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OLED: An emerging display technology
Introduction
An exciting technology has been available in many small devices
such as cell phones and digital camera displays for the last 13
years. Soon it may available for use in larger standard ofce and
home entertainment displays. The technology is organic light
emitting diode (OLED). It is possible that in the next 2-3 years
you may see an 80 OLED in your living room or board room that
only requires 10 or less volts of power to operate.
OLED display devices use organic carbon-based lms, sand-
wiched together between two charged electrodes. One is a metal-
lic cathode and the other a transparent anode, which is usually
glass. Online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, denes an organic com-
pound as any member of a large class of chemical compounds
whose molecules contain carbon, with the exception of carbides,
carbonates, carbon oxides and gases containing carbon.
The basic components of an OLED are:
Substrate. This is support for the OLED.
Anode. The anode removes electrons when a current ows
through the device.
Organic layers. These layers are made of organic molecules
or polymers.
- Conducting layer. This layer is made of organic plastic
molecules that send electrons out from the anode.
- Emissive layer. This layer is made of organic plastic mol-
ecules (different ones from the conducting layer) that trans-
port electrons from the cathode; this is where light is made.
Cathode (may or may not be transparent depending on the
type of OLED). The cathode injects electrons when a current
ows through the device.
Applying the organic layers to the substrate can be accomplished
in three ways:
1. Vacuum Deposition or Vacuum Thermal Evaporation (VTE).
In a vacuum chamber, the organic molecules are evaporated
through a slow heat process and then allowed to condense as
thin lms onto a cooled substrate. This is a very inefcient and
expensive process.
2. Organic Vapor Phase Deposition (OVPD). This process em-
ploys an inert carrier gas (such as nitrogen) to precisely transfer
lms of organic material onto a cooled substrate in a hot-walled,
low-pressure chamber. The precise transfer and ability to better
control lm thickness translates to lower material cost and higher
production throughput.
3. Inkjet Printing. OLEDs are sprayed onto the substrate the same
way our desktop inkjet printer sprays ink onto paper. This greatly
reduces the cost of manufacturing OLEDs and allows for printing
on very large lms. This allows for a much lower cost and larger
home displays and PIPD products.
One of the major benets of OLEDs is their low power consump-
tion when compared to traditional LEDs or LCDs. OLEDs also do
not require backlighting to function, which in addition to using
less power, also lowers manufacturing costs.

Even with all the layers that make up an OLED, this is an emis-
sive technology meaning it generates its own light. An OLED
display is very thin and compact, typically has a viewing angle of
160 degrees and will operate on as little as 2 volts.
Imagine todays typical 60 at-screen display, but instead of
an 8-in. thick, 250-lb. plasma display or a 65-lb. LCD, your 60
OLED display is only 1/2 thick and weighs roughly 30 lbs.!
Other OLED advantages over traditional LCDs include:
Increased brightness
Faster response time (fast action, live events)
Greater durability
Thinner and lighter weight product
Higher contrast
How do OLEDs work?
As previously mentioned, OLEDs are an emissive technology,
which means they emits light instead of diffusing or reecting
a secondary source, as LCDs and LEDs currently do. Below is a
graphic explanation of how the technology works.
Types of OLEDs
There currently are six types of OLED screens, each designed for
a different type of use. The types are:
1. Passive Matrix OLEDs (PMOLEDs) have strips of cathode,
organic layers and strips of anode. The anode strips are arranged
perpendicular to the cathode strips. The intersections of the
cathode and anode make up the pixels where light is emitted.
External circuitry applies current to selected strips of anode and
cathode, determining which pixels get turned on and which pixels
remain off. Again, the brightness of each pixel is proportional to
the amount of applied current.

PMOLEDs are easy to make, but they consume more power than
other types of OLED, mainly due to the power needed for the
external circuitry. PMOLEDs are most efcient for text and icons
and are best suited for small screens (2- to 3-inch diagonal) such
as those you nd in cell phones, PDAs and MP3 players. Even
with the external circuitry, PMOLEDs consume less battery power
than the LCDs that are currently used in these devices.

2. Active-matrix OLEDs (AMOLEDs) have full layers of cathode,
organic molecules and anode, but the anode layer overlays a thin
lm transistor (TFT) array that forms a matrix. The TFT array
itself is the circuitry that determines which pixels get turned on to
form an image.
AMOLEDs consume less power than PMOLEDs because the TFT
array requires less power than external circuitry, so they are ef-
cient for large displays. AMOLEDs also have faster refresh rates
suitable for video. The best uses for AMOLEDs are computer
monitors, large-screen TVs and electronic signs or billboards.

3. Transparent OLEDs have only transparent components
(substrate, cathode and anode) and, when turned off, are up to
85% as transparent as their substrate. When a transparent OLED
display is turned on, it allows light to pass in both directions. A
transparent OLED display can be either active- or passive-matrix.
This technology can be used for heads-up displays.

4. Top-emitting OLEDs have a substrate that is either opaque or
reective. They are best suited to active-matrix design. Manufac-
turers may use top-emitting OLED displays in smart cards.
5. Foldable OLEDs have substrates made of very exible metallic
foils or plastics. Foldable OLEDs are very lightweight and durable.
Their use in devices such as cell phones and PDAs can reduce
breakage, a major cause for return or repair. Potentially, foldable
OLED displays can be sewn into fabrics for smart clothing, such
as outdoor survival clothing with an integrated computer chip,
cell phone, GPS receiver and OLED display sewn into it.

6. White OLEDs emit white light that is brighter, more uniform
and more energy efcient than that emitted by uorescent lights.
White OLEDs also have the true-color qualities of incandescent
lighting. Because OLEDs can be made in large sheets, they can re-
place uorescent lights that are currently used in homes and build-
ings. Their use could potentially reduce energy costs for lighting.
OLED Advantages
The LCD is currently the display of choice in small devices and
is also popular in large-screen TVs. Regular LEDs often form the
digits on digital clocks and other electronic devices. OLEDs offer
many advantages over both LCDs and LEDs, including:
The plastic, organic layers of an OLED are thinner, lighter
and more exible than the crystalline layers in an LED or LCD.
Because the light-emitting layers of an OLED are lighter,
the substrate of an OLED can be exible instead of rigid.
OLED substrates can be plastic rather than the glass used for
LEDs and LCDs.
OLEDs are brighter than LEDs. Because the organic layers
of an OLED are much thinner than the corresponding inorgan-
ic crystal layers of an LED, the conductive and emissive
layers of an OLED can be multi-layered. Also, LEDs and LCDs
require glass for support, and glass absorbs some light.
OLEDs do not require glass.
OLEDs do not require backlighting like LCDs. LCDs work by
selectively blocking areas of the backlight to make the im-
ages that you see, while OLEDs generate light themselves.
Because OLEDs do not require backlighting, they consume
much less power than LCDs (most of the LCD power goes to
the backlighting). This is especially important for battery-op-
erated devices such as cell phones.
OLEDs are easier to produce and can be made to larger sizes.
Because OLEDs are essentially plastics, they can be made
into large, thin sheets. It is much more difcult to grow and
lay down so many liquid crystals.
OLEDs have large elds of view, about 170 degrees. Because
LCDs work by blocking light, they have an inherent viewing
obstacle from certain angles. OLEDs produce their own light,
so they have a much wider viewing range.
OLED Disadvsantages
OLED seem to be the perfect technology for all types of displays,
however, they do have some problems, including:
Lifetime. While red and green OLED lms have long lifetimes
(10,000 to 40,000 hours), blue organics currently have much
shorter lifetimes (only about 1000 hours).
Manufacturing. Processes are expensive right now.
Water. Water can easily damage OLEDs.
OLED Applications
OLED technology was invented by Eastman Kodak in the early
1980s and, currently, OLEDs are used in small-screen devices
such as cell phones, PDAs and digital cameras. In March 2003,
the company introduced the worlds rst digital camera with an
OLED display. In September 2004, Sony Corporation announced
that it was beginning mass production of OLED screens for its
CLIE PEG-VZ90 model of personal-entertainment handhelds.

Several companies have already built prototype computer moni-
tors and large-screen TVs. In May 2005, Samsung Electronics
announced that it had developed the rst 40 OLED-based, ultra-
slim TV.
OLED Research and development is moving forward at a rapid
pace and may soon lead to applications in heads-up displays
(HUD), automotive dashboards, billboard-type displays, home
and ofce lighting, and exible displays. OLEDs refresh approxi-
mately 1000 times faster than LCDs. Although a device with an
OLED display could change information in real time, the eye can-
not perceive changes to video faster than about 13ms. Refresh
rate is also not the end-all in display products. Many of the high-
end monitors take advantage of advanced engineering in scalers
and other components to make the view more pleasing to the eye.
References
www.wikipedia.com
This white paper was published in and based on information as
of January 2007. Technical information is subject to change.

2007 NEC Display Solutions of America, Inc.