LG Display, the world’s leading innovator of display technologies, made a groundbreaking announcement – the unveiling of the world’s first Stretchable display capable of expanding up to 50%. This is the highest rate of elongation ever recorded in the industry.
The unveiling took place at LG Science Park in Seoul, where the company demonstrated the panel to more than 100 South Korean industry, academia, and research stakeholders. This group was involved in a national project focusing on Stretchable display technology.
“Stretchable displays are seen as the ultimate free-form screen technology because they can be freely transformed into any shape, including by stretching, folding, and twisting.” said Soo-young Yoon, CTO and Executive Vice President of LG Display.
Unveiling the Prototype
The new prototype features a 12-inch screen that stretches up to 18 inches. It delivers a high resolution of 100ppi (pixels per inch) and full red, green, and blue (RGB) color. This is a significant improvement from the first Stretchable display prototype unveiled in 2022. The new panel’s maximum elongation rate has more than doubled from 20% to 50%.
Enhancements in the Technology
The enhanced stretchability opens up various display design possibilities, raising the technology’s potential competitiveness when commercialized. LG Display achieved this by improving the properties of a special silicon material substrate used in contact lenses and developing a new wiring design structure.
The new prototype uses a micro-LED light source of up to 40μm (micrometers), which strengthens the panel’s durability. As a result, it can be stretched over 10,000 times without compromising the image quality, even in extreme environments such as exposure to low or high temperatures and external shocks.
Applications of Stretchable Displays
Stretchable displays are thin, lightweight, and can adhere to irregularly curved surfaces like clothing and skin. They can be applied in various industries, from fashion and wearables to mobility. LG Display showcased numerous concepts for the application of Stretchable displays, including an automotive panel that stretches out into a convex shape and a wearable display attached to firefighters’ uniforms that provides real-time information.
A Glimpse into the Future
LG Display was selected as the lead company for the national project to develop Stretchable displays in 2020. It has since been conducting joint R&D with 19 domestic industry and research institutes. This was part of a broader project to develop core technologies for next-generation displays promoted by South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) along with the Korea Planning & Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology.
By successfully completing the project, LG Display has not only secured core technologies that can lead the next-generation display market but also contributed to localizing materials, components, and equipment as well as building an R&D infrastructure.
“We will continue to build a sustainable future display ecosystem through close cooperation between South Korean industry, academia, and research stakeholders,” said Soo-young Yoon.
LG Display Co., Ltd. [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220] is the world’s leading innovator of display technologies, including thin-film transistor liquid crystal and OLED displays. The company manufactures display panels in a broad range of sizes and specifications primarily for use in TVs, notebook computers, desktop monitors, automobiles, and various other applications, including tablets and mobile devices.
Source: www.prnewswire.com
