Upper Midwest Chapter
       

 

Welcome to the Society for Information Display's UMW Chapter home page!

Our Chapter serves the membership of SID in the Upper Midwestern area of the United States; including, but not limited to, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. The chapter functions and activities are, in general, carried out within the geographical area covered by these states. SID members in good standing in the Chapter's territory are normally considered as members of the Chapter. Any SID member may request in writing to SID to be the member of UMW or other chapter. A member of the chapter holds the same grade in the chapter as is accorded by the SID. The chapter activities are run according to the SID and UMW Chapter bylaws. Please frequently go through various sections of UMW chapter and SID webs to get broad and updated information about our chapter and the SID.

Please join SID or renew your membership using the SID web (www.sid.org), phone (408-879-3901), membership contact (office@sid.org) or the link, https://www.sid.org/Members/ApplyandRenewOnline.aspx, if you are not a current SID member.

Think About Volunteering!

We are a volunteer organization and members are encouraged and requested to participate in chapter activities and functions. We could use your help in this rewarding work as an officer, committee member, or speaker. Please contact Chapter Director or Chair for details.

 

More volunteers to serve in committees are regularly needed, so please consider representing your local area by dedicating a small amount of time toward participating in chapter activities and encouraging new members to join and current members to renew. The Society for Information Display serves industry and education for all display related technologies. Please help raise awareness of the local chapter as a valuable resource for all things related to information displays.

Announcements:

The SID Upper Midwest Chapter Nominating and Election Committee has concluded the Chapter Officer election process the 2024-2025 term.  The following members have been elected to serve in the following Chapter positions:

a) Chairperson: Tracy (TJ) Barnidge

b) Vice-Chairperson: Hari Atkuri

c) Secretary: J.W. Powers

d) Treasurer: James Lupino

Thank you for your participation in the Chapter election process and for supporting the Chapter throughout the year.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Are you interested in presenting at the next Chapter meeting event? 

Please contact James Lupino at james@usei.com with your meeting topic.

 

PAST MEETINGS

 

August 29, 2024

An onsite was held on Thursday, August 29th, 2024 at 5:30pm Central Time for a presentation by Jacob Balma, Founder & CEO of Maxwell Labs and Mike Karpe, Co-Founder & CRO of Maxwell Labs, titled "Introducing Next-Generation Photonic Cooling Technology for High-Performance Computing."  

The onsite location is at: 451 Taft St NE (door #3), Minneapolis MN 55413 (same bldg. of Norseman Distillery)

 Presenters:

Jacob Balma, Founder & CEO, Maxwell Labs

Mike Karpe, Co-Founder & CRO, Maxwell Labs

About the presentation

Maxwell Labs’ technology aims to revolutionize cooling for high-performance computing (HPC) and AI hardware with an innovative optical cooling system. The technology leverages advanced computational tools, materials science, and nanophotonics to redefine efficiency and performance in computing architecture.

The rapid rise and adoption of AI workloads require unprecedented levels of computing power. However, cooling these powerful processors has become one of the greatest challenges for future innovation. The main difficulty lies in the extremely small and dense areas known as hotspots, where significant heat is produced on the processor. Traditional bulk cooling methods, such as air, direct liquid, and immersion cooling, are effective over large surface areas but are insufficient for addressing the localized heat generated by microscopic hotspots deep within the silicon wafer. As a result, clock speeds and single-thread performance have stagnated for decades, necessitating complex and costly power management schemes that are not sustainable long-term.

Maxwell’s photonic cooling technology offers a transformative solution. It enables higher clock speeds and compute density without relying on convection or moving parts, addressing the complexities and inefficiencies of air and liquid cooling systems in data centers.

Maxwell’s interdisciplinary team of industrial and academic leaders in supercomputing, nanoscale heat transport, and photonic engineering is pioneering this innovative cooling technology. Join us in exploring how this cutting-edge technology can overcome the limitations of traditional methods and shape the future of high-performance computing.

Click Here for the presentation slides.

 

August 19, 2024

A meeting was held on Monday, August 19th, 2024 at 8am Central time via webinar presentation by Jason Pan, Senior Manager, Medical Display Solution Division, AUO Display Plus, titled "Medical display technology - the importance of contrast ratio, color gamut and leading miniLED technology in the medical field."

Presenter:

Jason Pan is the Senior Manager of the Medical Display Solution Division, with a specialization in the product development of medical image applications, including display and X-ray sensor technology. His work focuses on the opto-mechanical design of display panels, where he applies his deep technical knowledge and practical experience.

Throughout his career, Jason has led his team to make significant strides in the development of medical panels and X-ray sensors. His experience in engineering project management and new business incubation has been vital in driving the team’s progress and success.

Jason’s collaborative approach and dedication have contributed to the division’s achievements, helping it secure a strong position in the global market. He continues to work diligently to advance medical display technology and improve imaging solutions for the healthcare industry.

About the presentation:

AUO Display Plus now has the worldwide No.1 market share of medical panels and will present on the very important factors for designing medical panels, including high contrast ratio, wide color gamut, and high brightness. To design and manufacture good medical panels, there are different parameters and adjustments, according to different applications including ultrasound, X-ray, surgery etc. This talk will introduce AUOs leading miniLED display technology and the potential of miniLED technology in medical images as well.

 

April 25, 2024

A meeting was held on Thursday, April 25th, 2024 at 5:30pm Central Time that included an onsite meeting and webinar presentation by Hari Atkuri, PhD of Zeglass, titled "See the Light: The Cutting-Edge World of Dynamic Glass Innovation".  

The onsite location was at US ELECTRONICS. – 900 Colorado Ave. S, MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55416.

About the presentation

A captivating exploration of smart dynamic glass, where we unveil the latest advancements in glass and display technologies. "See the Light: Innovating with Smart Dynamic Glass" offers a deep dive into the world of dynamic glass, showcasing its ability to transform spaces through enhanced control over light and privacy.

Discover the spectrum of dynamic glass technologies, from privacy-enhancing PDLC and PNLC to light-modulating electrochromic glass and SPDs. We'll explore how these innovations meet various needs, from energy efficiency to aesthetic versatility, in commercial and residential environments.

Highlighting real-world applications, we will present case studies demonstrating the transformative impact of smart dynamic glass in modern architecture and sustainable design. Learn about the integration of dynamic glass in building projects that prioritize energy conservation and occupant well-being, illustrating the significant role of smart glass in reducing carbon footprints and enhancing environmental sustainability.

Our discussion will also touch on the cutting-edge developments in electrochromic technology and its evolving role in the market, especially in commercial applications. Despite its niche applications, we'll delve into the potential of electrochromic and other dynamic glass to shape future trends in the glass industry.

This webinar was a must-attend for professionals in the glass, display, and technical fields seeking to understand the current landscape and future trajectory of smart dynamic glass technology. Engage with many other experts, gain valuable insights, and envision the next wave of innovations in the dynamic glass sector set to redefine our interaction with the built environment.

About the speaker

​Hari Atkuri, PhD is the visionary Founder and CEO of Zeglass, where he leads the development of cutting-edge characterization tools and spearheads research to meet the escalating demand in the dynamic glass industry, both domestically and abroad. His tenure at Zeglass is the latest chapter in a distinguished career that has consistently pushed the boundaries of the residential glass industry. As an inventor and an expert technology scout, Dr. Atkuri has made significant contributions in advancing dynamic glass technology, including the invention of latest marketing offering of liquid crystal based Clicglass and other influential innovations.

Before establishing Zeglass, Dr. Atkuri honed his expertise in the field, cultivating a reputation as a leading authority in dynamic glass. His academic journey culminated in a PhD from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, laying the foundation for his contributions to the dynamic glass world. With a career marked by innovation and leadership, Dr. Atkuri has solidified his status as a pivotal professional in the evolution of dynamic glass, making him a sought-after voice in the industry.

 

January 17, 2024

The meeting was held on Wednesday, January 17th, 2024 at 5:30pm Central Time for an onsite presentation with the webinar starting at 6pm Central Time by Erin McDowell, Chief Revenue Officer, FlexEnable, titled "Liquid Crystal Optics for ARVR: meeting performance and form factor requirements".  

The onsite location was at US Electronics, 900 Colorado Ave. S, Minneapolis MN 55416.

About the presentation

Liquid crystal (LC) technologies can be used to steer, modulate, and focus light, providing necessary functions for AR and VR headsets. Whereas LC materials are most well-known in LC displays (LCDs), they also can be used to make switchable optics by exploiting various anisotropies of the LC material, such as birefringence. These LC optics can manipulate light from any kind of display, be it OLED, microLED, or liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS).  FlexEnable makes LC components on plastic, reducing weight and bulk over LC on glass, and providing ability to curve the optical components to meet ID standards in ARVR devices.  

About the speaker

​Erin McDowell

Chief Revenue Officer, FlexEnable

Erin McDowell is Chief Revenue Officer at FlexEnable where she is responsible for growing business in FlexEnable’s core markets, including Augmented and Virtual Reality Optics.  Prior to joining FlexEnable, Erin led the 3M ARVR business, where she launched products including the polarization technologies enabling most pancake optics in the market.   Erin has a BSEE from Washington University in St. Louis.

 

December 19th, 2023

The meeting was held on Tuesday, December 19th, 2023 at 5:30pm Central Time for an onsite presentation with a webinar also offered for the presentation by Mr. Bruce D. Hufnagel, Director, Upper Midwest Chapter of SID, titled "Introduction to Display Technologies".  

The onsite event was held at US Electronics, 900 Colorado Ave. S, Minneapolis MN 55416

About the presentation: 

Beginning with a very high-level overview, the presentation will progress into principles of how different common types of electronic displays work, comparisons between them, then more technical elements and concepts behind them.

About the speaker

​Mr. Bruce D. Hufnagel, Director, Upper Midwest Chapter of SID

Bruce Hufnagel received a Bachelor's of Science in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1991 and retired from Collins Aerospace, a division of Raytheon Technologies, in 2023 and has been an active member of SID since 2000.

 

May 11th, 2023

 

Alexander Wesley, of Arovia presented onsite at the Chapter meeting.  Alexander will be discussed the engineering and development of Arovia's product SPLAY (https://www.arovia.com/).

 

SPLAY is a fully-integrated, collapsible rear projection system that collapses into a carrying case the size of a purse. 

Splay sets up in less than 5 minutes, and provides exceptional image quality in many different lighted environments. When set up, Splay has an image size of approximately 24”, and a short throw distance.

Alexander was be joined by Pat Doolan – COO of Arovia.

 

 

 

February 23rd, 2023

The meeting was held on February 23rd, 2023 at 5pm Central Time for a webinar-only presentation by Dr. Kethinni G. Chittibabu

CTO, Ambient Photonics, Inc., titled "High Performance Energy Harvesting Cells for Indoor and Diffused Outdoor Light Harvesting Applications".  

About the presentation

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) are very attractive for indoor light harvesting technology due to spectral tuning of DSSC to match ambient light spectrum. Ambient Photonics Inc has made huge progress in developing highest performing photovoltaic cells under a variety of indoor and low light irradiating conditions. Ambient technology enables the development of battery free devices in consumer electronics and smart sensor applications.

About the speaker

​Dr. Kethinni G. Chittibabu

CTO, Ambient Photonics, Inc.

Lowell, MA

Dr. Kethinni Chittibabu is co-founder and CTO of Ambient Photonics Inc.  He is a material scientist with specific interest on opto-electronic properties of materials and related devices. Chittibabu received his MS in Chemistry from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and PhD in Polymer Science and Plastics Engineering from University of Massachusetts at Lowell, MA.  Throughout his 30-year career, he has leveraged his uniquely interdisciplinary expertise in synthetic material chemistry, device physics and highly specialized opto-electronic and photovoltaic material development to advance photovoltaic innovation.  He has about 20 issued patents and is an author/co-author of over 40 scientific publications.

 

November 10, 2022

The event was held on Thursday, November 10th, 2022 at 5 pm Central Time with an onsite presentation by Brad Flaherty, Light Droplet Engineering titled "2D Print as Fabrication".  

About the presentation: 

More than a technical talk...
Because of the unique business environment over the last few years, Light Droplet is trying a different format for this
month's SID event. We think most engineers come to SID events to learn something new, and enjoy themselves. For
this event we will have a number of startups at the event providing samples of their product/service and answering
technical questions during the social hours. The goal of this is to bring together a diverse set of experts, and improve
the overall quality of the evening. The startups will have small tables at the event, so you can speak to them or try their
offering.

Technical Talk (Brad Flaherty):

2D Print as Fabrication
Over the last 10-20 years industry has attempted to provide manufacturing solutions that do not require the creation of
patterns or tools. The desire to have more products go directly to the factory floor, without the delay that tooling or
patterning can create has had an impact on many industries. This trend can be seen in Graphical “Print on Demand”
businesses that leverage digital printing technologies. Graphical printing is done for the deposition of color to a
material. But what about printing materials for uses other than color and graphics? Everyone (including your
neighbor) is familiar with 3D printing – but what about 2D applications where a unique material is deposited for
functional purposes?

Light Droplet will briefly discuss traditional “patterned” printing (Flexo/Silkscreen etc.) and how digital printing
handles applications typically fulfilled with “patterned printing”. The current state and possible future state of digital
printing for fabrication of 2D (flexible and flat) solutions will be discussed.


About the speaker: 

​Brad Flaherty, Light Droplet Engineering

Brad Flaherty has 20+ years experience in the print industry working in sales, management, Product
Development, R&D. He has worked in multiple print “verticals” from Packaging print to Outdoor signage to
fabric printing to promotional products imprinting.  Although more of a generalist he has worked hard to
become technically knowledgeable in many, many specific print technologies.

 

September 14, 2022

The online event was held on Wednesday, September 14th, 2022 at 4:30 pm Central Time by Derek Harris, Vice President, Research and Development, eyesafe titled "Blue Light Toxicity From Digital Devices"

About the presentation: 

​Blue light toxicity from digital devices is an ever-increasing problem. New materials have been developed for LED backlit displays to reduce the hazard associated from shorter wavelength blue light. This can be done without sacrificing luminance or color gamut.

About the speaker: 

Derek Harris, PhD 

Vice President, Research and Development, eyesafe 

Derek Harris, Vice President Research and Development, received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He has over 30 years spanning experience in liquid and vacuum deposited coating processes and formulation. This included work with eyeglass lenses to reduce blue light impact.

 
 

August 25, 2022

A webinar was held on August 25th, 2022 at 12 pm Central Time for the presentation by Doeke Oostra, Vice President, Business Development, Etulipa titled "Full Color Electrowetting Displays for Out of Home Applications".  

About the presentation: 

Etulipa recently demonstrated the first full color reflective display for digital out of home (DOOH) applications. In this presentation we will shortly explain the basics of electro-wetting display technology and why this technology is ideally suited for addressing needs that the DOOH market presently faces. Electro-wetting display technology has the capabilities to create saturated bright colors and to switch with speeds that enable display of video content while using an extremely low amount of power.  We will show how the focus on reliability during the development leads to products that can withstand any outdoor environment. The key parameters of the first full color display will be discussed. The presentation will end with describing the next steps that Etulipa foresees have to be done to make electro-wetting displays to become ubiquitous in the world.

 
About the speaker: 

Doeke Oostra, Vice President, Business Development, Etulipa

Doeke has worked as a product line manager and business developer at companies including JDS Uniphase, Anteryon and Philips. In 25 years, he has built an impressive track record in the optical component business. Doeke is a father of 3 and a grandfather of 3. In his free time, he likes to go out on his race bicycle or practice playing the tenor saxophone.

 

July 13, 2022

A webinar was held on Wednesday, July 13th, 2022 at 5 pm CDT with a presentation by Justin Wendt, Chief Technology Officer, Rohinni titled "The Smallest Die for the Largest Giants".  

About the presentation: 

The largest technology companies in the world have invested heavily in miniLED technology for years, yet the world still awaits the true broad adoption of miniLED-based products. What are the challenges still plaguing these giants? What will it take for true commercialization of miniLED products? Will the world ever see a direct emission miniLED display at a consumer-friendly price? The answer to these questions lies in the die transfer process. From placement to inspection to rework, what manufacturing problems are being solved to get the smallest die to be delivered by the world’s biggest giants?

Rohinni has been solving the commercial problems impacting the broad adoption of miniLED-based technology for almost ten years. 

About the speaker: 

Justin Wendt 

Chief Technology Officer, Rohinni 

Justin Wendt has served as Rohinni’s Chief Technology Officer for over five years where he leads and directs Rohinni’s global teams in Research and Development of next generation die placement equipment and the products the technology is used to create. In his role, Justin has led the development of industry-leading technology that has led to the commercialization of miniLED-based products. Justin currently fills the role of a board member for the Magna Rohinni Electronics Joint venture as well as the BOE Pixey display joint venture; previously, Justin has served senior roles in multiple startups in different industries and acted as the Senior Director of Engineering at Solar Roadways. 

 

June 30th, 2022

The meeting was held on Thursday, June 30th, 2022 from 3pm to 5:30 pm CDT for an in-person presentation by Erin McDowell, 3M Augmented Reality Business Development, titled "Optics for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Applications & Demos".  

Meeting Location (see attachment for map/directions): 

3M Innovation Center:  3M Innovation Center, Bldg. 278, 2350 Minnehaha Ave. East, Maplewood, MN  55119

About the presentation: 

3M is a provider of optical components and optical materials for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices. The speaker will provide an overview of virtual reality architectures, augmented reality architectures, and display requirements, with a focus on some of the catadioptric architectures that benefit from 3M’s reflective polarizers. In addition, we’ll examine business trends in the industry, and how customer requirements are driving device and display innovations.  3M will also have some commercial VR and AR devices for demo purposes (Microsoft Hololens and Oculus Quest2). The 3M™ HARP lens, winner of Display week component of 2022 will be also be shown.

About the speaker: 

Erin is responsible for new business development at 3M. She most enjoys working on early-stage businesses where there are a lot of possibilities and quite a bit of ambiguity.  Erin’s first job was out as a US Patent Examiner, working on Color TV, HDTV, and character recognition. She next worked as an electrical engineering designing analog integrated circuits. While working as an engineer, Erin learned that she most enjoyed interactions with customers, and understanding how products are used.  Erin started with 3M in 1986, selling machine vision systems. Since then, she has held numerous jobs inside and outside of 3M that combined her love for technology with its application in the real world. For the past decade, Erin has worked with a small technical team to grow 3M’s VR and AR optics business.

 

March 8th, 2022

The online event was held on Tuesday, March 8th, 2022 at 5 pm CST for the presentation by Mike Holt, CEO and Founder, Nodis and

Sergey Shokhor, PhD, CTO and Founder, Nodis, titled "Nodis TruTint Nanoparticle based Display and Smart Glass Film".  

About the presentation:  Nodis uses a nanoparticle approach to implement its transparent display and TruTint smart glass film.  This results in any color smart glass, infrared control, low-cost implementation, and with control of individual pixels, low power, transparent displays.  In this presentation, we will talk about the technology and approach in implementing TruTint, the applications and market opportunities, and Nodis plans in scaling this in mass production.  

About the speakers

Mike Holt, CEO and Founder, Nodis

More than 25 years experience in building technology business in advanced materials, semiconductor and B2B technology.  He founded and/or lead 3 technology start-ups (2 successful exits). He’s been divisional GM for multinationals (Texas Instruments, Silicon Systems).  He has incubated, grown and invested in 9 others.  MSEE, MBA.  2 patents.

Sergey Shokhor, PhD, CTO and Founder, Nodis

More than 15 years experience in smart glass, display technologies, nanomaterials. Sergey developed various display technologies including EEFED, E-paper, AMVFD, MEMS licensed to display companies. Previous Senior Scientist and Director of Display Technologies at CopyTele Inc. Solid State Physics Ph.D. from Stony Brook and a Master of Science in Physical Electronics at Polytechnical Institute in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Has 14 patents and more than 20 scientific articles.

 

October 14th, 2021

The online event was held on Thursday, October 14th, 2021 at 5 pm CDT for a webinar presentation by Mr. Ethan Schur, President, HoloPert Holographics and CTO, TRC Robotics , titled "Holographic Displays - Use Cases and MPEG Standards".  

This was an online webinar event only.

About the presentation

Ethan will present an overview of MPEG standards geared toward supporting future immersive and holographic displays, with a focus on ecosystem overview and use-cases.

About the speaker

Ethan Schur is an engaged speaker, panelist, author and moderator on topics ranging from VR/AR, IoT, wearables, holographic displays, robotics, convolutional neural networks, 3D video and cloud computing, having appeared on Forbes, CNN, TBS and other venues.  A graduate of the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business Hardware Startup Accelerator, Ethan has been a Silicon Valley innovator for over 25 years.  Some of the firms he’s founded include Grush, developer of the smart connected toothbrush, Telepresence Robotics Corporation, and HoloPert Holographics.  Ethan also holds the title of “America’s Greatest Maker” as the $1 Million Dollar Prize winner on the hit reality television competition America’s Greatest Makers.  Ethan is the co-author of several patents and papers, is a top 3D video codec specialist and served as a representative to the American Delegation to the United Nations subgroup creating the MPEG-4 (H.264) video standard.   He’s also chaired the SID conference on 3D Displays and authored Stereoscopic 3D to the Home, commissioned by McGraw Hill.  Ethan also is on the board of the VR Film Festival and the Robotic Fashion Network.

 

July 15th, 2021

The online event was held on Thursday, July 15th, 2021 at 10 am CDT for a webinar presentation by Mr. Mark Horner, National Applications Director at Sharp Electronics Corp. Device Division, titled "New IGZO-TFT based reflective LCD technology".  

This was an online webinar event only.

About the presentation

Sharp will provide an update on the status of their industry-leading IGZO TFT backplane.  This technology enables high-resolution, high performance displays for laptop and tablet applications, as well as free-form designs for automotive cluster applications.  In addition, Sharp has married this backplane with their latest reflective pixel structure to enable sunlight-readable, low power displays without the need for a high-power backlight system.  The IGZO backplane also enables low-frequency driving to further reduce power for portable, handheld products and outdoor signage applications.

About the speaker

Mark has been with Sharp for 24 years and is currently running the applications engineering effort for the US market.  This portion of the Device Division is focused on applications in the Medical, Wearable, Automation and other industrial markets. 

 

May 12th, 2021

The online event was held on Wednesday, May 12th, 2021 at 5 pm CDT via a webinar presentation by Dr. Kiran Kovi, Senior Research Engineer at AKHAN Semiconductor, titled "Towards diamond based devices and protective coatings".  

This was an online webinar event only.

About the presentation

Diamond’s superior thermal conductivity, chemical inertness, radiation hardness and material hardness are unmatched among all known materials. Its thermal shock resistance, Young’s modulus, and tensile strength also excel over most known materials and indicate high impact, abrasion, and scratch resistance, all of which are important properties for protective coatings.  Diamond also has excellent chemical resistance, a useful attribute in harsh environments. Advancements in Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition (HFCVD) synthesis have made it practical to uniformly deposit polycrystalline diamond (PCD) on large areas and diverse substrate materials.  Miraj Diamond ®, AKHAN’s thin film PCD form with parametric values approaching those of bulk diamond. In the current talk, we will focus on diamond-based devices for electronics and optical applications, along with diamond as a protective coating material. We shall also discuss the integration of diamond thin films with two-dimensional materials to further improve the properties of the coated surfaces.

About the speaker

Dr. Kiran Kumar Kovi is a Senior Research Engineer at AKHAN Semiconductor. Previous to joining AKHAN, Dr. Kovi worked as a Research Scientist for Euclid TechLabs and the Swedish Institute of Space Physics. Dr. Kovi has extensive background in diamond materials and diamond electronics with published peer-reviewed work in such prestigious journals as Nature Materials, Nano Letters, Applied Physics Letters, IEEE Electron Device Letters, among others. He received his M.S. from Chalmers University of Technology and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Uppsala University with Post-Doctoral appointment at the Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne National Laboratory.

 

March 10th, 2021

MinnTS (Minnesota Technical Symposium) 2021 Program Details:
Topic(s): Wearable Technologies

When: Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 7pm CST
Location: Virtual Event via Zoom
Attendance: All are welcome to attend.  You do not need to be a member of a participating society.
Cost: Free for 2021
Registration: MinnTS Registration via Zoom - After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.
Schedule of Events:

7:00 - 7:05  Welcome Message & Introductions

7:05 - 7:50  Dr. Lucy Dunne

7:50 - 8:00  Break

8:00 - 8:45  Dr. Dave Fabry 

For details and latest information, please check the MinnTS website (www.minnts.org).

 

December 17th, 2020

The online event was held on Thursday, December 17th, 2020 at 11 am CST for a webinar presentation by Mr. Josh Marcus, Head of Operations and Sales - North America at Review Display Systems, Inc. (RDS) , titled "Protecting Touch Displays in a Post-Covid World".  

This was an online webinar event only.

About the presentation

Touch displays are used daily by all of us. Whether it be your personal device, a public kiosk or other public touch display, we are all touching screens countless times per day. We use them everywhere we go: the grocery store, the hospital or doctor’s offices, airports, restaurants etc. Touch displays are a large part of our everyday life.  The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on an increased interest and demand for anti-microbial and anti-viral protection. Most individuals are aware that most of the infections we encounter come from what we touch. This webinar is to help educate our community on the different technologies being used to keep our touch displays safe from COVID-19 and other harmful bacteria and viruses.

About the speaker

Josh Marcus is the Head of Operations and Sales – North America, for Review Display Systems, Inc. (RDS), Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. RDS Inc. was set up in 2018 with the specific objective to address bespoke display system solutions. RDS Inc. represents some of the largest display, touch, and embedded hardware component manufacturers in the world. 

 

August 13th, 2020

The webinar was held on Thursday, August 13th, 2020 at 6 pm CDT by Dr. John Rogers, Professor, Material Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, titled "The Latest, Most Sophisticated Technologies for MicroLED Displays".  

This was an online webinar event only.

About the presentation

Recent advances in materials science and manufacturing methods establish the foundations for technologies that embed large, addressable arrays of microscale semiconductor components distributed on unusual substrates, from plates of glass to sheets of rubber.  The results create interesting opportunities for devices with applications that span consumer gadgetry and home entertainment equipment to neurotechnologies for neuroscience research and hardware for brain-machine interfaces.  This talk summarizes the key ideas and the current technology status, with sophisticated examples of digital micro-LED displays currently under commercial development by the company XDisplay and their partners.

About the speaker

Professor John A. Rogers obtained BA and BS degrees in chemistry and in physics from the University of Texas, Austin, in 1989.  From MIT, he received SM degrees in physics and in chemistry in 1992 and the PhD degree in physical chemistry in 1995.  From 1995 to 1997, Rogers was a Junior Fellow in the Harvard University Society of Fellows.  He joined Bell Laboratories as a Member of Technical Staff in the Condensed Matter Physics Research Department in 1997, and served as Director of this department from the end of 2000 to 2002.  He then spent thirteen years on the faculty at University of Illinois, most recently as the Swanlund Chair Professor and Director of the Seitz Materials Research Laboratory.  In the Fall of 2016, he joined Northwestern University as the Louis Simpson and Kimberly Querrey Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, with affiliate appointments in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Chemistry, where he is also Director of the recently endowed Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics.  

He has published more than 700 papers, is a co-inventor on more than 100 patents and he has co-founded several successful technology companies.  His research has been recognized by many awards, including a MacArthur Fellowship (2009), the Lemelson-MIT Prize (2011), the Smithsonian Award for American Ingenuity in the Physical Sciences (2013), the MRS Medal (2018) and most recently the Benjamin Franklin Medal from the Franklin Institute (2019).  He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Inventors and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

 

March 19th, 2020 

This event has been CANCELLED.  Please see MinnTS event website for more information.

MinnTS (Minnesota Technical Symposium) 2020 Program Details:

Topic(s): Wearable Technologies

Date: Thursday, March 19th, 2020

 

January 15th, 2020

A Chapter event was held on Wednesday, January 15th,  2020 for a presentation on Automotive Chip Manufacturing presented by Surya Iyer, Managing Director and Fab General Manager at Polar Semiconductor LLC.  Polar Semiconductor LLC operates a local wafer fabrication facility in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Schedule of Events:

5:30 – 6:00 PM CST - Social 

6:00 - 7:00 PM CST - Presentation/Webinar

Meeting Location:  

Polar Semiconductor LLC, 2800 E Old Shakopee Rd, Bloomington, MN 55425

About the presentation:  Surya’s presentation will cover the automotive semiconductor business and trends. Surya will also describe the role of Polar Semiconductor in this industry, the capabilities of the company, the challenges of being a semiconductor manufacturing facility in the US/MN, and the company’s future direction in capacity and technology.

About the speaker:  Prior to his current position at Polar, Surya held senior management and engineering positions at Applied Materials, Inc. in Santa Clara, CA and Cypress Semiconductor Corp. in Bloomington, MN. Surya is an alumnus of Wharton, University of Pennsylvania, where he attended the Advanced Management Program, was a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University, received his M.S. and Ph.D. Engineering degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, and his B.S. from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-K). He has 20 patents related to semiconductor processing and equipment design and over 25 peer-reviewed publications.
 
Surya serves as a member of the Governing Council for SEMI/FOA (a semiconductor industry association) and is an adjunct Professor of Engineering at the University of St. Thomas. Outside of work, Surya has volunteered in his community by serving on the Board of Directors, as President, and as Principal of the School of India for Languages and Culture (SILC) in St. Paul; was the founding Chairperson of the Energy and Environment Commission of the City of Edina, MN; and was a Commissioner with the Transportation Commission of the City of Edina, MN.
 
 

November 21, 2019

A Chapter meeting was held on Thursday, November 21st 2019 for a comprehensive overview of OPTICAL FILMS FOR DISPLAY APPLICATIONS hosted by 3M Display Materials, at the 3M Innovation Center in Maplewood, Minnesota.

Schedule of Events:

11:00 – 2:00 PM CT – Presentations/Webinar

2:00 – 3:00 PM CT – Innovation Tour 2-3pm (Onsite Attendees Only)

Meeting Location:  

3M Innovation Center, Bldg. 278
2350 Minnehaha Ave. East

Maplewood, MN 55119

About the presentation

The meeting provided a comprehensive overview of several optical films and materials developed for display applications.  It included eight 20-minute presentations on the following topics:

Enhancement Films

Louvered Films

New – Barrier Films

Reflectors (ESR)

Protection

Thermal 

Bonding

 

October 1, 2019

A Chapter meeting and webinar was held on Tuesday, October 1st, 2019 for a presentation by Mark Fihn, Publisher, Veritas et Visus (www.veritasetvisus.com), titled “The Eighth Wonder of the World” Foxconn’s Incredible Shrinking LCD Fab.

Schedule of Events:

5:30 – 6:00 PM CDT – Social Time

6:00 – 7:00 PM CDT – Presentation/Webinar

7:15 PM CDT – Dinner 

Meeting Location:  US Electronics, 900 Colorado Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55416

About the presentation:
This presentation will provided an update about Foxconn’s much-hyped plans for an LCD fab in southeastern Wisconsin.  Discussion covered the myriad factors necessary to enable successful display manufacturing in the United States.

About the speaker:
Mark Fihn currently heads Veritas et Visus where he publishes a series of comprehensive newsletters about the display-related technologies and markets. Prior to Veritas et Visus, Mark worked for 3 years at the market research firm DisplaySearch. He additionally participated for 15 years in computer system and LCD-related procurement at Texas Instruments and Dell Computer while living in the United States and Taiwan. He has been active in many display-related areas, most specifically in publicly championing industry-wide adoption of high resolution displays, notebook LCD standardization, and video sub-system integration. Mark was educated at St. Olaf College (Northfield, Minnesota), the American Graduate School of International Management, (Phoenix, Arizona); St. Edward’s University, (Austin, Texas), and in the University of Texas at Austin’s doctoral program in International Business.

March 7, 2019

Please join us for the Annual MinnTS Symposium titled, "Advances in 3D Printing" on Thursday March 7th at the Ecolab Schuman Campus located in Eagan, Minnesota with activities starting at 4:30pm. Registration for the event is now open.   Please contact James Lupino (contact information below) if you wish to attend. Registration fees for members and a guest will be covered by the SID UMW Chapter.

MinnTS (Minnesota Technical Symposium) 2019 Program Details:

Topic(s): Advances in 3D Printing

Date: Thursday, March 7, 2019

Location: Ecolab Schuman Campus, EcoCafe, 655 Lone Oak Drive, Eagan, MN 55121

Events: 

Tours of the Ecolab tours will begin at 4:30 

Registration and Social Hour with refreshments and light appetizers between 5-6 PM

Dinner and talks from 6-9 PM.

For details and latest information, please check the MinnTS website at

www.minnts.org.

 

 

December 13, 2018

Please join us on Thursday, December 13th, 2018 for a presentation by Patti Turner, Region Sales Engineer of Data Modul, Inc., titled "LCD and Touch Screens in the Industrial & Medical World".

Schedule of Events:

5:30 - 6:00 - Social meeting, snacks and drinks served

6:00 - 7:00 - Presentation/Webinar

7:00 - Dinner across the freeway at Super Moon Buffet

Meeting Location:  

Office of US Electronics, 900 Colorado Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55416

About the presentation:

Data Modul is a leading “Visual Solutions” manufacturer and distributor; experienced in display, touch, embedded and monitor solutions for industrial and medical applications.   As a solutions provider, Patti will discuss a little about how Data Modul is viewing the industrial space as it relates to display, touch and embedded technologies.

• Perception of current display and touch technologies

• Industrial trends for 2019

• Medical trends for 2019

• Highlights of Data Modul 

About the speaker:

Patti is originally from the Midwest.  After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Iowa, she relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, where her journey eventually led her to the electronics industry.  

Having worked for Hitachi, Patti is deeply rooted in the world of displays.  She continues to support LCDs in addition to touch and embedded technologies at Data Modul.  With over twenty years of industry knowledge, Patti adds value to her customers by providing solutions and solving problems unique to each customer application and product.   As an industrial provider, Data Modul supports markets such as HMI, test and measurement, in-flight entertainment, gaming, marine and agriculture as well as strong support of products in the medical field.

Data Modul is an ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certified global company.  Headquartered in Munich, Germany, and Hauppauge, Long Island, NY, DM supports the Europe and US industrial markets with leading technology and product development.  Providing the ability for “one-stop-shop” solutions, Data Modul provides single point of contact for displays as well as cutting-edge touch and embedded solutions, monitors and panel PCs.  Whether a solution is off-the-shelf or custom, Data Modul can facilitate support for the lifetime of the project.

 

April 5, 2018

Meeting was held on Thursday, April 5, 2018 for a presentation by Professor Bharat Jalan, associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the Universtiy of Minnesota titled "Novel Synthesis and Characterization of Indium-free Transparent Conductor".

Meeting Location:

University of Minnesota

Room AMH287 - Amundson Hall

421 Washington Ave. SE

Minneapolis, MN 55455

Scheduled of Events:

5:45 – 6:30 – Social meeting, pizza, cookies and drinks served

6:30 – 7:30 – Presentation/webinar

About the presentation:

Abstract:

Electronic display requires materials possessing both high electrical conductivity and high optical transparency. Current material standard is based on indium tin oxide (ITO), which is expensive owing to the use of indium. Much work has been done in an attempt to replacing ITO with a material that is more efficient in addition to be cheaper. BaSnO3 with a perovskite structure (ABO3, where A and B are elemental cations) can nicely fit these requirements. There are, however, many challenges for synthesis of BaSnO3 in thin film form. In this presentation, I will review these challenges, and our group’s effort to address these challenges. I will present our recent development of novel thin film approach method, allowing for the synthesis of high quality BaSnO3 films with conductivity exceeding 104 S/cm and optical transparency of >90%. I will also discuss factors limiting the electronic conductivity and transparency in these materials and ways to eliminate them [1]. 

[1] A. Prakash, P. Xu, A. Faghaninia, S. Shukla, J. W. Ager III, C. S. Lo, and B. Jalan, “Wide Bandgap BaSnO3 Films with Room Temperature Conductivity Exceeding 104 Scm-1” Nat. Comm. 8, 15167 (2017) 

About the speaker:

Bharat Jalan is an associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, where he leads the Thin Films and Heterostructure Synthesis Group. His interests are in study of structure-defect-electronic properties relationships of functional oxide films and artificially designed structures. In 2016, he received the biennial International MBE Young Investigator Award and the AFOSR Young investigator award. More recently in 2017, he was awarded with the American Association for Crystal Growth Young Author Award and the AVS Paul Holloway Young Investigator Award. He was named an Emerging Young Investigator by the Royal Society of Chemistry (J. Mater. Chem. C, 2017). Jalan has (co)-authored more than 39 peer-reviewed publications and given more than 45 invited talks and colloquiums. He is a member of the APS, MRS, AVS, and ACerS, and has (co)-organized multiple symposia for these societies including multiple international meetings on the physics and chemistry of oxide thin films and heterostructures. He serves as an editorial board member of the Nature Scientific Reports journal. He had served as an invited member of the MRS task force for the strategic planning for the National Nanotechnology Initiative submitted to the White House (NNI – 2010). 

Jalan received a BS degree in MSE from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras in India (2006) and a PhD degree in Materials Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2011). From 2011-2016, he was an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and was recently promoted to the associate professor.

Click Here to View Presentation (.pdf)

 

March 6, 2018

MinnTS (Minnesota Technical Symposium) 2018

Topic(s):  Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Autonomous Driving by Matthew Linder, Autonomous Solutions Researcher at VSI

Autonomous Bus Technology by Jay Hietpas, Director, MnDOT Office of Traffic, Safety and Technology

Date: Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Location: Schuman Research Facility, 655 Lone Oak Drive, Eagan, MN 55121

Time: Tours of the Ecolab facility will begin at 4:30-5:00 PM, with social hour between 5-6 PM, dinner and talks from 6-9 PM.

For details and latest information, please check the MinnTS web (www.minnts.org).

 

October 19, 2017

On Thursday, October 19th, 2017, Dr. Zhisheng Yun of 3M presented on the topic of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Technologies for Head Mounted Displays.

Meeting Location:  

U.S. Electronics, Inc.

900 Colorado Ave. S.

Minneapolis, MN 55416

About the presentation:

Abstract:

This presentation reviewed the technology developments in Head Mounted Display including Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies. Market research and forecasts in Head Mounted Displays of AR and VR were provided, followed by a review of the hardware development history, especially in optical technology development to achieve the near-eye display. Further, a few leading optical technologies in the current VR and AR industry were explored and some technologies that 3M has developed to enhance the Head Mounted display in AR and VR will be unveiled.

About the speaker:

Dr. Zhisheng Yun graduated from Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics with a PhD in optics in 1998 and a MSc in optical engineering from The Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Prior to starting his career in the U.S., Dr. Yun was hired as an assistant professor in Xi’an Technological University in 1988. He moved to USA in 2001 and worked at Phosistor Technologies, Jabil Circuit, and Thermawave (now KLA-Tencor) with various engineering positions with increasing responsibility in research and development.

Dr. Yun began his 3M career in 2007 as an Optical Design Specialist, a Senior Optical Specialist and then a Senior Product Development Specialist. His career has progressed through inventing and developing many 3M iconic products like 3M Mobile Projectors, 3D Dental True Definition Scanner, UV curing lights, 3M projection systems, 3M PBS, 3M folded optical lens, etc.

Dr. Yun has 15 granted and 35 filed patents. He has published 40 papers in prestigious scientific Journals and International conferences. Dr Yun’s work has been widely reported in popular media including Star Tribune (3M waves a magic Wand, pp D4, Aug 10, 2014 and Big things from 3M in miniature projection, Jan 11, 2009); EllenTV show (3M Shoot n Share, Nov 3, 2010); scientific magazines such as, Photonics Spectra (Profiling Aspherical Surface, Dan Drollette, Nov 1999, pp28); Popular Science, won the “Grand Award” for the “best New Gadgets” in 2008 etc. Dr. Yun received the Silver Edison award in 2015 and was recognized as a key contributor for the Gold Edison award in 2010 for 3M Mobile Projection Technology. He is a multiple recipient of 3M’s Circle of Technical Excellence & Innovation award given in 2009, 2010 and 2013.

Dr. Yun is a senior member of IEEE, a member of SID, SPIE, OSA and AADR/IADR.

 

___________________________________________

Click Here for a record of past SID UMW Chapter Meetings

Note: If you are interested in presenting at an upcoming Chapter meeting, please feel free to contact any of the SID UMW Chapter Officers for more information.  Thank you for supporting your local SID Chapter!

 

 

The Upper Midwest (UMW) chapter is one of the oldest and very active chapter in the Society of Information Display (SID). The SID was founded in Room 3400, Boelter Hall, UCLA, on September 29, 1962, by Dr. H.R. Luxenberg and 39 attendees who represented major high-tech firms. The UMW Chapter was formed in early 70’s, when SID had only a few chapters. It was called Minneapolis- St. Paul (MSP) Chapter in early days. Dr. Birendra Bahadur was able to convince SID in 2003 to change the chapter’s name to the Upper Midwest (UMW) chapter to reflect its broad geographical area. The Chapter serves the membership of SID in the Upper Midwestern area of the United States; including, but not limited to, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. The chapter functions and activities are, in general, carried out by our dedicated volunteers within the geographical area covered by these states. We arrange ~ 6-8 chapter meetings every year on display related technical topics and encourage people to participate in SID activities and membership. Any SID member can attend the chapter meetings. Non SID members are also welcomed to attend our technical meetings. The chapter also arranges some joint meetings, including annual MinnTS (www.minnts.org), with other societies to promote display activities in our chapter. Monthly chapter executive meetings are held regularly to discuss chapter issues and programs. Our UMW Chapter members actively participate in SID (www.sid.org) programs and conferences.

 

In early days (1970- 1985), Martin Noffke, Vern Born, Tom Werner, Richard Jamieson, Edward Tomzack, Robert Shurson and Russel Ingvaldsen were very active and laid the foundation of this active chapter and arranged numerous chapter meetings. During 1986-2000 period, the chapter was led and managed by Tom Werner, Vern Born, Vic Holec, Edward Tomzack, Robert Shurson and Russel Ingvaldsen. During 2001- 2015 period, some of the noteworthy executive members serving more than 5 years, have been Birendra Bahadur, Vic Holec, Vern Born, Robert Shurson, Russel Ingvaldsen, Phil Downen, Madhu Reddy, Bo Polak and James Lupino. Vern Born (~35 years), Rusel Ingalaldsen (~20 years), Bob Shurson (~ 35 years) and Birendra Bahadur ((~15)   served the chapter for quite long time. Vern, Bob and Russel retired during 2005- 2009. Dr. Birendra Bahadur was brought in chapter executive in 2001 and is credited to transform the chapter to its current form. Besides numerous activities, he also wrote the current chapter bylaws with assistance of Tony Lowe (SID bylaws chair) and got it approved from UMW chapter and SID in 2013. James Lupino has been an excellent volunteer for arranging chapter meetings during this period. Dr. Bahadur retired from the chapter directorship in June 2015 due to his health but is still providing his advices and mentorship to the chapter executive. The chapter is currently led by Bruce Hufnagel, Mike Wilson, Madhu Reddy, Tracy Barnidge, James Lupino and Hari Atkuri. Names of all the volunteers and executive members could not be mentioned due to the limited space, but certainly the chapter is very thankful to all of them for their selfless dedication and contributions during last 45 years.

 

The following chart, prepared by Dr. Bahadur, shows the names and positions of all the UMW chapter executive members to the best of our knowledge and records.

Upper Midwest (UMW) Chapter Officers

Position

Chapter Officer

Phone

E-mail

Chair Person

Tracy (TJ) Barnidge

319-295-4764

t.barnidge@hotmail.com

Vice Chair Person

Dr. Hari Atkuri

513-324-1550

hatkuri@gmail.com

Secretary

J.W. Powers

636-300-5066

jw@fifthandvintage.com 

Treasurer

James Lupino

715-360-1143

james.lupino@gmail.com

Program Chair

Madhu Reddy

612-386-7955

madhu@usei.com


Membership Chair /
Academic Committee Chair

Gautam Rao

847-778-3947

raomgautam@gmail.com

 

Nomination Chair 

Bruce Hufnagel

319-360-9339

bdhufnagel@gmail.com
 

Ex-Officio
 
Dr. Birendra Bahadur

Mike Wilson

Bruce Hufnagel
319-651-1699

636-300-5115


319-360-9339
bbahadur@msn.com

wilson@westar.com

bdhufnagel@gmail.com

SID Presidential Citation to

Dr. Birendra Bahadur 

Congratulations to Dr. Birendra Bahadur for his recent SID Presidential Citation award received at the Annual SID Business Meeting in San Jose, California on June 2, 2015.  Dr. Bahadur was recognized for his longstanding service as the UMW Chapter Director.  Thank you for your many years of service Dr. Bahadur!


 

       

 

 

Past Chapter Service Award Recipients

 

 

Here are some of the past chapter service award recipients. Thank you for your service! 

2013:  James Lupino has been awarded the UMW Chapter Service Award, 2013 for his dedicated volunteer work.

2012:  Dr. Birendra Bahadur has been awarded the UMW Chapter Service Award, 2012 for his outstanding services to UMW chapter. 

2011:  Phillip A. Downen has been awarded the UMW Chapter Service Award, 2011 for his dedicated volunteer work. 

 

 

 

Please don't hesitate to contact our officers for further information!

 

 

 

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