Thin film EL - Prognosis for panel displays

Prognostication in the field of flat panel displays has historically been, at best, a sporty proposition. This has been notoriously true during the long turbulent history of attempts to capitalize on the intriguing possibility of large thin panels of "cold light" utilizing the phenomenon of electroluminescence (EL). Recent advances in deposition technology, a better understanding of the variable effects of the process, and a tractable set of solutions for achieving matrix control have, at long last, set the stage for an intrepid journey into prognostication once again. It is predicted that thin film EL will emerge as the dominant flat panel technology for a vast array of applications, eventually including the long awaited "hang on the wall TV". It is the writer\´s intent to illuminate the historical thread of events that he perceives as having led to these predictions and then to postulate future directions of this perceived thread of light.