Thin-film electroluminescent (EL) displays were initially developed in the early 1980s as a high-performance alternative to monochrome passive LCD displays. EL displays were developed in the laboratories and commercialized by four companies: Planar Systems in the U.S., Finlux in Finland, Sharp Electronics, and later Nippon Denso, both in Japan. Initial applications for this technology were many and varied, but they were found to be particularly advantageous in portable medical equipment, industrial controls, commercial in-vehicle, and military applications. Displays produced with EL technology have ranged in size from a few inches to 18-in. diagonals in monochrome, grayscale and multicolor.