Succeeded in developing flexible ultra-thin organic EL display using graphene

Korean research team succeeded in manufacturing ultra-thin organic EL panel using "Graphene" material with special structure where carbon atoms spread in the plane. If ultra-thin display is put to practical use, it is expected to be applied not only to electronic devices such as smartphones but also to various fields such as advertisement.

Korea first to use graphene to make OLED panel
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170411000715

A joint research team of Korean Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and Hanwha succeeded in manufacturing an extremely thin organic EL display by using graphene. Graphene is expected as a material that can change the thickness of the display drastically from the molecular structure that it has high thermal conductivity and has only thickness of one atom at anything but the organic EL display produced by the research team The electrode thickness is less than 5 nanometers. By the way, even if the thickness of hair is thin, it is 60,000 nanometers (0.06 mm), so you can understand the incredible thinness of the electrode made by the collaborative research team of ETRI · Hanwha.

The research team succeeded in using graphene instead of indium · tin oxide which was conventionally used in the electrode for organic EL display. By using graphene, we could have a dramatic thinness and lightness as well as viscosity and succeeded in securing the flexibility to bend freely. We have already succeeded in manufacturing an organic EL display panel of 370 mm × 470 mm size.



A research team has also developed a process of patterning a graphene-based transparent electrode of a specific shape on an organic EL substrate so that it can be applied to the development of flexible smart devices. ETRI's Chi Nam-sun said, "It is meaningful that the world's first successful use of graphene as a panel material for organic EL displays has significance," said the organic EL display market with Chinese manufacturers that manufacture inexpensive display panels While it is anticipated that competition will be intensified, we are clarifying the view that it is possible to produce organic EL display with high added value from the technical advantage.

Like South Korea's LG displayed organic EL display bent at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2017, it has been applied to mobile terminals such as smartphones and electronic appliances such as wall-mounted electronic posters on extremely thin displays It is expected.


In addition to electronic equipment, it is possible to apply thin organic EL display to the fabric as much as possible, development of clothing which can change color according to TPO is also expected, and furthermore, it is expected to display advertisement on clothing " The application to the tower etc. has also been devised.

ETRI and Hanwha, which succeeded in developing extremely thin electrodes for organic EL displays as less than 5 nanometers, are aiming to commercialize flexible organic EL display panels flexibly bendable within five years.