A nano-emissive display (NED) is a high-resolution, full-color, lightweight, physically thin display that uses carbon nanotube technology. A nano-emissive display is under development by Motorola.
The first working prototype NED is approximately 1/8 inch thick and has a diagonal measure of about 5 inches. Engineers anticipate that multiple sections of small size will be combined to produce large displays for computers, high-definition television ( HDTV ) receivers, and even road signs. Advantages of the NED include relatively low cost of manufacture, low power consumption, low-voltage operation, vivid colors, wide viewing angle, and high image resolution . Another advantage is that there is, at least in theory, no limit to how large a display can be made using many small sections.
There are several problems that must be solved before NED displays become widely available. It is difficult to uniformly and consistently mass-produce carbon nanotubes. The phosphor coatings, which provide the colors, must be functional and reliable over long periods of time. There are also difficulties involved in ensuring that the display glass is pure enough to provide good image quality. Nevertheless, companies such as Panasonic and Sony have expressed interest in NED technology and hope to have NEDs on the market as early as 2007 at reasonable cost.