• Samsung Display to showcase next-generation quantum dot (QD) technology, glasses-free 3D displays, and fine silicon masks (FSMs) for RGB OLED deposition
• ‘OLED Bot’ to demonstrate the durability of Samsung Display’s foldable screen
• SID Display Week 2024 to run from May 14 to 16 in San Jose, California

Samsung Display today unveiled several innovative technologies at SID Display Week 2024, an annual symposium and tradeshow, held at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California, U.S., from May 14 to 16.

The event allows attendees to see Samsung Display’s unrivaled technology leadership, including next-generation quantum dot (QD) technology, glasses-free 3D displays, and fine silicon masks (FSMs) for RGB OLED deposition. At its show booth, Samsung Display is also featuring ‘OLED Bot’ performances, a popular robot attraction at MWC 2024, to demonstrate the superior durability of its foldable screens.

QD-LED: unleashing next-generation display capabilities

Samsung Display’s industry-first quantum dot light-emitting diode (QD-LED) display is a next-generation self-lighting technology that uses ultra-fine semiconductor particles to create RGB pixels. 

While currently commercialized QD-OLEDs produce color by passing light from a blue OLED through a QD-emitting layer, QD-LEDs emit light directly from the QD RGB pixels through the current drive without an OLED. The wide color gamut and high color accuracy that is unique to QDs allows for superior viewing experience. Additionally, the stable material properties of quantum dots, make it highly efficient to manufacture and enable large-scale patterning through inkjet printing. 

The notebook-sized 18.2-inch QD-LED unveiled at the event has a resolution of 3200󠅐x1800 with a high pixel density of 202 PPI and a brightness of 250 nits, which is comparable to high-resolution premium monitors. The development of QD-LED products with eco-friendly cadmium (Cd)-free quantum dots, which is highly technically advanced, has been praised by industry experts, and the related papers have been awarded the ‘Best Paper of the Year’ by SID.

Samsung Display is also showcasing its latest QD-OLED products, now in their third year of production. The world’s first 4K 31.5-inch and 360 Hz 27-inch gaming monitors, as well as the new 65-inch TV panel with a maximum brightness of 3,000 nits, can be seen at the company’s booth.

Light Field Display: a new era of glasses-free 3D technology

Samsung Display is also showing its Light Field Display (LFD), a type of glasses-free 3D display that automatically switches between 2D and 3D depending on the user’s gaze. LFD uses display and optical technology to create the illusion of three-dimensionality by allowing the left and right eyes to see different images. The 16-inch laptop-type LFD automatically turns on the 3D function when the user comes within 40 to 70 centimeters of the viewing distance. LFD’s advanced eye-tracking technology provides FHD-quality content by adjusting the 3D screen in real-time to the user’s eye position within a 40-degree viewing range.

OLED: leading the way beyond smartphones

With smartphones facing a growth downturn, Samsung Display is showing its flagship technologies for the IT and XR markets, which are emerging as new growth drivers for OLED. 

Ultra-Thin OLEDs: revolutionizing IT applications with sleek design and energy efficiency

Samsung Display’s Ultra-Thin (UT) OLED’s slender structure is optimized for IT applications. It is a technology that enables thinner and lighter laptops and tablets by reducing the thickness and weight by more than 20 percent compared to rigid OLEDs by utilizing one glass layer instead of two. 

In addition, by applying a full oxide backplane, the drive frequency is reduced to 1Hz for the first time among IT panels. It is the ideal technology for IT that can reduce power consumption by more than 40 percent when driving a screen displaying still images, maximizing battery life.

RGB OLEDoS: unveiling a game-changer for the XR market

Samsung Display unveiled its RGB OLEDoS (OLED on Silicon) technology for the extended reality (XR) market with eMagin, a micro OLED specialized subsidiary. The company unveiled the 3,500 PPI fine silicon mask (FSM), which is the core of RGB OLEDoS development, for the first time, drawing significant industry attention. 

Samsung Display has fabricated a fine silicon mask based on an 8-inch silicon wafer for RGB OLEDoS, which requires the deposition of RGB subpixel sizes down to a few micrometers to realize ultra-high resolution displays. This is considered to be a key technology for future RGB OLED manufacturing, as it enables denser pixel realization than conventional fine metal masks (FMMs) by creating microscopic holes through a semiconductor lithography process. 

Samsung Display also unveiled more than 10 microdisplay products, including a 1.03-inch 3500 PPI RGB OLED and a military riflescope featuring OLED.

OLED Bot: demonstrating foldable OLED technology’s durability and flexibility

At the event, Samsung Display is demonstrating the Samsung Foldable’s durability through a robotic performance. The OLED Bot is repurposed from a robot that was used in the OLED production line to the event to showcase the durability of its foldable OLEDs. The OLED Bot shakes the 7.6-inch foldable panel in a tank full of water, sprinkles salt and pepper on it, scrubs it with an iron scrubber, and pours dozens of steel beads on the panel at once to demonstrate the durability of Samsung’s foldable panels to visitors. 

The event also showcases the Flex Note Extendable™, which has been attracting a lot of attention since its debut at CES 2024, as well as the Flex S, which folds two ways, and the Slidable Flex Duet, which allows the screen to extend in two directions, demonstrating the potential of foldable panels.

“We are pleased to showcase Samsung Display’s outstanding foldable competitiveness along with innovative next-generation technologies that can lead the IT and XR era at this exhibition, which is attended by the world’s leading scholars and display experts,” said Samsung Display representative. “We believe this event will serve as an opportunity to showcase the infinite scalability and growth potential of display technology.”