SEL developed a flexible OLED with embedded photo detectors between the OLED pixels

Researchers from Semiconductor Energy Laboratory (SEL) developed flexible OLED displays that incorporate organic image sensors inside the OLED pixels using side-by-side patterning. The sensors can be used as cameras for applications such as fingerprint sensing - which will work on the entire display.

SEL presented two prototypes, one a 3.07" 360x540 (212 PPI) display and the second is a 8" one with a higher pixel density of 302 PPI. SEL says that the fingerprint recognition works even when the display is bent.

The OLED and OPD devices are similar in structure, and SEL used this to fabricate the OLED display using a relatively simple architecture that reuses many of the layers for both functions.

A similar take on this technology is used by the Fraunhofer in its bi-directional OLED microdisplays - for different applications. In 2015 Fujifilm and imec also presented OLED patterning technology that can be used to create bi-directional displays.