Thin Film Transistor screens, or TFT screens, are an important part of many of my electronic devices. Do you know how they work and what makes them different from other kinds of screens?
Hello, and thanks for coming to my article.
We are surrounded by electronic devices in the world we live in now, like smartphones, laptops, Tvs, and many more. One thing that all of these devices have in common is that they all have a screen. But have you ever thought about the technology that makes these screens work?
What does TFT stand for?
TFT (Thin Film Transistor) screens are a type of display technology that uses a matrix of thin-film transistors (TFTs) to control the voltage that is applied to each pixel in the display.
This lets images and videos be shown with a high level of accuracy, leading to high resolution, brightness, and color accuracy.
TFT screens are used in a lot of different electronic devices, like smartphones, laptops, Tvs, and monitors.
I'm going to tell you everything you need to know about TFT screens in this article, including some technical details and the pros and cons of each alternative.
So, this article is for you if you want to buy a new device or are just interested in how the technology works.
What about TFT LCD?
In this article, I'll focus on the most common use case, which is TFT LCD.
TFT LCDs are a type of liquid crystal display that uses thin-film transistor technology to improve image quality and lower power consumption.
So TFT is a component of another screen (LCD) and not the entire display technology.
TFT can "actively" control each pixel on the screen separately, which makes the response time a lot faster.
TFT displays have transistors attached to each pixel. When electrical currents touch the pixels, the transistors turn on.
Thin-film technology, which is how TFT LCDs work, makes contact with each pixel and turns it on or off with electrical currents.
How does a TFT LCD work?
Thin-Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display, or TFT LCD, is a type of screen that uses thin-film transistors to control each pixel on the screen.
It is made up of three important parts: two glass substrates sandwiching a liquid crystal layer, TFTs on one substrate, and an RGB color filter on the other.
The TFTs control the amount of electric field between the three liquid crystal capacitors (one for each color), which in turn controls how much light goes through each pixel.
The source of the backlight is on the back of the screen, and polarizers are on the outside of each glass substrate. Compared to other types of LCD screens, this one lets you control each pixel more precisely.
The voltage that is sent to each pixel in the TFT screen is controlled by a grid of thin-film transistors (TFTs).
Each pixel is made up of red, blue, and green sub-pixels. Each sub-pixel has its own TFT, which works like a switch to control how much voltage is sent to that sub-pixel.
A thin film of a semiconductor material, like silicon, is put on a glass substrate to make the TFTs. The semiconductor layer, the gate insulator layer, and the gate electrode layer are all parts of a TFT.
The flow of current through the TFT is controlled by the gate electrode layer, while the gate insulator layer keeps the gate electrode from touching the semiconductor layer.
When a voltage is put on the gate electrode, an electric field is created that makes a current flow through the semiconductor layer.
This flow of current controls how much voltage is put on the sub-pixel, which in turn controls how bright the sub-pixel is.
The pixels are lit up by a backlight, and a color filter separates the red, blue, and green parts of each pixel.
When the backlight and the color filter work together, the TFT screen can show a wide range of colors and levels of brightness.
Video explanation
It is an older video but it is well explained.
Tip: Turn on the caption button if you need it. Choose “automatic translation” in the settings button, if you are not familiar with the English language. You may need to click on the language of the video first before your favorite language becomes available for translation.
Advantages and disadvantages
So, is TFT good?
TFT (Thin Film Transistor) displays have a lot of benefits, such as good control over the aspect ratio, faster and more accurate touch response times, and the ability to work with many different devices.
They are also easy to design and put together with other parts, so they are used in a wide range of devices.
TFT screens are great for tasks like video editing, graphic design, gaming, photography, and design where high resolution, brightness, color accuracy, and durability are important.
The disadvantages of TFT technology
TFT (Thin Film Transistor) displays have a few problems that you should think about if you want to use them in a certain situation.
| Criteria: | Description: |
|---|---|
| Power consumption | The main problem is that they use more power than monochrome displays and OLED (PMOLED and AMOLED) displays. This can be a problem for portable devices and applications where power consumption is important. TFT displays may also be more expensive than regular monochrome displays. |
| Viewing angles | There are also limited viewing angles, which can make images look blurry or washed out when seen from an angle. |
| Image retention | Image retention can also happen on TFT screens. This is when a static image gets "burned in" to the screen, leaving behind a ghost image after the image has been changed. |
| Flexibility | TFT screens are also not as flexible as some other types of displays, so they can't be bent or shaped. They also have a limited lifespan, which means that the quality of the image will get worse over time. |
| Color accuracy | It's also important to know that TFT screens might not show colors as well as IPS LCD screens and might have blurry images if they aren't calibrated properly. |
The different types of TFT screens
There are different ways to make a display, such as TFT, AMOLED, OLED, LCD, and IPS. Each one has its own good points and bad points.
- TFTs are known for their high resolution, brightness, and accurate color, but they also have some problems, such as limited viewing angles and the possibility of retaining images.
- OLEDs have better viewing angles, a faster response time, and a higher contrast ratio than TFTs, but they cost more to make and last less.
- LCDs cost less to make than TFTs and OLEDs, but they have less contrast and take longer to respond.
- TN TFTs are cheaper to make, but IPS LCDs have better color reproduction and contrast.
TFT and AMOLED
Smartphones use both AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) and TFT (Thin Film Transistor) to make their screens.
TFT displays use a backlight, but AMOLED displays make their own light. Most AMOLED displays are brighter and more colorful than TFT displays, but they cost more to make.
AMOLED screens also have better color accuracy, a wider viewing angle, and use less power than TFT screens. But AMOLED screens don't last as long as TFT screens, and their production is still less than that of TFT screens.
TFT and super AMOLED
Super AMOLED is a newer version of the older AMOLED technology.
Both technologies have gotten better because of the competition between them. For example, Samsung's Super AMOLED technology adds a touch layer to the display to make it work better.
TFT and LCD
LCD panels are not as sharp, bright, or quick to refresh as TFT screens. They also respond faster and let you see more of the screen than LCDs. But they use more power and are harder to see in sunlight than LCDs.
TN (Twisted Nematic) TFTs are cheaper to make, but IPS (In-Plane Switching) LCDs have better color reproduction and contrast.
IPS LCDs are also more expensive than TN TFTs, which makes them less good for adding touchscreens.
TFT and IPS
TFT screens respond more quickly than IPS screens, which makes them better for gaming. But because of how the crystals are arranged and aligned, IPS displays show colors more clearly and from a wider range of angles.
Also, because IPS displays don't let as much light through as TFT displays, they use more power. Both technologies use pixels that are made up of primary colors to make different shades, but the placement of the pixels and how they interact with each other are different.
TFT and OLED
Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) and Thin Film Transistor (TFT) are two different ways for electronic devices to show images. Overall, OLED displays are thinner than TFT displays.
OLED displays also have more vivid colors and are easier to see than TFT displays.
Also, compared to TFT displays, OLED displays have a higher contrast ratio and a wider viewing angle.
Lastly, LCDs are brighter than OLEDs because they use backlights that can light up the whole screen. In OLED displays, the amount of energy used depends on how bright the screen is.
TFT and LED
Thin Film Transistor (TFT) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) are both names for different parts of a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen.
TFT is the technology that controls how the pixels are shown on the screen, and LED is the technology that controls how the screen lights up.
Most consumer LCD screens use TFT technology, which makes the screen sharper, brighter, and better at showing motion than a regular LCD screen.
As a backlight, LEDs are used in LCD screens, which makes them clearer and sharper than TFT or LCD displays.
OLEDs are better than TFT technology because they light up the screen itself instead of using a backlight.
Compared to TFT LCD and OLED, Micro LED is a new generation of technology that has a very fast response time, high brightness, a wide viewing angle, and a long life.
Video: The differences between LCD, IPS, TFT, OLED, AMOLED, SUPER AMOLED screens
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Cleaning a TFT screen
A lint-free cloth and very light pressure are the best ways to clean a TFT screen. Check out the guide I made on how to clean flat screens if you have a stubborn stain.
How to clean a TV screen (Water and other options)
Looking for a new TV?
If you are studying the types of screens to decide on a new TV, these are the ones I currently recommend.
Looking for a new TV?
If you are interested in buying a new TV, these are the ones I currently recommend: