Sony 1997 Annual Report Download - page 23

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21
Sony Corporation Annual Report 1997
Review of Operations Other Products
Semiconductors
Sony carries out extensive research programs
targeting system LSI devices and other key
components that are essential to the digiti-
zation, downsizing, energy efficiency, and
versatility of electronic products of all types.
Demand patterns of the year demonstrated
the wisdom of this focus. Higher resolution
CCDs and LSI devices for MiniDisc (MD)
systems and home video game systems
posted strong sales gains.
Sony is also concentrating on LCD devices,
particularly those used in camcorders and
projectors, two markets with excellent growth
prospects. The company was first to market a
low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (Poly-
Si) thin-film transistor (TFT) LCD. This display
offers higher resolution and, thanks to unitized
driver circuitry, more compact dimensions
compared with widely used amorphous sili-
con TFT LCDs.
Electronic Components
Sony develops and manufactures a broad
range of key electronic components. Major
products include optical pickups for CD, MD,
and DVD equipment, and spindle motors.
Magnetic heads for digital VTR equipment,
including DVCAM format systems, and for
data storage systems are also major products.
Sales of optical pickups for MD systems
increased during the year. The introduction of
DVD optical pickups was another highlight of
the year. With two independent optical sys-
tems, the pickup is compatible with CD-R and
other CD formats.
Enhancing its stature in the field of spindle
motors, Sony introduced the industry’s first
model that does not require a sensor. This
innovation will help make CD-ROM drives in
notebook computers even more slender.
(left) A Poly-Si TFT LCD with the highest brightness in its class
(1.8-inch, 790,000-dot)
(right) The industry’s first low-temperature Poly-Si TFT LCD
(2.5-inch, 180,000-dot)
(left) An ultra-compact CCD color image sensor (1/6-inch,
250,000 pixels)
(right) The industry’s first single chip MPEG2 video encoder LSI
with motion estimation circuitry and an encoding controller
Electronics