Basic Technology

Technology that considers the future of mankind can only be achieved through ongoing research and development efforts. The LG Electronic Institute of Technology is comprised of the Material Research Institute, the Information Technology Institute and the Software Center, which collectively carry out ongoing research and development in basic framework technology for creating future business and standard core technology to be used by LG Electronics.

The Material Research Institute is responsible for the research and development of new energy efficient materials such as solar cells, as well as material technologies associated with healthcare, next generation lighting and LED backlight units. The Information Technology Institute conducts research in multimedia data (image and audio) processing technology, voice recognition and synthesis technology, wireless personal area network and home networking solution technology, and UI technology for creating next generation user interfaces as well as robotics technology.

The Software Center was established to build infrastructure for obtaining software quality, to develop and support process and various tools, as well as to design and build architecture and platforms for the enhancement of software development productivity. In addition, the Software Center is developing standard software infrastructure technology for new business and growth business.

Major R&D Areas within the Institute of Technology

Materials
Development efforts are ongoing in new energy efficient materials such as solar cells, as well as in the field of healthcare, environmentally friendly next generation lighting and LED backlight units.

Energy
Infrastructure material technology that will lead the future solar energy sector is being developed, including: technologies for solar cells, which are being recognized as an environmentally friendly reusable energy, next generation high efficiency silicon crystalline solar cells, silicon film solar cells, and chemical compound film and hybrid solar cells.

LED BLU and Lighting
In addition to technology that will lead the way in environmentally friendly green products, research and development efforts are focused on LED backlight units for LCD TV that will reduce electricity consumption, next generation ultra thin and ultra light optical sheets, LED light modules for home appliances and mobile devices and next generation lighting.

Healthcare
In line with the U-Healthcare generation, where people are carrying out health check-ups anytime, anywhere, and managing their health, efforts are focused on developing a new concept medical healthcare diagnosis sensor that combines information technology with bio technology.

Laser Diode
Efforts are being made to develop new optical technologies, such as a miniaturized native green laser diode for projectors (small enough to be able fit in a mobile phone).

New Functional Device
Efforts are focused on creating a miniaturized switch for mobile devices and an ultra small optical engine for mobile projectors by using MEMS — a micro technology for machining various electronic circuits on a single silicone.

Information Technology

Advanced Multimedia Processing
Development efforts are focused on improving the AV quality of mobile phones, such as enhancing the resolution of camera phones and their voice communication clarity, as well as developing differentiated solutions in the multimedia sector. Research is also being conducted in new pioneering technology for signal processing infrastructure.

Device-to-Device Connectivity Application & Solution
Research and development is rigorously carried out on developing differentiated products based on various device-to-device connectivity solutions, such as Bluetooth, Ultra Wide Band (UWB), Near Filed Communication (NFC) and Wireless LAN (WLAN), as well as on developing a killer application that maximizes such technologies.

Data Management Solution
The LG Electronic Institute of Technology holds patented original technologies for mobile phone data management solutions, including the LG Embedded Database Management System (LGeDBMS) and the Personal Information Management System (PIMS).

Speech Technology
Focused research is carried out to develop speech technology that can execute the functions of mobile phones and other IT devices through voice command. Research is also focused on the field of voice recognition and synthetic speech to develop a speech recognition user interface.

Home Networking Solution
Research and development efforts are focused on creating various services for the audio distribution solution and Internet protocol-based broadband TV, as well as developing diverse application programs for homes in the future.

UI Enabling Technology
Research and development is carried out in developing next generation UI Enabling technology using various sensors such as touch, motion and haptic technology.

Robotics
Research is conducted in advanced technologies such as vision-based self-driving technology and in the area of a sensor fusion machine that recognizes and analyzes the multimedia information received through visual surveillance devices such as cameras.

Software Center

Software Quality Engineering
Efforts are made to develop and implement an environment for early detection of software errors. In addition, software quality engineering activities are launched across the company with the establishment of corporate-wide technology documenting and a document sharing environment.

Mobile Application Engineering
Activities are carried out to strengthen the competitive edge in mobile software development, in particular, through designing an API for mobile applications that support the open development environment and by developing advanced UI verification software.

Home Application Engineering
Research and development efforts to strengthen the competitive edge in home application software development capabilities are made through research into add-on architecture for digital TV as well as in designing framework for core software such as BMS, FCS and Security.

Open Source and Linux
Linux and open source development capacity are being enhanced through the development of Linux product differentiated technologies (instant booting, DirectFB based GUI layer, etc.) and through the development of OS- and platform-related advanced technologies.

Major R&D Achievements of the Institute of Technology

Developed the world's best slim LED BLU that allows local dimming.

Developed the high efficiency crystalline solar cell.

Developed the ultra thin si thin-film solar cell.

Developed the wafer-level LED package "XiOBTM"

Developed the Blu-ray medium and light source(blue laser diode).

Developed the high speed expressive text-to-speech/speech-to-text engine.

Developed the mobile video quality enhancement engine "SmartPicTM"

Developed navigation technology for the vision based robot vacuum cleaner.

Developed the smart Bluetooth package application.

Developed mobile voice quality differentiation technology based on 2-mic.

Designed the digital TV add-on architecture.

Designed the core software framework for CAC, BMS and Security.

Commercialized the LiMo and Android based Linux phone.

The LG Electronics Productivity Research Institute is the R&D arm of LG Electronics. The institute provides innovative production methods, technology and equipment so that the company can achieve the world's most advanced productivity output.

This unique production method was set up to maximize productivity, and the institute focuses on research activities that will allow provisioning of differentiated core production technology and production methods as well as equipment in a timely manner by integrating the developed methods with corporate strategy.

The LG Electronics Productivity Research Institute strives to be at the hub of the world's highest standard production technology based on the corporate culture of self-governance and creativity. In addition, to encourage the institute's members to become core professionals, the institute places a lot of emphasis on helping each individual to develop the most optimized work habit in his/her own field of work.

Major R&D Areas within the Productivity Research Institute

Production Method

Manufacturing Research
To support the enhancement of the business division's productivity, continuous efforts are made in developing the most optimized manufacturing process for each individual product.

Development Research
Work is carried out on optimizing design and developing a solution that allows a virtual test evaluation that does not require the actual product and provides the solution to the business division. To achieve this, the Productivity Research Institute runs the Super Computer Center and also conducts research in the fields of CAD, CAE and Knowledge Based Design technology.

Quality Research
To anticipate quality problems, the optimization methodology for assessing reliability and the lean software development methodology are applied to support LG's enhancement of manufacturing capacity.

Manufacturing Process and Equipment

Laser Application Technology
Research into micromachining laser technology for displays and electronic parts and core technology in the optical field are currently in progress.

Manufacturing Process Technology
Research is being conducted in core manufacturing process technologies including joining, coating, precision, process equipment technology, and maximizing equipment efficiency for manufacturing electronics and telecommunication products.

Thin Film Technology
Research is being carried out on how to form a thin film evenly over a surface of an object as well as on developing processes and system technologies for a clean and safe production environment. Photo-Lithography Technology Research is being conducted into developing technology for creating a precise and even pattern on the display and solar cell surface by applying optical technology.

Module Equipment
Differentiated equipment is developed by focusing resources on the development of processes, equipment and production systems in the module field.

Logistics System
A complete logistics system is being developed in core business areas such as the PDP and LCD and the related solutions are being provided to the business division.

Evaluation Technology for Total Productivity
To acquire a quality manufacturing process at the minimum cost, most optimized testing systems are developed through the application of machine vision, measurement and sensor technologies. A diverse testing solution for all fields from flat panel displays such as PDP and LCD to mobile phones and TV products.

Common Production Technology

Electronic Packaging Technology
To create more sophisticated electronics and telecommunication products, mounting technology that allows affordable manufacturing of smaller and thinner circuit boards with high performance is currently being developed. Research is also being conducted into developing mounting design technology, circuit CAE technology, electromagnetic wave eliminating technology, mounting process, reliability testing technology and environmentally friendly mounting material technology.

Color Material 3F
Research and development is being conducted into timely realization and production of new concept & design products; research areas include surface treatment & decoration technology, various outer materials technology (metal, plastic and hybrid forming) and functional/ecological material application & analysis technologies.

Major R&D Achievements of the Productivity Research Institute

Developed LG's unique production system, the Hit Product Development Theory (Vic 21).

Developed the design innovation support system.

Developed Pb-free and fine-pitch bare chip mounting technology in response to environmentally friendly efforts.

Developed the world's first LCD short pattern test system.

Developed Korea's first photo exposure unit (color filter for PDP and LCD).

Developed the world's first PDP laser direct patterning technology.

Developed high accuracy stage technology.

Developed the world's first sputter(halftone mask).

Developed rapid thermal dry technology.

Developed ultra miniaturized chip multi mounting technology.

Developed inkjet printing technology.