Development of a Non-Reflective Surface for Front Luminous Vacuum Fluorescent Displays

The front luminous vacuum fluorescent display (FLVFD) technology is a variation of the conventional vacuum fluorescent display technology. Having first been introduced into the consumer electronics market in 1983, FLVFD has seen increasing usage. FLVFD today offers improvements in the areas of visibility, viewing angle, package efficiency, operating temperature, and life.

Although vacuum fluorescent displays have been utilized in automotive applications for more than ten years, the front luminous technology has not been used. The main reason for FLVFD's absence has been the highly reflective surface that the internal aluminum wiring forms on the front glass under direct sunlight conditions.

This paper will discuss the studies and evaluations which have taken place to eliminate the reflection problem through the use of an optical multi-layer thin film process. This study assures the feasibility of using the FLVFD technology within the automotive environment.