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FlexEnable’s glass-free organic LCD (OLCD) delivers high-brightness, long lifetime flexible displays that are low cost and scalable to large areas, while also being thin, lightweight and shatterproof.

OLCD is a plastic display technology with full colour and video-rate capability. It enables product companies to create striking designs and realise novel use cases by merging the display into the product design rather than accommodating it by the design.

Unlike flexible OLED displays, which are predominantly adopted in flagship smartphones and smartwatches, OLCD opens up the use of flexible displays to a wider range of mass-market applications. It has several attributes that make it better suited than flexible OLED to applications across large-area consumer electronics, smart home appliances, automotive, notebooks and tablets, and digital signage.

OLCD can be conformed and wrapped around surfaces and cut into non-rectangular shapes during the production process. Holes can be also added to fit around the functional design of the system – for example around knobs and switches.

As with glass-based LCD, the lifetime of OLCD is independent of the display brightness, because it is achieved through transmission of a separate light source (the backlight), rather than emission of its own light. For example OLCD can be made ultra-bright for viewing in daylight conditions without affecting the display lifetime – an important requirement for vehicle surface-integrated displays.

OLCD is the lowest cost flexible display technology – it is three to four times lower cost that flexible OLED today. This is because it makes use of existing display factories and supply chain and deploys a low temperature process that results in low manufacturing costs and high yield.

Unlike other flexible display approaches, OLCD is naturally scalable to large sizes. It can be made as small or as large as the manufacturing equipment used for flat panel displays allows.

The flexibility of OLCD allows an ultra-narrow bezel to be implemented by folding down the borders behind the display. This brings huge value in applications like notebooks and tablets where borderless means bigger displays for the same sized device. The bezel size allowed by OLCD is independent of the display size or resolution. In addition, OLCD can make a notebook up to 100g lighter and 0.5mm thinner.

OLCD is the key to the fabrication of ultra-high contrast dual cell displays with true pixel level dimming, offering OLED-like performance at a fraction of the cost. The extremely thin OLCD substrate brings advantages in cost, viewing angle and module thickness compared to glass displays. At the same time OLCD retains the flexibility required for applications such as surface-integrated automotive displays.

Due to its unique properties, OLCD has the potential to transform how and where displays are used in products. The videos below give a glimpse into this innovative technology.

OLCD brings the benefits of being thin, light, shatterproof and conformable, while offering the same quality and performance as traditional glass LCDs. The mechanical advantages of plastic OLCD over glass LCD are further enhanced by the technology’s excellent optical performance, much of which originates from the extreme thinness of plastic TAC substrates compared to glass.

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Stretchable displays, or free-form displays as LG Display calls them, can be pulled, bent and twisted. They go a step farther than the flexible displays used in Samsung"s Galaxy Fold and other smartphones, which can be folded and bent but not stretched.

New York, United States, July 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global flexible display market had a market share of USD 13.34 billion in 2019, according to the new report of Straits Research. It is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 34.83% from 2022 to 2030. The global flexible display market is expected to grow owing to the rising innovations in consumer electronics and increased demand for a high-quality picture. Integrating smart sensors into residential devices has lengthened the replacement cycle for new consumer electronics. Displays are increasingly being used to control and communicate with devices.

The growing trend of smart homes and buildings and the increasing demand for connected technologies are some of the major factors driving the adoption of connected and innovative solutions across the consumer electronics sector. Effective data storage is becoming critical, with so many viewers consuming media from OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, and others. Thus, the demand for TVs is expected to boost the flexible displays market.

Further, the growing demand for greater picture quality bolsters the demand for flexible displays. The number of 4K televisions sold has increased exponentially in recent years. According to JEITA, the number of 4K TVs shipped in Japan in 2020 will be 3.05 million, up from 2.58 million the previous year. The increase in demand is expected to be driven by the change in resolution and quality of the contents.

Lastly, more exciting and demanding technology, such as virtual reality and 4K displays, is now available. As a result, PC gamers are expected to upgrade their equipment, which is one of the factors driving sales of gaming-specific PCs and their accessories, such as gaming screens. As a result, increased need for picture quality has increased the demand for flexible displays. Report MetricDetails

Due to the global shutdown, production of flexible displays fell precipitously in 2020 due to the global supply chain disruption. COVID-19 had an impact on the operations of not only flexible display manufacturers but also their suppliers and distributors.

In the short term, the failure of export shipments and poor domestic semiconductor demand compared to pre-COVID-19 levels are expected to impact negatively and slightly stagnant demand for semiconductor devices, affecting the flexible display market.

As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, several major economies have been placed on lockdown. Sales of electronic products have been hampered, and supply networks have been disrupted. Furthermore, many economies are losing a significant amount of revenue due to manufacturing plant closures. As a result, the general scenario has hampered the demand for flexible displays in 2020.

Tokyo, Aug. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global flexible display market size was valued at USD 22.02 billion in 2022. The use of flexible display has been extensively seen in the automobile industry where do they use of touch screen has been observed with the rapid advancement in technology. The increasing demand for smart phones and smart watches has also boosted the demand for flexible displays. The recent trend of curved display edges has boosted the market for flexible displays to a great extent.

With a view to provide better flexibility and durability to the device the use of flexible display has increased to a considerable extent. The rapidly increasing number of people belonging to the geriatric population has also boosted the demand for flexible and durable display material.

RegionalSnapshots The region of North America has proved to be the largest market for the flexible display as a result of the presence of leading automobile industries in this sector. The increasing demand for making the vehicles more interactive and customized as per the requirements of the consumer has proved to be a driving factor for the flexible displays.

The region of Middle East and Africa have also proved to be potential markets for the growth of the flexible display products. As a result of the well-established market of flexible displays in the region of North America, rapid growth is experienced by the key market players. The region of Latin America has also proved to be a potential market for the flexible display.

ReportHighlights On the basis of technology, OLED has dominated the segment as a result of its extensive use in the smartwatches and smartphones. The introduction of OLED has transformed the entire touch experience which was obtained from the flexible display market.

On the basis of application, the automobile industry has proved to be the largest market for the flexible display as a result of the rapid technological advancements that has been experienced over the period of time. In order to make the vehicles more interactive with the use of artificial intelligence, the introduction of flexible displays into this system is increasing rapidly.

On the basis of material, plastic has dominated the segment as a result of the low cost which is imposed during the manufacturing process of the flexible displays.

On the basis of geography, North America has proved to be the largest market for the flexible display as a result of the increasing demand of electronic gadgets with advanced technologies.

A rapid technological advancement has been experienced by the flexible display market in the recent years. The quality and weight of the display devices Underwent rapid transition with the development in technology. The space consuming and bulky nature of the displays have been transformed to slim formats which provide a better response to the touch of the consumer. The huge number of people belonging to the geriatric population proves to be a driving force for the flexible display market as these people cannot take care of the delicate features provided by the electronic devices. With the increasing competition among the key market players, advanced technologies have been launched into the market which attracts potential customers. The rapid advancements which have been observed in the field of education with the introduction of smart displays has proved to be a major driving force for the growth of the market during the forecast period.

The entire process involved in manufacturing of flexible display it"s very complex as compared to the manufacturing process of rigid displays. This imposes an additional cost on the manufacturing process which increases the cost of the electronic devices. The designing process of the rigid displays is much simpler which makes it superior as compared to the flexible displays. The response to stimuli offered by the rigid display this is very satisfying as compared to the flexible display. The extreme climatic conditions hamper the quality and resolution of the flexible displays very easily which proves to be a major restraining factor for the growth of the market. The level of protection which is provided for the internal circuit and motherboard of the electronic device is quite less which reduces the life of the gadget. These multiple reasons prove to be the restraining factors for the growth of the market during the forecast period.

The facility of insurance coverage which has been introduced for the electronic devices in order to provide a better aftermarket service to the consumers has proved to be a major opportunity for the growth of the market. The increasing use of flexible displays by the manufacturers of smart band it"s proved to be a great opportunity for the growth of the market of flexible display. The high demand of watches and smart phones experienced as a result of rapid digitalization in the field of education has proved to be a great opportunity for the growth of the flexible display market during the forecast period. The introduction of smart education system into the society has increased the demand for better display quality and resolution. These multiple reasons proved to be great opportunities for the growth of the flexible display market during the forecast period.

The revenue return of the flexible display mainly depends on the bulk order which is received by the manufacturer. Flexible displays cannot bear extreme climatic conditions which hampers the functioning and response provided by the device. The cost of the raw material of flexible displays proves to be a great challenge for the growth of the market. These multiple reasons prove to be the challenges during the growth phase of the flexible display market.

RecentDevelopments In January 2017 - a wallpaper TV was introduced by LG, that included a flexible screen which was 4 mm deep. This could be suspended on the wall with the help of magnets. it was a super slim model which was bendable.

For decades displays have been simply flat pieces of glass or plastic that dictated the design of technology. But recently, engineers and manufacturers have been coming up with curved screens, more and more of which can be found on computer monitors, televisions and phones.Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and LG G Flex are among the devices featuring bendable display.

With bendable display, manufacturers are looking to advance technology. In fact, flexible displays have the potential to become one of the biggest technological breakthroughs in the decade, encouraging designers to create devices we have never seen before.

Although curved screens are impressive, these are not the same as the ones that are bent. Traditionally, liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) are sandwiches with materials that include backlight, polariser, thin-film transistor, liquid crystals and filter glass. LCDs are usually flat, but several companies like Samsung have managed to produce curved LCDs.

The recently released organic LED ecosystem (OLED) has gained popularity, thanks to its simplified design, better image quality and flexibility. OLED displays do not require backlighting, so these can be thinned and moulded into specific shapes such as the curved display on Samsung Galaxy S7. Flexibility, thinness and excellent image quality make OLED a better choice for curved screens, and it is clear that the OLED will overthrow LCD TVs in the future. However, OLEDs are currently too expensive to produce for large screens such as televisions and computer monitors, but their prices will eventually fall.

Although LCDs contain more layers than OLEDs, these screens may still be bent. Apple Japan Display is developing a 14cm (5.5-inch), full HD LCD. The display will use plastic for the substrate, which has traditionally been made of non-removable glass. This will enable it to flex and bend.

The biggest advantage of flexible displays is durability. Because the screen can be bent and manipulated, it can also absorb impact better than solid glass structures we currently have. So broken screens can be a thing of the past. However, it will take some time before we reach that point. It is assumed today that bendable screens will use plastic instead of glass, but the plastic itself can still crack under extreme stress.

Manufacturers like Corning are currently working on a flexible glass called Willow, which is planned to be put into everything from telephones to televisions to carry devices. Willow is as thin as a piece of paper and can be bent too. But it will still break if it gets too much rounded up.

The three largest mobile manufacturers are reportedly experimenting with flexible displays. According to Samsung, the most important feature of Galaxy X is that its display can be folded outside, allowing users to convert their phones into 12.7cm (7-inch) tablets. LG is also said to have come out with a smartphone that folds outside to form a tablet. Patent drawings represent a conceptual LG phone that has a foldable display which can be used even after bending. Apple is considering the use of bendable displays on the iPhone in 2018.

Other technologies could also benefit from flexible displays. For example, flexible displays could be used as clothing that changes colour or pattern instantly as per the environment, making these particularly useful for soldiers.

The concept of bent displays is not new, because gadget manufacturers appear to be displaying them on large shows like CES (Consumers Electronics Show in Las Vegas, USA) and MWC (Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain) annually, but no one has brought a flexible display to the market yet. Why?

Growing use of flexible displays in the consumer electronics industry for smartphones, wearable devices, laptops, and its peripherals is expected to boost the category.

Due to their expanding use in flexible displays, wearable electronics, smart cards, and various other applications, flexible batteries are growing in popularity. A flexible display is also a rapidly growing technology, with applications of flexible display in areas such as media, aircraft, and transportation. Research on flexible display predicts increasing usage of this display technology in medical display systems.

The surge in demand for flexible display technology for a variety of applications such as digital signage, smartphones and tablets, and smart wearable devices is likely to drive the global flexible display market. The growing prominence of quantum dot (QD) display technology presents manufacturers with new revenue prospects and is likely to emerge as one of the important types of display technology.

Key Findings of Market ReportOver the next few years, the market is expected to be driven by the increasing use of flexible displays in different industries such as consumer electronics, automotive and transportation, media and entertainment, and aviation and military. The future of phone design with flexible display holds promise in the development of mobile devices and smart displays is also expected to propel the flexible display market during the forecast timeline. In addition to that, the global market has been propelled by increasing expenditures on the development of sophisticated displays.

Due to the surge in usage for curved displays from the consumer electronics sector for the manufacturing of TVs and smartphones, the curved display category is likely to hold a significant proportion of the market during the forecast timeframe. A flexible display is basically the same as any other display, except that it is built on a flexible substrate.

OLED is a rapidly growing category of the global flexible electronics market in terms of technology. Due to the glass layer utilized in display manufacture, smartphone screens are traditionally inflexible. However, the newest OLED-based technology has eliminated the requirement for it, substituting a thin film of flexible glass with a thin layer of OLED-based technology. The OLED display, which is constructed of organic components that generate light when power is transmitted between them, is now prominent due to its versatility.

Global Flexible Display Market: Growth DriversAutomakers are concentrating on integrating flexible screens into car interiors. Over the next several years, a substantially bigger section of a car"s interior surfaces is likely to become interactive, and the amount of space given to displays in vehicle interiors is already fast expanding.

Based on value, the Asia Pacific region held 34% of the global flexible display market in 2021. The high usage of flexible displays in consumer electronics, which represented a substantial chunk of overall consumption in Asia Pacific, was largely responsible for the considerable share. In Asia Pacific, China accounted for a sizable portion of the flexible display business.

The North America region is expected to reach USD 46.03 billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 33.5% in North America flexible display market. The term "flexible display" refers to any visual output surface that is constructed to be able to withstand being folded, bent, or twisted in any direction. OLED displays are commonly used in screens that use flexible displays. Flexible displays are becoming more common in foldable technology, such as smartphones that can be folded or closed like a book.

Flexible displays are helpful because they permit the device to be stored in a smaller space, like a pocket, while also providing a screen size that is more enjoyable for the display of media. This is a useful combination. Flexible displays in mobile devices can improve multitasking. Foldable displays on smartphones may one day make it unnecessary for some people to carry around a tablet in addition to their primary device. The cache of something new and futuristic is the main draw of a folding display.

It is anticipated that the primary manufacturers in the market would have prospects for expansion as a result of the growing demand for flexible displays in a variety of industries, including healthcare and automotive, amongst others. The incorporation of flexible screens into the interiors of vehicles is a primary goal for car manufacturers.

In recent years, improvements in manufacturing techniques for flexible organic light emitting diodes (OLED) have led to growth in the flexible display business. It is anticipated that the market penetration of flexible glass in a variety of consumer electronics goods would increase over the course of the projection period. These desirable characteristics include mobility, low weight, lack of brittleness, and flexibility.

The technology that is utilised in the production of these displays is considered to be one of the primary benefits of flexible organic LEDs. The OLED displays have a competitive advantage thanks to the use of organic components such as phosphorescent dye and conductive polymer. They emit more light, weigh less, and offer a greater degree of flexibility in terms of how they can be integrated with other electrical devices. In addition to this, they are quite resourceful and have a low impact on the environment in terms of energy consumption.

The customer can experience a higher resolution, greater sense of immersion, and a larger field of view thanks to the use of flexible OLED displays, which are also a component in curved TVs.

The manufacturing process for FOLEDs is extremely demanding and necessitates the introduction of stress via heat. The production of flexible plastics and the bending process necessitate very precise and intense heat, which can result in thermal and residual stress. This can reduce the device"s quality and longevity, making it less durable in the long run.

The market for flexible displays in the North America region may be broken down into three distinct categories: the component utilised, the technology & the application.

Display technology and display manufacturing technology are the two subcategories that are included in the technology segment"s further subdivisions. OLED, E-paper, LCD, and LCOS are some of the technologies that are used in display technology. The technologies used in display manufacturing include plasma display technology as well as flat panel display technology.

Apple utilised flexible displays in order to achieve a distinct effect in their products. The iPhone X, which kicked off the trend of screens with curved corners, actually used a flexible display to accomplish this without giving up any of the screen real estate that was previously occupied by the bezels.

The global flexible display market size is expected to reach 220.75 billion in 2030 and grow at a CAGR of 34.83% during the forecast period (2021–2030). A flexible display is a visual output surface that is designed to be able to withstand being folded, bent, and twisted. Typically screens that use flexible displays are made of OLED displays. Flexible displays are becoming more prevalent in foldable technology such as smartphones, designed to be folded or closed like a book. Flexible displays are useful as they allow the device to be stored in a smaller space, such as a pocket while providing a larger screen size for media display.

PC gaming has recently become a popular choice among millennial gamers. This shift is primarily due to a combination of factors, including improved gameplay quality, the availability of high-end hardware and software, and increased internet bandwidth. Today, more exciting and demanding technology, such as VR and 4K displays, is available. As a result, PC gamers are expected to upgrade their equipment accordingly, which is one of the factors driving sales of gaming-specific PCs and their accessories like gaming screens. Thus, increased demand for picture quality has boosted the demand for flexible displays.

Aside from that, the flexible display market share is highly dynamic in terms of technology pricing. For example, in recent times, the market selling prices of TFT-LCD and OLED panels have been consistently falling, affecting the revenues of vendors operating in the market and posing a challenge to their growth in the product category.

The ongoing evolution of smartphones and computers has aided in developing display technologies, with foldable and flexible displays emerging as the most recent landscape component. Curved displays have already gained traction among users through innovative TV screens, desktop monitors, and phones, so the market is expected to grow over the forecast period.

Flexible displays, which are being seriously discussed as a potentially disruptive technology for future handheld and other devices, are being investigated by smartphone behemoths such as LG, Samsung, and Huawei to deliver revolutionary designs to users.

However, cost increases, decreased finished product rates, price increases, a lack of product differentiation, seasonal demand patterns, and uncertainty about economic prospects pose significant demand growth challenges. In 2020, there will be more opportunities for flexible OLED displays due to a focus on cost reduction, adding new functions, implementing product differentiation, a fresh appearance, and industry demand for 5G models.

Understandably, the introduction of 5G will bring the ability to perform more tasks on a single device than was previously possible on previous networks, owing to the enhanced capabilities of new phones and laptops. Currently, the industry believes that flexible OLED displays are the best solution for the next generation smartphone market.

OLED is a new display technology that allows for more efficient displays and lighting panels. OLEDs are already being used in a variety of mobile devices and televisions. OLEDs are the most recent generation of display technology, offering superior performance and improved optical characteristics over older LED and LCD technologies.

Furthermore, smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung Z fold and LG G8X have used second-generation flexible OLED displays that can be bent. OLEDs were mainly used to create a market impression of foldable smartphones. Rolled OLEDs, on the other hand, are now making their way into the TV and smartphone markets.

Compared to other options, flexible displays made of OLED are more energy efficient. OLEDs are available in a very small factor, allowing manufacturers to build them as individual pixels. These are already being used in a variety of consumer electronics, such as curved OLED TVs, and are in high demand.

Due to the global shutdown, production of flexible displays fell precipitously in 2020 due to the global supply chain disruption. COVID-19 had an impact on the operations of not only flexible display manufacturers but also their suppliers and distributors.

In the short term, the failure of export shipments and poor domestic semiconductor demand compared to pre-COVID-19 levels are expected to impact negatively and slightly stagnant demand for semiconductor devices, affecting the flexible display market growth.

As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, several major economies have been placed on lockdown. Sales of electronic products have been hampered, and supply networks have been disrupted. Furthermore, many economies are losing a significant amount of revenue due to manufacturing plant closures. As a result, the general scenario has hampered the demand for flexible displays in 2020.

The market is expected to recover from mid of 2022 as people have made huge savings during the lockdown. The growing demand for high-quality pictures and the smart house is expected to drive the growth of the flexible display market.

Based on the substrate material, plastic acquires the largest share of the market. Plastic-based flexible displays are the most recent advancements. Plastic AMOLED panels are substantially thinner and lighter than traditional glass-based displays, allowing for slimmer devices or larger batteries.

Based on application, smartphones and tablets hold a prominent share in the global flexible display market. The smartphone and tablet segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 30.96%, generating a revenue of USD 116.14 billion by 2030. The smartphone industry has been steadily developing and growing, both in terms of market size and models.

By geography, Asia-Pacific accounted for thelargest market share of around 43.78% in 2021. The APAC flexible display market size is expected to grow at a CAGR of 36.01% generating revenue of USD 100.82 billion by 2030.

The initial market demand in the consumer electronics segment is expected to come primarily from emerging economies in APAC, North America, and Europe. The adoption of flexible OLED displays is anticipated to drive the market. The majority of the companies" manufacturing facilities and corporate offices are spread across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America. LG Display, Samsung Electronics, Motorola Inc., and Koninklijke Philips NV are just a few of the companies with manufacturing facilities all over the world.

The world of electronics is constantly evolving, and innovative material technologies have facilitated a massive leap in the development of more compound hi-tech displays for mobile devices. Consequently, flexible displays are no more a marketing gimmick but a major and extremely imperative display technology innovation which holds enormous potential to deliver resolutions that are light, thin, and foldable.

As per the expert analysts at Technavio, the next five years are promising to bring advanced flexible display panels for smartphones to the global market. Subsequently, end-users of the smartphone will be able to fold, twist and roll them like paper, at their convenience.

While Samsung, LG, and many other top smartphone brands have been displaying prototype phones for years, it is only now that flexible screen phones are going commercial. When these brands talk about a flexible display technology, they are indeed speaking about the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel precisely placed beneath the cover glass which is now made using plastic material rather than rigid glass.

There are several benefits to display that moves and bends. The latest flexible displays promise to be lighter and thinner as they have fewer layers than the LCDs we see on tablets and phones now. Additionally, flexible displays are more durable than today’s phone displays, thanks to the plastic materials used in producing a range of smart and flexible displays.

The mobile phones with flexible screens have driven several smartphone manufacturers to catch up in this fierce battle as they jostle to win market share with the groundbreaking products. In the recent times, Xiaomi and Vivo – the Chinese brands released their first smartphones with flexible active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays, while many other manufacturers have robust plans to develop their own foldable and dual-edge curved smartphone designs.

Above all, Apple is expected to unveil its latest iPhone equipped with flexible AMOLED display in the year end, which would dramatically drive up estimated demand for flexible display panels.

We are on the verge to experience the electrifying technology that will revolutionize the smartphone industry beyond the imagination. With a surge of engineers working hard to develop cutting-edge tech, flexible displays are absolutely a module to watch in the mobile space.

LG takes pride as the leading provider of innovative, flexible and feature-packed Commercial Display Products in the market. Boasting the cutting-edge features and modern design, LG Commercial Displays redefines a whole new way of delivering an ultimate viewing experience to enhance engagement with the audience. From Ultra UD OLED monitors for a digital signage network to hospitality TVs for in-room entertainment solutions, LG Commercial Displays offer a variety of display products to meet the demands of every business environment including:

Monitor & TV Accessories: Install your display TVs and monitors with genuine and easy-to-use TV wall mounts and stands for an enhanced viewing experience.

Backplanes are the most essential component of electronics because they can connect in parallel with each other and control the electrical signals of devices. As opposed to the passive-matrix form, the active-matrix backplane allows selective access to each component with a rapid response while maintaining a high-circuit density by sharing electrode lines. Despite many advantages of active-matrix backplanes, the realization of deformable active-matrix backplanes with reliable operation is very challenging. This is because three electrodes (gate, source, drain) of each component are connected to different word and bit lines and grounds, and the failure of only one single component can lead to the failure of the whole backplane. Therefore, it is important to minimize stress during deformations of thin-film transistor (TFT)-based electronics. The deformability of backplanes is commonly obtained by modifying device materials and structures to accommodate most of the strains induced by bending, folding, and even stretching. These modifications can be classified into two approaches: one uses intrinsically flexible materials (e.g., ultrathin or elastomeric materials) and the other uses an engineered substrate.

The most basic method of obtaining flexibility or bendability is the adoption of ultrathin materials as the TFT backplane components.2a, b. In addition, no fracture was found on the oxide semiconductor TFT regions due to the thin thickness of the backplane (~2 µm) and the improved flexibility of the TFT regions. Javey and coworkers have demonstrated a flexible display that is composed of a flexible carbon nanotube (CNT)-based backplane and flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) pixels as depicted in Fig. 2c, d (ref. 3). The flexible display was fabricated on a 24-µm-thick PI film, and the total thickness of the devices (excluding the substrate) was <2 µm. Therefore, the flexible backplane showed stable electrical characteristics even during the bending states (where the bending radius was 4.2 mm), and the OLED pixels also performed with negligible degradation from the deformations (where the bending radius was 4.7 mm). Consequently, this fabricated display also demonstrated flexibility because of the deformability of the devices.

Flexible backplane for display fabricated by a thin-film process. a Photo (left) of the TFT array sample made by graphene–AuNT hybrid electrodes on a transparent polyimide substrate. Scale bar: 1 cm. A schematic diagram (right) of the TFT layout. b Photos of the TFT arrays transferred onto: a leaf, eyeglasses, and the skin of human hand. All scale bars: 1 cm. a–b Reproduced with permission from ref. 8. Copyright 2014, American Chemical Society. c Photo (left), optical micrograph (middle), and scanning electron micrographs (right) of flexible backplane. d Photos of operating flexible display combined with backplane and OLED pixels. c–d Reproduced with permission from ref. 3. Copyright 2013, Nature Publishing Group

Many studies have demonstrated flexible electronics with various methodologies. However, in the case of the aforementioned methods, mechanical stresses continue to be induced on the brittle electronic materials, even though the stresses are relieved. Therefore, the mechanical stresses generate fatigue on the electronics during repetitive or constant deformations, and the accumulated fatigue causes severe problems that deteriorate the performance and reliability of flexible TFT backplanes. Consequently, reducing fatigue becomes a key challenge to realizing highly flexible and stable backplanes or electronics. The typical method of reducing mechanical fatigue on the TFT backplane is the adoption of device islands-interconnect designs. These designs are based on engineered substrates that are composed of materials with different values of elastic modulus.3a.1 summarizes the recent advances in stretchable interconnect technology.3b). The stretchable conductors showed high stretchability at over 200% strain as plotted in Fig. 3c. Based on these systems, the stretchable backplane also demonstrated superb stretchability up to the strain of 110% (Fig. 3d). In addition, Kim et al. have also demonstrated a reversibly foldable TFT backplane based on the oxide semiconductor (indium oxide (In2O3)), which shows high performance and is used in the conventional backplane.3e). The designed stretchable conductors exhibited stretchability up to the strain of 100% and also exhibited stability against cyclic tests (10,000 times with the 80% strain), as shown in Fig. 3f. Because of these superior interconnects and engineered substrates, the oxide semiconductor TFT backplane also showed high stability during the folding states without any degradation (Fig. 3g). In addition, Park and his team have also studied stretchable TFT backplanes based on these two systems Fig. 3h. Their TFT backplanes also provided reproducible performances up to the strain of 25%, as shown in Fig. 3i, and showed high stability against fatigue (5000 times with the 20% strain), as shown in Fig. 3j. The reliability of the stretchable TFT backplane is affected by the strain isolation effect of engineered substrates and the high stability of stretchable interconnects (Au film on AgNWs-embedded elastomer).

Device islands-interconnect design for highly flexible TFT backplane. a Simulation of strain manipulation at the top surface of the engineered substrate. Reproduced with permission from ref. 9. Copyright 2013, American Institute of Physics. b Schematic illustrations of OTFT backplane on engineered substrate. c Conductivity dependence on tensile strain in printed elastic conductors with and without surfactant. d Transfer characteristics of OTFT according to the tensile strain. b–d Reproduced with permission from ref. 12. Copyright 2015, Nature Publishing Group. e Schematic images (top) and scanning electron micrographs (bottom) of stretchable conductor (Au film on AgNWs-embedded elastomer) before and after stretching. Scale bars: 5 μm. f Resistance dependence on tensile strain (left) and cyclic numbers (right) of the stretchable conductor (Au film on AgNWs-embedded elastomer). g Images (top) and output characteristics (bottom) of foldable TFT backplane on engineered substrate before and after folding. Scale bars: 5 mm (black) and 100 μm (red). e–g Reproduced with permission from ref. 13. Copyright 2016, Royal Society of Chemistry. h Illustration and photograph (inset) of stretchable TFT backplane on engineered substrate. i Electrical properties of device in h according to the mechanical strain (up to a strain of 25%). j Electrical properties of device in h according to the number of cycles

The research activities for developing TSP technologies at UNIST have been devoted mainly to exploring new materials, device structures, and device fabrication processes for multi-functional flexible and stretchable TSPs. One noticeable achievement is the development of the highly flexible capacitive TSP with AgNW diamond-pattern electrodes and transparent bridge structures formed on a polycarbonate film.4 shows the structure and touch-sensing capability of the fabricated TSP. As shown in the Fig. 4, the bridge structure is composed of an epoxy polymer (SU-8)-based bridge insulator and an Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) bridge electrode. In order to secure the stable and robust connection between the AZO bridge electrode and the AgNW diamond-pattern electrodes over the bridge insulator, the side-wall slope of the bridge insulator is made as low as possible with our unique photolithography process, in which the exposure time is extended beyond the optimized value for forming vertical side-walls. With the extended exposure time, the lower part of the SU-8 layer immediately adjacent to the direct exposure region can be sufficiently exposed to the stray ultraviolet (UV) light scattered from the substrate, leading to the formation of a bridge insulator with a low side-wall slope. The fabricated TSP sample was found to be highly flexible and transparent and also showed good touch-sensing performance. The measured capacitance changes by ~22.7% with the finger touch.

Based on their superb operational performances and functionalities, the flexible and stretchable TSP devices developed at UNIST, including the two introduced above, are expected to significantly enrich the information communicated between humans and machines. Thus, it is quite probable that these devices will be used extensively in various future information technology applications.

Flexible light sources are important parts in flexible display applications because they determine long-term stability and commercial value of practical flexible displays under continuous mechanical stress. Thus, flexible light sources should have sufficient light-emission efficiency and mechanical stability. Generally, OLEDs have been mostly spotlighted candidates for flexible light sources because OLEDs consisted of organic materials and they have outstanding mechanical flexibility compared with inorganic LEDs.

Following constituent materials of flexible OLEDs, there are four major research issues (substrates, electrodes, light-emissive materials, and encapsulation) to be perfectly developed for practical future applications; flexible substrates, electrodes, light-emissive materials, and encapsulation. Here, we briefly introduce technical research issues with four sections and suggest future research directions of flexible OLEDs.

Almost all of the macroscopic flexibility of flexible OLEDs comes from substrates. The important properties of flexible substrates are mechanical flexibility, thermal stability, optical transparency, and gas barrier properties.

Highly conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) have been investigated for flexible electrodes with highly smooth surface, optical transparency, easy processes, and enhanced electrical conductivity up to 4380 S/cm by doping with polar solvents or concentrated sulfuric acid.6. In addition, hybrid flexible electrodes composed of PEDOT:PSS and AgNWs were said to be mechanically durable and robust OLED characteristics were said to be obtained.

a Schematic illustration of thermal annealing and LPEB irradiation of AgNWs. b Schematic illustration of fabrication process for AgNW/PEDOT:PSS composite electrode and the PLED structure, and photograph of light-emitting flexible PLEDs with AgNW/PEDOT:PSS electrode

Most components of flexible OLEDs are organic materials that can easily react with oxygen and moisture because plastic substrates and other components have low gas barriers. The water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) is strongly related to the long-term stability and feasibility of practical flexible OLEDs. OLEDs generally require a WVTR of approximately 10−6 g/m2∙per day, which is a very low value compared to inorganic LEDs.−3 g/m2∙day, as shown in Fig. 8.

For next-generation displays, flexible and light-weight OLEDs are an appropriate candidate because of their excellent light emission, and mechanical flexibility. Currently available components of flexible OLEDs including substrates, electrodes, emissive materials and encapsulation layers, are still insufficient to achieve practical flexible OLEDs with stable performance under mechanical deformation. Consequently, achieving reliable components of flexible OLEDs such as (1) flexible substrates and encapsulation layers with good barrier properties, (2) transparent electrodes that are mechanically robust under deformation and have low sheet resistance, and (3) flexible materials that emit light efficiently, remains to be solved for commercial applications.

Recently, flexible display devices have attracted widespread attention as an alternative to rigid devices because of their portability and comfort for long time wearing. For the relevant applications, when the devices undergo mechanical deformations such as bending and stretching, the thicknesses of the constituent materials usually decreases and all layers suffer a tensile stress at the outside of each layer.

Flexible display devices contain many laminated structures composed of sub-micrometer-scale thin films. At UNIST, we evaluated the mechanical properties of one of these components using modified hole-nanoindentation. PDY-132 (Merck, Germany, commercially sold as “Super Yellow”) is a ‘‘high-performance polymer’’ that emits yellow light. In our evaluation, PDY-132 was spin-coated on a clean glass substrate. The sacrificial layer was selectively dissolved to fabricate free-standing films with the same dimensions as the actual devices. We fabricated hole-patterned Si wafers using the deep reactive ion etching method. The patterned hole size was proportional to each film thickness, so that the diameter of a hole was less than 1% of the film thickness.11. The elastic modulus of the hole-indentation was found to be 4.89 GPa, and its fracture strength was 1.19 GPa.

Uchic et al.12. Tensile testing is the most fundamental method of evaluating a material’s inherent mechanical properties, such as yield strength, strain-hardening exponent, ultimate tensile strength, etc. As mentioned above, in-situ testing enables precise observations of sample deformations in real time, with simultaneous imaging during testing. Various indenters are also expected to enable stretching and bending tests of constituent materials in flexible display devices.

Flexible display devices contain many organic materials, such as polymer films, active materials, and electrodes. However, mechanical tests of organic materials in high vacuum conditions in SEM and transmission electron microscopy are limiting in that organic materials are (in real environments) highly affected by surrounding environmental conditions such as humidity and temperature; it is important to measure mechanical properties in actual operating environments. A nano-UTM can be used to control environmental conditions using a controlled humidity chamber and heating block because the machine is based on an optical microscope, as shown in Fig. 13. Images of gauge sections during tensile tests are observed by a charge-coupled device camera in real time, and strain is analyzed from the images based on digital image correlation. Constituent materials in flexible display devices are macroscopically visible and their thicknesses are generally in the nanometer-scale range. PEDOT:PSS is widely used for organic transparent conducting electrodes, and PEDOT:PSS thin films are fabricated by natural drying after drop casting on a substrate. A tensile sample was fabricated by a mechanical press, and the gauge length and gauge width were 4 and 1 mm, respectively, as in the standard ASTM E8 test. We performed tensile tests of PEDOT:PSS in three different humidity conditions by nano-UTM, and the results are summarized in Fig. 13. The yield strengths of the samples tested in the lowest humidity environment were greater than those of other samples, and the fracture strain decreased as humidity increased.

In recent years, fingerprint mutual capacitive TSPs with flexible displays fabricated from flexible plastic materials have attracted much attention because of the development of transparent fingerprint sensors embedded in flexible displays that are also thin and impact-resistant. As security protections for electronic devices such as smart phones become increasingly important, a fingerprint sensor has been integrated on the device’s home button because the fingerprint sensor is not transparent. However, a mutual capacitive transparent fingerprint TSP must be developed on the display itself because a wearable device does not have a home button, and the screen sizes of smart devices must otherwise be enlarged.

To make a flexible TSP, a flexible and transparent material must be used for the TSP electrode. However, variation in load becomes a concern when the flexible electrodes of the fingerprint TSP are bent or stretched, which can interfere with capturing the fingerprint image. Because the capacitance difference of the mutual capacitive fingerprint TSP from the ridge to the valley is several hundred atto-farads, the effect of the load variation due to a bent or stretched TSP will be very critical.

Both the flexible fingerprint TSP and post-processing are required to capture the fingerprint image in the fingerprint TSP on the flexible display. A readout IC for the flexible fingerprint TSP is required to distinguish the atto-farad capacitance difference in the fingerprint TSP noise environment on the flexible display. Post-processing is also necessary to compensate for the load variation due to the bent or stretched display.

When the thickness of the covered glass of the flexible display is almost 0.2–0.3 mm, the mutual capacitance difference from the valley to the ridge is almost 50–150 atto-farad. As the thickness of the display panel increases, the mutual capacitance difference is reduced. The thickness of the rigid glass is larger than that of the flexible display panel, which induces a capacitance difference between the valley and the ridge of only several atto-farad.

A low-noise, low-offset, and fast-response receiver is required to acquire a fingerprint image in the mutual capacitive fingerprint TSP on the flexible display. In addition, the post-processing is also required to compensate for the load variation issues that occur because of the flexible TSP’s unique characteristics. A readout IC with high accuracy and a fast response and an effective algorithm for cancelling the offset due to the load variation are both required to achieve an effective fingerprint TSP on the flexible display.

Display products are frequently used for the purposes of task efficiency or leisure. Because long-term and/or frequent use of visual display terminals (VDT) is harmful to our health, ergonomic interventions including ergonomic displays are essential. Users of VDTs suffer from headaches, nausea, visual fatigue, and/or musculoskeletal disorders, which are comprehensively called VDT syndrome or computer vision syndrome. Recently, curved displays have been adopted as a new form of display for several types of commercialized visual display products (smartphones, smart watches, smart bands, TV, and computer monitors). Visual display products that adopt bendable, foldable, or rollable displays are expected in the near future. Existing guidelines for performing visual tasks on flat or convex displays (e.g., ISO 9241) require that characteristics of new displays be evaluated from the perspective of the health of the human user. New types of display are different from conventional displays in terms of optical characteristics, and ergonomic investigations should thus be more focused on visual perception, comfort, and fatigue, among other factors in the ergonomics field.

The Flexible Box Module, usually referred to as flexbox, was designed as a one-dimensional layout model, and as a method that could offer space distribution between items in an interface and powerful alignment capabilities. This article gives an outline of the main features of flexbox, which we will be exploring in more detail in the rest of these guides.

Using flex: none will create fully inflexible flex items. It is as if you wrote flex: 0 0 auto. The items cannot grow or shrink but will be laid out using flexbox with a flex-basis of auto.

Thin, flexible screens such as the one showcased by LG could allow the creation of newspapers that change daily and display video like a tablet computer, but that can be rolled up and put in your pocket. These plastic electronic displays could also provide smartphones with shatterproof displays (good news for anyone who’s inadvertently tried drop-testing their phone onto the pavement) and lead to the next generation of flexible wearable technology.

But LG’s announcement is not the first time that flexible displays have been demonstrated at CES. We’ve seen similar technologies every year for some time now, and LG itself unveiled another prototype in a press release 18 months ago. Yet only a handful of products have come to market that feature flexible displays, and those have the displays mounted in a rigid holder, rather than free for the user to bend. So why is this technology taking so long to reach our homes?

How each pixel generates light varies depending on the technology used. Two of the most common seen today are liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). LCDs use a white light at the back of the display that passes through red, green and blue colour filters. Each subpixel uses a combination of liquid crystals and polarising filters that act like tiny shutters, either letting light through or blocking it.

Whatever technology is used, there are many individual components crammed into a relatively small space. Many smartphone displays contain more than three million subpixels, for example. Bending these components introduces strain, which can tear electrical connections and peel apart layers. Current displays use a rigid piece of glass, to keep the display safe from the mechanical strains of the outside world. Something that, by design, is not an option in flexible displays.

Finally, it’s not just flexible displays that need to be developed. The components needed to power and operate the display also need to be incorporated into any overall design, placing constraints on the kinds of shape and size currently achievable.

Scientists in Japan have demonstrated how to make electrical circuits on plastic thinner than the width of human hair in an attempt to reduce the impact of bending on circuit performance. And research into flexible batteries has started to become more prevalent, too.

Developing solutions to these problems is part of a broader area of active research, as the science and technology underlying flexible displays is also applicable to many other fields, such as biomedical devices and solar energy. While the challenges remain, the technology edges closer to the point where devices such as flexible displays will become ubiquitous in our everyday lives.