This article dives into what an OLED display is, and gives the proper information about the display technology.

What is OLED?

OLED spells out organic light-emitting Diode. It is a light-emitting technology made by placing a series of carbon thin films between two conductors that emits a bright light when an electrical current is applied.

OLED Screen panels comprise an organic substance that encourages self-emissive thin bright displays which means each pixel emits its light and can be controlled individually when electricity passes through, unlike LCD cells which compel an external light source for their display.

This is the unique feature and the most substantial of the OLED technology.

The OLED technology- How it works 

An OLED is an electro-optic semiconductor device with its major element being the OLED emitter( This is the organic carbon thin-Film that emits light once electricity passes through). The system of an OLED is built in a layered format and can be defined as a layer that has up to 2-3 layers of organic Film sandwiched in between a cathode used to inject electrons & an anode that removes the electron.

However, More layers are used in modern devices that make use of OLED technology but the main purpose continues the same.

An OLED panel consists of a substrate which is clear plastic glass foil that supports the OLED, Organic layers are made of organic polymers that give rise to the conducting layer that transports the holes from the anode & the emissive layer that transports electrons from the cathode.

The most critical part of manufacturing OLED panels is the deposition of the organic layers which can be carried out in several ways. Here are 2 ways that are mostly used.

Vacuum deposition: This is a simple method that involves heating the organic molecules & moisture as a thin film. However, it is inefficient, expensive, and difficult to scale up on a large substrate.

Inkjet Technology: Some organic OLED materials are soluble & can be sprayed into substrates like ink. This technology is cost-effective and can be used for large display sizes like billboards or wide Inch Tv screens.

There are different types of OLED with distinct uses which include

Passive matrix OLED(PMOLED)Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED)Transparent OLED White OLED 

However, the Passive Matrix OLED and the Active-matrix OLED are the most commonly used Types, and the difference between them is driving Electrons.

Passive Matrix OLED (PMOLED)

This type of OLED describes how one can control or drive the display. It makes use of a simple control scheme, where you can control each line of display sequentially.

Each line of the display has strips of cathode, anode & organic layers. The cathode strips are perpendicular to the anode & the intersection formed between them creates the pixels that radiate light after electricity is applied. 

PMOLEDs are Easy to manufacture& cost-effective, but they are limited   In resolution & size, commonly used for small icons, text sizes, and display characters. They are best suited for small screens such as Mp3 players, mobile phones & PDA’s.

Lastly, They absorb more voltage to make specific pixels turned on brighter to compensate for most pixels being off however they consume less power when compared to the LCD devices. 

Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED)

The other type of OLED display is the Active Matrix OLED, The display makes use of an Active matrix TFT( Thin Film Transistor) array that forms a matrix and has a storage capacitor. 

Unlike the PMOLED, AMOLED doesn’t need an external circuitry, The TFT arrays perform that function & determine which pixel gets turned on to form an image, while the storage capacitor maintains the line pixel state, therefore facilitating larger resolution displays with no regulation to size & consuming lesser power.

AMOLEDs are Best suitable for computers monitors, large screens TVs, Billboards e.t.c

Advantages of OLED

OLED is known to have more goals than LCD or LED despite LCD being the current display of choice in devices.

Here are 3 Advantages that make OLED a better Display technology.

The key advantage of this technology is its self-emissive display without the need for a backlight which consumes less power than the LCD. They are easier to produce & can be made to larger sizes because they are plastics that can be made into thinner flexible sheets. They are brighter than LEDs. OLED layers are thinner than the crystals used in LEDs, Thereby allowing OLED to be brighter due to the multi-layering.

Disadvantages of OLED

Here are some problems associated with the OLED display technology

Limited life span & efficiency (This is commonly related to the blue light  material) Water damage Limited market availability.

OLED is an evolving display technology known for its thin, bright, flexible self-emissive displays. OLED is the screen technology that allows for better picture nature and guaranteed takes your viewing experience to the next Phase

How much are OLED TVs?

The price of OLED TVs ranges from $1000-$3000. However, the costs have dropped since they went on the market.

Who invented the OLED display Technology? 

It was invented by scientists Ching Tang & Steven van Slyke.