Sharp is ditching the idea of a display defined by bezels with a unit that can be almost any shape required. The Free-Form Display uses IGZO technology and proprietary circuit design methods. Sharp says it will jump into mass-production at the earliest possible date and will target digital signage as well as wearable devices.
Conventional displays are rectangular because they require a
minimal width for the bezel in order to
accommodate the drive circuit, called the gate driver, around
the perimeter of the screen's display area.
With the
Free-Form Display, the gate driver's function is dispersed
throughout the pixels on the display area. This allows
the bezel to be shrunk and it gives the
freedom to design the LCD to match whatever
shape the display area of the screen needs to be.