Introduction to OLED displays and TVs

What is an OLED display?

OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) is a flat display technology, made by placing a series of organic thin films between two conductors. When electrical current is applied, a bright light is emitted. Because OLEDs produce (emit) light they do not require a backlight. This means that OLEDs can be made very thin and very power efficient when compared to LCD (which do require a white backlight).

LG Display 19-inch OLED prototype

Because OLEDs are so thin, efficient and simple, they can be made flexible, transparent, and even be used to create white-lighting.

Flexible OLED lighting prototype

OLEDs vs LCDs

OLEDs have the following advantages over today's flat-panel tech (LCD or plasma):

Low power consumption - OLEDs are a far better choice for portable devices. It also makes OLEDs much more environmental friendly, and a candidate to be the white-light "bulb" of the future
Faster refresh rate and better contrast.
Greater brightness - The screens are brighter, and have a fuller viewing angle.
Exciting displays - new types of displays, that we do not have today, like ultra-thin, flexible or transparent displays.
Better durability - OLEDs are very durable and can operate in a broader temperature range
Lighter weight - the screen can be made very thin, and can even be 'printed' on flexible surfaces

The future - flexible and transparent OLED displays

It turns out that because OLEDs are thin and simple - they can be used to create flexible and even transparent displays. This is pretty exciting as it opens up a whole world of possibilities:

Curved OLED displays, placed on non-flat surfaces
Wearable OLEDs
Transparent OLEDs embedded in windows
OLEDs in car windshields
New designs for lamps
And many more we cannot even imagine today...

Several companies are working towards this, and we already got some pretty exciting prototypes. Hopefully these kind of displays will become available within a few years!

How do OLEDs work?

An OLED is made by placing a series of organic thin films between two conductors. When electrical current is applied, a bright light is emitted.

Click here for a more detailed view of the OLED technology

So what's organic about OLEDs?

OLEDs are organic because they are made from carbon and hydrogen (see Organic Chemistry in Wikipedia). There's no connection to organic food or farming...

Where can I find OLED displays today?

Today you can find small (up to 3 or 4 inch) organic displays in many types of devices - mobile phones, A/V players, car audio systems, Digital cameras and PDAs. Lot's of companies are placing OLEDs in their products - Sony, Samsung, LG, Microsoft, and others.

The main attraction today is the small size, the low power consumption and the great brightness. Obviously OLEDs carry a price premium over LCDs, but companies are using these displays more and more. Here's our list of products and gadgets with an OLED display.

Samsung S8300 Ultra Touch phone

If you want to get an OLED, check out our OLED-shop, with lot's of OLED products!

Why can't I buy an OLED TV?

Actually you can, sort of. In November 2007 Sony began to sell a limited amount of the world's first OLED TV - the 11" XEL-1 (for about 2000$). It's actually more of a prototype than a real commercial product. Building large sized OLED displays is not easy, and it will take some time before companies are able to do it economically.

Sony XEL-1

One of the main challenges in OLED displays are the life time, especially of the blue color, which is problematic for larger screens. There are constant progress in the lifetime of OLEDs, though.

Several companies (notably Sony, Samsung, LGDisplay, Toshiba and Panasonic) are working towards larger OLED displays, and hopefully by 2009 we'll see them available - probably around 10"-14" OLEDs for laptop displays at first.
Read more about OLED TVs here.

Can OLEDs produce white lighting?

One of the more exciting attributes of organic displays is the low power consumption, and the ability to operate as a light source. OLEDs can produce white light, and can provide the bulb of the future - low power and thin designs (and no "bad" metals...). As energy prices go up, and environmental issues take center stage, we can expect fast development in this field.

Transparent white OLEDs by Philips

Philips seems to be the most advanced company - and actually you can now order white OLED panels online. It's not really a commercial product - Philips wants designers to try and "play" with the new panels, and create new exciting design.

Several companies (including Philips, Kodak, OSRAM, GE, UDC and others) are working towards OLED lighting. Hopefully the first commercial products will arrive by 2010.