SHARP Memory LCD Leak Recovery

This type of LCDs is used in some popular products like Pebble watch, Garmin navigators, Play Date console and so on.

As I previously made project DRM Watch 3 with SHARP Memory LCD used, I discovered, that this type of LCD is VERY fragile.

I got multiple screens damaged while normal use - especially if I made errors with assembly.

What interesting - damage is revealed slowly - pixels is dying for 4-10 days after LCD damaged (assembled, hit, dropped).

I bought new LCDs, but left with some leaked displays, which is working, but defective.

So I started experimenting with them.

I tried pressure, vacuum, heat, cold, vibrations, water, time and looked for regularities. On this way I destroyed several displays, but it wasn't in vain.

Combining freezing cold, strong pressure and wait some time actually recovered LCD! So now i'm about to share my method with you.

How leak looks

There's a lot of possible LCD types of damage: Physical Cracks, Dead Pixels, Burn-In image, Leaks, Manufacturing defects.

My lethod is about recoveryng leaks. Here's some photos of damaged LCDs I successfully recovered with my method.

Obviously, this method will not works for other types of damage.

Why it's happening?

Possible reasons:

• Shock impact (drop device or hit something)
• Long time pressure (when screw or dust particle pressing on the screen)
• Uncareful storage

Tools you will need

Used materials:

• Leaked SHARP Memory LCD
• 4x Perforated metal plate 40х100х2, 0
• 4x Bolts M5
• 4x Nuts M5
• Paper sheets
• Scissors
• Wrench (Sccording to nuts used)
• Allen wrench (According to bolts used)
• Refrigerator

Assembling Pressure Fixture

• Cut many papers to fit display size. Stack them to get equal thickness on all surface.
• Place display in middle of papers.
• Place papers between metal plates and screw 4 bolts on corners.
• Tighten screws uniformly. To achieve same pressure on all corners.
• Don't tignt too much - if metal starts to bend - it's enough!

Recovery Procedure

Follow this steps:

• Put display in pressure fixture.
• Tighten fixture screws uniformly.
• Place in freezer (-20*C) for 10-50 hours. Depends on damage.
• Remove from freezer and let sit for a few hours.
• When fixture is warmed, slowly unscrew nuts. Unscrew uniformly - half rotation one by one.
• Disassemble fixture, remove display.
• Now it should be fully recovered!

If no, it maybe because your display have some other type of damage, which can't be recovered by this memthod.

You can try again, maybe it will work from second time. Most tests I made worked from first time, but I had some LCD which needed to make recovery twice.

Behavior after recovery

Some recovered LCD I'm using as LCD is my daily-driver watch and I see no problems with it after more than month after recovery.

My experience

This LCD recovered completely:

This LCD recovered completely:

This LCD recovered completely:

This LCD recovered completely: