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LG Display has unveiled a solution that could significantly change the way OLED screens are manufactured. The Flipp technology eliminates one of the components currently used in panel production, namely fine metal masks (FMM). This should allow the manufacturer to achieve higher brightness, longer lifespan and lower power consumption. The first panels using the new solution are expected to enter production no earlier than late 2027.
Flipp eliminates metal masks and can significantly improve OLED performance
LG Display has used so-called Fine Metal Masks in the production of OLEDs for more than a decade — thin metal masks with very small openings. OLED materials for individual pixels are deposited through those openings. Although this method works for manufacturing, it is costly and limits the potential for further improving panel efficiency.
The Flipp technology aims to solve this by depositing RGB pixels sequentially, without using metal masks. LG Display says this has increased the aperture, the screen area occupied by active pixels, by about 55 percent. According to the company, this translates to 1.6 times higher brightness, even 2.4 times longer lifespan and about a 13% reduction in power consumption compared with a panel produced using FMM under identical conditions.
Importantly, Flipp is not limited to small screens. LG Display developed the technology with large panels in mind, and the company says it could theoretically enable displays with diagonals from 1 up to 100 inches.
New LG OLEDs set to reach TVs, monitors and VR devices
The first applications of Flipp will focus on IT devices such as tablets and monitors. In later stages LG Display aims to expand the technology's use to laptops, televisions, wearables and VR and AR headsets. With no rigid limits on size and resolution, the solution could be highly versatile. The manufacturer plans to use its existing OLED 8.5G factory to produce Flipp panels. LG Display intends to allocate around 3 trillion won to develop the technology, and production is scheduled to start no earlier than late 2027. That means we'll still have to wait for the first devices using the new panels. LG is not, however, the only company working on producing OLEDs without metal masks. Similar approaches are being developed by Japan Display, and Chinese firm Visionox has announced it will produce such panels in 2027. Meanwhile, TCL CSOT is developing OLED inkjet printing technology, and Samsung Display is also exploring the use of a similar process.
Flipp could be one of the more important directions for OLED development in the coming years. LG Display says the new solution will allow the production of brighter, more energy-efficient and significantly more durable panels, while eliminating costly FMM masks. The technology is set to be used in devices of many different sizes, from small displays to televisions up to 100 inches. However, we'll have to wait for actual products using Flipp, as production is not expected to start until at least late 2027.
source: flatpanelshd
