Abbreviation of liquid crystal
display, a type of display used in digital watches and many
portable computers. LCD displays utilize two sheets of polarizing
material with a liquid crystal solution between them. An electric
current passed through the liquid causes the crystals to align
so that light cannot pass through them. Each crystal, therefore,
is like a shutter, either allowing light to pass through or
blocking the light. Monochrome LCD images usually appear as
blue or dark gray images on top of a grayish-white background.
Color LCD displays use two basic techniques for producing color:
Passive matrix is the less expensive of the two technologies.
The other technology, called thin film transistor (TFT) or active-matrix,
produces color images that are as sharp as traditional CRT displays,
but the technology is expensive. Recent passive-matrix displays
using new CSTN and DSTN technologies produce sharp colors rivaling
active-matrix displays.
