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ASTN (super-twisted nematic)display is a type ofliquid-crystal display (LCD). An LCD is aflat-panel display that usesliquid crystals to change its properties when exposed to an electric field, which can be used to create images. This change is called thetwisted nematic (TN) field effect. Earlier TN displays twisted the liquid crystal molecules at a 90-degree angle. STN displays improved on that by twisting the liquid crystal molecules at a much greater angle, typically between 180 and 270 degrees. This allows for a sharper image andpassive matrix addressing, a simpler way to control the pixels in an LCD.
While STN displays were once common in various electronic devices, they have been largely replaced byTFT (thin-film transistor) displays.
In 1982, C. M. Waters and E. P. Raynes patented STN displays,[1] and by 1984 researchers atBrown Boveri (laterABB) built the first prototype STN matrix display, with 540 × 270 pixels.[2] A key challenge was finding a way to address more pixels efficiently. Standard TN displays weren't ideal for this because of their voltage characteristics. STN displays, with their 180-270 degree twist, offered a solution. This twist allows for a clearer distinction between on and off states, making them suitable for passive-matrix addressing with more pixels.[3][4]
The main advantage of STN LCDs is their lower power consumption and affordability. They can also be made purely reflective for sunlight readability. In the late 1980s, they were used in portable computers and handheld devices like the NintendoGame Boy. While still found in some simple digital products like calculators, STN displays have largely been replaced by TFT LCDs, which offer superior image quality and faster response times.
CSTN (color super-twist nematic) is a color variant of STN displays, developed bySharp. It uses red, green, and bluefilters to create color images. Early CSTN displays had limitations like slow response times and ghosting. However, advancements have improved response times to 100 ms (still longer than the 8 ms for TFT), widened viewing angles to 140 degrees, and enhanced color quality, making them a more competitive option at about half the cost of TFT displays. A newer passive-matrix technology,high-performance addressing (HPA), offers even better performance than CSTN.
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CCSTN (color coded STN) is another color variant of STN that uses a type of liquid crystal that polarizes different wavelengths of light differently and achieves color without the use of sub pixels or color filters, this is possible because it uses a chiral liquid crystal instead of a symmetric one also known aschiral nematic liquid crystals similar to the ones used inmood rings. it works by tuning the polarization amount which in other STN types controls the brightness but because this liquid crystal polarizes colors differently it is can be used to achieve color. This effect is known asbirefringence. theoretically it could be tuned for any wavelegth but most devices that used it could only produce 3 colors: red, green and blue (and white for an off pixel). Having no color filters meant it did not have the low brighness disadvantage of other color LCDs. The research and developement in this field has been inactive since the late 90s.
Other STN display variations were introduced, attempting to improve image quality and response times. They include:
Super-twisted nematic display.