Samsung Announces World’s First Mobile Display Driver IC with Embedded Touch Screen Control Functionality

TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced that it has developed a single chip that integrates a capacitive touch screen control function in a mobile display driver IC (DDI), based on Samsung’s Touch Embedded DDI technology. The new chip was showcased at the sixth annual Samsung Mobile Solutions Forum held at the Westin Taipei Hotel. This single chip Touch Embedded DDI solution supports industry demand for simplified system designs, which will enable the use of slimmer form factors in mobile application designs. Initial targeted applications for the Touch Embedded DDI include mobile phones, portable multimedia players (PMP) and MP3 players.

“Samsung’s Touch Embedded DDI technology achieves three significant advancements: reduced chip area, lower power consumption and superior cost competitiveness”

“Samsung’s Touch Embedded DDI technology achieves three significant advancements: reduced chip area, lower power consumption and superior cost competitiveness,” said Dr. Myunghee Lee, vice president, DDI development team, Samsung Electronics. “Single-chip integration brings added value to DDI solutions and further positions the DDI technology as a core component in advanced mobile platforms.”

Compared to resistive touch screen control technology, capacitive touch screen control technology allows more advanced features such as soft-touch and multi-touch functions and provides significant improvement in important performance parameters such as optical transmittance and durability.

According to Display Search, Inc., the global mobile handset market, which is the primary application for mobile display driver ICs, is expected to reach 1.2 billion units this year and grow to 2 billion units by 2012. Sales of touch-screen phones are forecasted to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 30 percent to account for 27 percent of total handsets sold in 2012.

Consistently ranked number one for the past seven years, Samsung currently holds the top market share position in display drive ICs with 16 percent in 2008. Development of next generation technologies such as the touch-embedded DDI single chip solution reinforces the company’s competitive advantages in the DDI industry.

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company consists of two business units: Digital Media & Communications and Device Solutions. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.