Stretchable OLEDs

Researchers from Korea's KAIST, ETRI, and Dong-A University propose a new stretchable OLED display architecture, based on a 3D form that includes hidden sections that act both as active emitting areas and interconnectors. The idea is that as the OLED display is stretched, these areas pop into place and add to the emitting area of the OLED. The areas are basically hidden pixels that are only used when the display stretches.

To create this OLED device, the researchers attached ultrathin OLED films to a 3D rigid island array structure through quadaxial stretching, enabling precise, deformation-free alignment. The researchers explain that a portion of the ultrathin OLED is concealed by letting it ‘fold in’ between the adjacent islands in the initial, non-stretched condition and gradually surfaces to the top upon stretching. 

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.

Researchers at the University of Chicago, led by Sihong Wang (above) and Juan de Pablo, developed a stretchable OLED device that uses TADF emitters to enable high efficiency and high stretchability.

The researchers say that this is the highest-efficiency stretchable display demonstrated to date, as all previous designs used fluorescent OLED emitters. The TADF stretchable device achieves 10% EQE and a stretchability of 125%. The substrate of this new device is a newly synthesized polymer.

LG Display has demonstrated a 12" 100 PPI full-color stretchable MicroLED display. The display can stretch up to 20% (to create a 14" display).

The display is said to be "close to commercialization" - as it is highly flexible, durable, and reliable. LGD says that it is the world's first full-color high-resolution stretchable display that was ever produced. But we do know that companies have demonstrated stretchable OLED displays in the past, for example Samsung with its 13" stretchable display shown in 2021.

TCL CSoT says that it has developed a new hinged-pixel design that can enable uniform stretchable displays.

The idea is to connect adjacent pixels with flexible hinges, so that when the display is stretched, the hinges make sure the pixels retain a fixed distance between them. The company says that this design can remain uniform for up to 40% expansion.

Panasonic announced a new thermoset stretchable film for printed electronics, called Beyolex. Panasonic targets several applications for its new film, including OLED substrates and encapsulation film.

Beyolex is based on a proprietary non-silicone thermoset polymer chemistry developed by Panasonic researchers at the company's Electronic Materials laboratory in Osaka, Japan. The film features softness, conformability, high temperature resistance, and ultra-low permanent deformation after stretching.

Samsung Display has demonstrated a new stretchable AMOLED display. The 13-inch panel (we do not know the resolution) was shown in a unique 3D demo.

The idea behind the demo is that the panel reacts to the video content (flowing lava), so it changes the height of parts of the screens to make the experience more realistic, a sort of volumetric display.

Researchers from Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) developed a new stretchable OLED display, that features stable performance and high elongation possibility. Samsung says that this research is the first one to prove the commercialization potential of stretchable devices.

The new stretchable OLED was integrated with a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor in a single device. The PPG sensor is used to measure the user’s heart rate in real-time - which can be displayed on the OLED display.

Researchers from Yonsei University developed a new OLED device that is highly stretchable. The researchers managed to build the entire device, including the substrate, conductive wires, electrodes and OLED layers, from stretchable materials.

The researchers say that this is the first time that the complete display device was produced from stretchable components, unlike previous efforts which have mainly focused on connecting small rigid OLED devices together to create a stretchable device.

Today we published new versions of our market reports - that cover the flexible, VR/AR, microdisplays, automotive, PMOLED and graphene OLED markets. OLED-Info provides comprehensive niche OLED market reports, and our reports cover everything you need to know about the niche market, and can be useful if you want to understand how the OLED industry works and what this technology can provide for your own industry. The reports are now updated to July 2020.

The Flexible and Foldable OLED Market Report:

• Why flexible displays and lighting panels are so exciting
• What kind of flexible displays are currently on the market
• All about the foldable OLED market and industry
• What the future holds for flexible OLEDs
• How to acquire flexible OLEDs for your products

The report package provides a good introduction to the flexible and foldable OLED market - present and future. It details both flexible displays and lighting technologies. Read more here!