Micro-Lens Array (MLA)

LG Display announced that it has developed its 2nd generation Multi-Lens Array (MLA) technology, branded as META Technology 2.0.  The company demonstrated a 83" META 2.0 OLED TV panel, during CES 2023. The company will apply this technology to several of its 2024 OLED TVs, ranging in size from 55-inch to 88". 

META 2.0 WOLED panels achieve a peak brightness of 3,000 nits - a 42% improvement over the company's conventional panels. LGD explains that META 2.0 includes a pattern of optimized micrometer-scale lenses with an optimized lens angle, an upgraded "brightness enhancing algorithm" called META Multi Booster, and a full-range brightness detail enhancing algorithm called Detail Enhancer. All of these new technologies, combined, makes for a META 2.0 panel. In a 77-inch 4K panel, there are 42.4 billion micro lenses (!).

US-based Pixelligent is an advanced materials company that delivers next generation optical materials applications in lighting and displays. For the OLED industry, Pixelligent offers materials that significantly increase light output by increasing the refractive index of materials in the device.

Pixelligent's President and CEO, Craig Bandes, was kind enough to answe a few questions we had, to learn more about Pixelligent and its solutions for the OLED industry.

Hello Craig! Can you explain your technology and materials and how they enhance the efficiency of OLED display?

We are best known for our high refractive index (HRI) nanocrystal formulations and dispersions that deliver breakthrough performance in next-generation electronics, like extended reality, displays, optics, and sensors. We designed our PixJet®, PixNIL®, and PixClear® products to offer the best combination of brightness, clarity, operating efficiencies, and device-lifetime. 

LG Display announced that it has successfully developed a 27-inch 480Hz QHD (2560x1440) Gaming OLED display, a world first. The panel offers a 0.03 ms response time, that together with the ultra-fast refresh rate, makes it optimal for gaming. LGD's new panel also implements the company's Micro-Lens Array (MLA) technology to enhance light output. 

LGD says that it will start producing this new panel in the first half of 2024. The company's 2024 gaming OLED monitor lineup will include panels in sizes 27, 31.5, 34, 39, and 45 inches.

LG Electronics formally announced it latest OLED TV, its 2024 range. The company introduced several new features: 144Hz refresh rate on most of the models, a new image processor and Chromecast support. LG did not yet disclose the pricing or shipping dates for the 2024 OLED TVs.

The 2024 OLED TV range starts with the OLED B4 series (no 60Hz A series this year), that offers 48-, 55-, 65-, and 77-inch options, 120Hz 4K resolution, an Alpha 8 image processor, webOS 24 and built-in Chromecast. The OLED C4 improves over the B4 with 144Hz refresh rates an Alpha 9 Gen-7 image processor. The C4 is available in 42-, 48-, 55-, 65-, 77- and 83-inch options.

According to reports from Korea, both Samsung Display and LG Display have approached Apple, offering to produce MLA (Multi-Lens Array) AMOLED displays for a future iPhone device. Applying the MLA panel will increase the light output, but will carry higher costs and may also reduce the viewing angles (or actually reduce the side-view brightness).

It is not clear what kind of effect will MLA offer in Apple's case. When LG applied MLA to its TV panels, the company says it improved the brightness by 60% (it also stated that viewing angles actually increased by 30%). Apple will not be the first one to apple MLA to smartphone displays - Samsung itself adopted MLA panels in some of its high-end models (Galaxy S Ultra phones) and so did some other vendors.

LG Display demonstrated several exciting OLED display prototypes at Display Week 2023.

First up was the company's 77" 8K Meta (microlens-array) panel - this has been commercialized already, but it is always a wonder to watch this particular display which offers an extraordinary image quality.

According to reports from Korea, LGD is now applying MLA to its gaming monitors, as it sees the growing gaming market as an important one for its future growth.

A few days ago LG Electronics unveiled its 2023 OLED TV range, which included the OLED G3, LG's slim all-in-one design OLED TV which is LG's brightest OLED TV yet. As we reported, LG Display announced today that its latest OLED panel adopts a micro-lens array to boost the performance.

Branded as META Technology, the OLED Panel is covered with a micro lens array to maximize the light emission. LGD says that this increase the brightness by 60%, and also increases the viewing angles by 30%. The G3 panel has a peak brightness of 2,100 nits.

 LG Electronics announced its OLED TV range for 2023. LG is introducing several new technologies, one of which is microlens array (or MLA) to achieve up to 2,100 nits (in the G3 series).

The entry-level model is the A3 series, which offers 4K 60Hz 48-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch WOLED panels. The A3 offers WebOS 23, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDMI 2.1 VRR and support for G-Sync and FreeSync Premium. The B3 series is similar, but with support to 120Hz.

In May 2022 we reported that LG Display is looking into adopting a microLens array in its large OLED TV panel architecture. The microlens layer could boost brightness by up to 20%, which will also increase efficiency (if brightness is kept as before). According to a new report from Korea, LGD is progressing in its project and estimates that the first MLA (Micro Lens Array) OLED panels will enter production in 2024.

MicroLens array structure, University of Michigan

The original report in May stated that LGD could actually begin producing MLA OLEDs as early as in 2022 - but it seems as this was overly optimistic. Earlier this year, LGD demonstrated a 77" 8K MLA WOLED panel.