Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Active matrix
This is a kind of liquid crystal display structure in which switching transistors are attached to each
pixel to control the on/off voltage. It produces a brighter and sharper display with a broader viewing
angle than a passive matrix display. Also refer to TFT (thin film transistor).
Amorphous silicon (a-Si)
A semiconductor material that is used to make the thin film transistors (TFTs) layer of an active
matrix LCD.
Aspect ratio
The width-to-height ratio of the active area of a display. In general, most monitors have an aspect
ratio of 4:3. Wide monitors or TVs have an aspect ratio of 16:9 or 16:10.
B
Backlight
The light source for a transmissive LCD. There are two techniques used in nowaday LCD designs.
Most TFT LCD panels use CCFLs (cold cathode fluorescent light) and a diffuser panel directly
behind the liquid crystal layer. New technology using Light Emitting Diodes (LED) are still under
development.
Brightness
The dimension of color that is referred to an achromatic scale, ranging from black to white, also
called lightness or luminous reflectance. Because of confusion with saturation, the use of this term
should be discouraged.
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