2. LCD steppers/scanners that etch 6 million switches
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A high-definition liquid crystal TV has more than 2 million pixels, and since each pixel has 3 switches, the total number of switches is more than 6 million. High-definition images can be rendered by controlling these switches. An LCD stepper/scanner is a precision instrument that is used to etch these tiny switches on the thin glass plate for the LCD.
A stepper/scanner irradiates light onto a photomask on which the original switch circuit pattern has been drawn, and the light exposes the circuit onto the glass plate through a lens. On a large glass plate, the exposure process is repeated several times in order to form the circuit onto the entire plate.
Among the various light exposure methods that are possible, Nikon uses the Multi-lens Scanning method for its superior accuracy and productivity.