Display Ruggedization for Military Applications Using Automotive-Grade Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Displays.

This report discusses the results of a Honeywell Technology Center program focused on developing thermal management methodologies and flip-chip-on-glass FCOG driver bonding techniques which are key to ruggedizing automotive-grade commercial off-the-shelf COTS active matrix liquid crystal displays AMLCD for use in military applications like the F-16 high-performance fighter environment. Through extensive thermal modeling, several techniques were identified to facilitate heat flow away from the temperature-sensitive liquid crystal material, keeping the core temperature within acceptable operating limits below 85 C in worse case conditions 200 fL with 50C ambient and 883WattsmA2 solar load in a closed cockpit without the use of forced air cooling for display sizes up to 5x5-inch. Environmental testing on eight modified Sharp displays verified modeling results. The FCOG bonding has many mherent advantages over traditional tape automated bonding TAB techniques, one of which is 75 reduction in off-glass interconnect density, making them much less susceptible to vibration failure. Several FCOG bonding materials e.g., anisotropic conductive films have been explored and tested using various test vehicles and subjected to F-16 environmental conditions for temperature shock, temperature cycling, vibration, and humidity.