LED and OLED technologies are driving the future of display innovation, enabling display devices to become slimmer and more powerful. OLEDs in particular are being touted as the next generation of displays due to their flexibility and ability to produce a wide range of colours, and are set to have a major impact on the lighting market in the future.

LEDs and OLEDs light the way at the forefront of display technology

In recent years, outward appearances have become increasingly important, with dieting and fitness crazes on the rise. This ‘diet’ craze is not only affecting people, but also peripheral devices. Display devices that are a big part of our daily lives, such as TVs, monitors, laptops, mobile phones, and tablets, are getting slimmer and slimmer to meet consumers’ design needs and expectations for improved portability and performance. What are the technological enablers that are making these devices slimmer? LED and OLED technologies are at the centre of it all. Both technologies are at the heart of modern display technology, earning them the nicknames ‘light revolution’ and ‘solar TV’.

The history of displays: from fluorescents to LEDs to OLEDs

The earliest light sources used in display devices evolved from electron beams and incandescents to compact fluorescent lamps (CCFLs). Remember the old brown tube TVs? They worked on the principle that an electron beam from an electron gun would hit a fluorescent material, causing the screen to glow, but they were quite large and heavy. As display technology rapidly evolved, fluorescent lamps began to be used in a wide range of devices, including TVs, monitors, mobile phones, laptops, and more. LCD displays work on the principle that light from a fluorescent lamp passes through several polarising films and liquid crystals to form the screen. This light opens and closes the liquid crystals to produce specific colours, creating the screen we see.

The LED revolution: the beginning of slim displays

LED stands for ‘Light Emitting Diode’, meaning a diode that emits light on its own. This technology replaced traditional LCD technology and helped to dramatically reduce the thickness of display devices. LEDs work on the principle that light emits when an electric current flows through gallium nitride (GaN), a semiconductor material. Whereas traditional LCDs had to pass light through multiple polarising films to emit light, LEDs can emit and regulate their own light, enabling thinner and more efficient displays.
Another big advantage of LEDs is their energy efficiency. They lose less energy than traditional incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, and can reduce electricity consumption by up to 80 per cent, resulting in significant savings on electricity bills. They can also adjust their light quickly, which is why they’re used in 3D TVs, which are becoming increasingly popular, and provide crisp picture quality even during daylight hours.

OLEDs light up the future of displays

OLEDs work in the same basic way as LEDs, but they differ in that they use organic materials to produce light. Not only are they able to produce a wider range of colours than LEDs, but they also allow for very thin and flexible displays. In the future, we may even see display devices that can be rolled up like paper and carried around with us, which has been dubbed the ‘next generation of displays’ due to the flexibility and colour expression of OLEDs.
The displays of the future will be even more mind-blowing, with wallpaper displays that cover entire walls, for example, or screens that can be folded and carried in our daily lives – advances in OLED technology are making this possible.

Challenges and prospects for technology advancement

Of course, while LEDs and OLEDs are the next big thing in display technology, there are still challenges to overcome, notably the complexity of the manufacturing process and the high cost of raw materials. However, technological improvements and research and development are ongoing, and these issues are likely to be resolved over time. With Korea’s two largest conglomerates, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, investing heavily in LED and OLED, it is very likely that Korea will become a leader in the display industry.
In the future, LED and OLED technology will have a major impact on the general lighting market beyond the display market. It is expected to open up the market for emotional and active lighting beyond simple lighting, which will allow us to have a richer visual experience.