OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode. It is also known as an organic electroluminescent (EL) diode. OLED is a relatively new type of display used in televisions, smartphones, and laptops. Invented in 1987, OLED has become one of the two leading display technologies in the industry. This display technology uses organic (carbon-based) compounds that emit light when an electric current passes through them. Unlike LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays), which require a white light source and an RGB (Red, Green, Blue) color filter to produce full-color images, OLED screens use OLED emitters to produce their own light.
What is “organic” about OLEDs?
In this context, "organic" refers to the chemical definition: molecules made up of chains or rings of carbon atoms combined with other elements. These organic molecules exhibit electroluminescence, meaning they light up in response to an electric current.
Advantages of OLEDs
OLED display technology offers extremely high image quality and wide viewing angles. For this reason, it is used in high-end products, such as the latest and most premium Apple phones. Since each pixel on an OLED screen can be individually controlled, OLED displays can achieve higher resolution. Additionally, because OLEDs do not require a backlight, they consume less power than LCDs. They are also energy-efficient displays, as energy is only used when a pixel is turned on, rather than constantly powering a backlight. Moreover, the lack of a backlight enables the development of flexible OLED screens. Backlights limit designers to only flat displays. Since OLEDs emit their own light, devices can be made rollable or foldable.
What is the difference between OLED and LED?
OLED uses organic materials to emit light, whereas LED uses other compound semiconductors. OLEDs can function as displays on their own, while LEDs are typically only used as backlights for LCD screens.
