LG OLED process removes masks for brighter, longer-lasting panels

At a display conference in Busan, LG Display is putting a different tool between the glass and the pixels: ultraviolet light instead of a fine metal stencil. The company unveiled FLiPP, its mask-free OLED patterning process, claiming that it can make panels brighter, last longer and consume less power than conventional production.

Fine metal masks, or FMMs, use microscopic openings to deposit red, green and blue organic materials in the right places. On large panels, those thin masks can sag and deform, creating alignment errors; manufacturers also need new masks when panel sizes or resolutions change. FLiPP first covers the substrate with the organic materials, then uses photolithography and ultraviolet light to remove the areas that are not needed and leave the pixel pattern behind.

That change leaves less dark space between subpixels. LG says the active, light-emitting area rises by about 55 percent compared with the FMM method. Depending on the design, the company reports up to 1.6 times the brightness, 2.4 times the lifespan or 13 percent lower power consumption. These figures describe alternative outcomes, not benefits that arrive all at once, and they come from LG Display; no independent test is cited.

The process could matter most where masks become unwieldy. LG says FLiPP can coat a full 8.5-generation mother glass substrate without cutting it into smaller sections, improving glass utilization by up to 64 percent. The company says the method could cover displays from 1 inch to 100 inches, with tablets and laptops first, followed by possible applications in wearables, TVs and virtual- and augmented-reality devices.

So what changes in practice? If the claimed results survive manufacturing and real-world testing, device makers could choose between more brightness, longer panel life or lower energy use while gaining more flexibility over screen sizes. LG Display says it drew on its WOLED technologies and know-how, but LG has not announced when FLiPP will enter production or when buyers will see the first products.