at the end of November. It features a compact, slim display panel with a depth of 6cm. (last two lines of article transtrated in English) The product is priced at $10,000. The company anticipates producing 500 units per month.
[N3] “Fujitsu Success in Multi-Color” by Nippon Kogyo News, March 17, 1987
media:Nippon Kogyo News 1987.pdf
[Remarks] (Translation in English)
“Fujitsu Success in Multi-Color”, “Approaching the Realization of Wall-Mounted Televisions” Firsts four vertical lines: Fujitsu (President: Takuma Yamamoto) has successfully developed a prototype of a multi-color plasma display capable of displaying red, blue, and green. Plasma displays are considered prime candidates for wall-mounted televisions due to their thin, flat design that requires minimal depth. The newly developed display operates at low-voltage AC and has reached practical levels in terms of lifespan and brightness. While it cannot yet be directly used for color televisions due to its inability to produce intermediate tones, it represents a significant step forward toward the realization of wall-mounted televisions. Building on this achievement, Fujitsu plans to prioritize the commercialization of multi-color plasma displays for use in information processing applications.
[N4] "Mass-Production for Wall Hanging TV" by Nihon Keizai News, June 14, 1995
Media:Nihon Keizai News 1995.pdf
[Remarks] (translation in English) "Mass-Production for Wall Hanging TV", "42-in. diagonal plasma," "New Factory in the Next Year", "Fujitsu Invest 600M＄" First paragraph: Fujitsu to Begin Mass Production of Wall-Mounted TVs: A World First Fujitsu is set to become the world's first company to embark on mass production of wall-mounted televisions. In 1996, the company plans to construct a factory in Miyazaki prefecture dedicated to producing 42-inch (approximately 1 meter) color plasma display panels (PDPs). The total investment for the project is expected to reach approximately 60 billion yen, comparable to investments in semiconductors and LCDs. PDPs, which are only 5 to 6 centimeters thick, can deliver high-resolution large-screen images and are anticipated to become a key visual display device for the multimedia era, supporting both televisions and personal computers. Fujitsu aims to commercialize the technology as a primary display device for high-definition television (HDTV) broadcasts, set to begin in 1997. With Fujitsu's entry into mass production, PDPs are expected to evolve into a major high-tech product, potentially becoming a key tool to prevent the domestic hollowing out of Japan's electronics and information industries. (For details on color plasma display panels, refer to "Today's Terminology."
[N5] by EDN innovation
Media:EDN Innovations 1994.pdf
[N6] Electronics Products
Media:Electro Products 1994.pdf
[N7] "HP puts NYSE"
[N8] Nihon Keizai News, August 25, 1995
Media:Nihon Keizai News August.pdf
[Remarks] (Translation in English) (the first paragraph): Fujitsu officially announced on the 24th that it would begin mass production of 42-inch color plasma display panels (PDPs), a thin display device for wall-mounted televisions, starting in October 1996. Over the next five years, through 2000, the company plans to invest 60 billion yen to establish a production capacity of 100,000 units per month, based on 42-inch panel equivalents. Large-screen, thin display devices for wall-mounted TVs are expected to be the biggest growth product in the electronics industry as the multimedia era unfolds. NEC and Matsushita Electric Industrial have already committed to significant investments, while Sony has announced its entry into the market with an alternative approach. Fujitsu, regarded as the frontrunner in the PDP field, has effectively ignited the mass-production race with this formal announcement.
[N9] "Hang-on-the-wall TV approaches,thanks to Fujitsu" Electronics Oct.26,1992
Media:1992 21-in. color PDP electoronics show 1.pdf
[N10]"Building the Era of Wall-Mounted TVs and Advancing PDP Commercialization" Denpa News Oct.17,1995
Media:1995 Denpa Newsaper-PDP commercialization.pdf
Media:1995_Translation_Denpa_Newsaper-PDP.pdf
Awards
[A1] SID special recognition awards, 1993
[A2] SID Fellow Awards, The Society for Information Display, 1993
[A3] Japan Science & Technologies Minister Awards, Japan Goverment, 2000
[A4] Japan Prime Minister Patent Award, 2002
[Remarks] (Tramstlation in English) Your invention, "Method for Displaying Television Images on Plasma Display Panels", was recognized as especially outstanding following the review process at the 2002 (Heisei 14) National Invention Award Ceremony hosted by the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation. Therefore, we honor this achievement. June 19, 2002 (Heisei 14), by Junichiro Koizumi (Prime Minister)
[A5] Kerl Ferdinand Braun Award, The Society for Information Display, 2003
Media:Kerl Ferdinand Braun.pdf
Retrieved 26 December 2024: https://www.sid.org/Awards/Individual-Honors-and-Awards/KARL-FERDINAND-BRAUN-AWARD
[Remarks] The society for Information Display has awarded the Kerl Ferdinand Braun Prize for outstanding contributions to Display Technologies to Tsutae Shinoda. For the pioneering innovations and outstanding contributions to commercializing color plasma displays. May 2003
[A6] Purple Ribbon Medal from Japan Emperor, Japan Boverment, 2004
[Remarks] (Translation in English) The Emperor of Japan hereby awards the Purple Ribbon Medal to Tsutae Shinoda for many years of dedicated efforts in the field of science and technology and contributions to the advancement of this field. April 29, 2004 (Heisei 16) Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Director of the Decorations Bureau, Cabinet Office: Kensuke Katsuno
[A7] Emmy Award, "Plasmavision®W", 2002 Scientific Development and Technological Achievement Emmy®Awards
Retrieved 26 December 2024: https://www.fujitsu-general.com/global/news/2002/02-Y04-22/index.html
[Remarks] 2002 Scientific Development and Technological Achievement Emmy®Awards" from the US National Association of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), which is the first time that a plasma display has received this award, for the contribution to the US broadcasting industry for long years of our original and advanced technological development of "Plasmavision®W".
[A8] IEEE HONORARY MEMBERSHIP, 2007
Media:IEEE HONORARY MEMBER.pdf
[Remarks] IEEE certifies that Tsutae Shinoda has been elected to the grade of HONORARY MEMBER sponsored by IEEE For the outstanding innovative and pioneering contributions to commercializing Large area color plasma display June10,2007
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