Qualcomm to Spend $2 Billion on Mirasol Display Factory

Though it hasn't exactly made it into many electronics yet, the Mirasol display seems poised to finally gain some traction now that, according to reports that have only just started to roam the Internet, Qualcomm has decided to invest a full US$2 billion into the setting up of a new 4.5G production plant for such screens.

The Mirasol display is a MEMS device that has a very fast response time and works very well in ultraportable mobile PCs or other electronics.

Its biggest asset is that it is highly reflective, and this makes it visible even when exposed to the bane of LCDs and most other display technologies on sale right now, namely direct sunlight,

The technique used in the making of the Mirasol was derived from butterfly iridescence and confers a very high energy efficiency.

As such, it should perform quite well not just in netbooks or tablets, but in e-readers, a market segment where existing color display technologies haven't gained traction because of their power draw.

Qualcomm already has a 4.5G Mirasol display production plant, a joint venture with Foxlink, in the Longtan site of Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP), according to a Digitimes report.

Said venture is known as SolLink and successfully made such screens back in April. Now, the company has decided to invest about $2 billion to create another plant in Longtan.

This plant will have to produce 5.7-inch color products, samples of which have already been sent to its clients for validation.

In fact, according to the report, the fact that a 'major client' has already begun the design-in process is one of the major reasons behind this investment.

Digitimes' sources supposedly stated that Qualcomm is the sole investor in this new project. Equipment installation is slated to commence sometime in October 2011, and mass production should kick off in 2012 at the earliest.