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South Korean display giants Samsung and LG reportedly want to develop OLED panels with a low-refractive capping layer (CPL). They have already started testing the new OLED tech with several industry partners, the Korean media reports. The duo will initially apply the tech to small and medium-sized displays, like those used on smartphones.
Smartphone displays consist of several layers. Among those is a thin capping layer placed on top of the cathode. It helps minimize the loss of light when the light emitted by the OLED is repeatedly reflected by electrodes (cathode and anode) to help it direct toward the display. The CPL used currently has a high refractive index. While it consumes less power than the conventional CPLs used in the past, its light efficiency isn’t the best.
Samsung and LG are looking to address this drawback by introducing an additional CPL with a low refractive index. It will work in tandem with the existing high-refractive CPL to further reduce the loss of light. Effectively, the new display layer will improve the OLED panel’s light efficiency and prolong its life.
According to The Elec, the two South Korean firms have already begun talks with several industry partners. Existing CPL suppliers such as Dongjin Semichem, Hodogaya, Labto, and PNH Tech are among those showing interest in the new OLED display tech. A few are even in the process of supplying low-refractive CPLs to Samsung and LG for early testing. Most of these firms are already part of the two companies’ display supply chains.
Samsung and LG need to persuade their customers to adopt the new OLED tech
Samsung and LG still have several obstacles to overcome before they can realize their plans of adding a low-refractive capping layer to OLED panels. Since it’s an additional process in display manufacturing, as well as additional materials, the displays with a low-refractive CPL are likely to cost more. As the companies are still evaluating its application, the final price has yet to be determined.
However, Samsung and LG ultimately need to persuade their display customers to adopt the new OLED panels with a low-refractive CPL at a higher price. As such, they have opened talks with their biggest clients — Samsung’s smartphone division and Apple. It remains to be seen if the next-gen Galaxy smartphones and iPhones feature a more efficient OLED display or if we’ll have to wait longer for the new OLED tech.