While Tandem OLED technology has been in existence for quite some time, Apple brought it back into the spotlight by incorporating it into its very first OLED iPad, showcasing the tandem structure. This has sparked a renewed interest in Tandem OLED displays, which are gradually being adopted in other consumer electronics like laptops and smartphones. Let’s explore how Tandem OLED is currently utilized, its advantages, and how it might shape the future of device displays, particularly in competition with newer technologies like MicroLED and QDEL.
Various Tandem Configurations in OLED TVs and Monitors
We won’t delve deeply into the technical specifics of Tandem OLED here (for those interested, there’s a detailed explanation available that also covers current challenges such as issues with light extraction). However, for those unfamiliar with the technology, Tandem OLED is quite intriguing for technological applications. The M4 iPad Pro, for example, features a Tandem OLED display with dual layers of red, green, and blue (RGB) organic light-emitting diodes stacked together and operating in tandem. This dual-layer setup allows the display to achieve the same brightness as a single-layer OLED while using lower currents in each layer. This setup not only reduces the risk of screen burn-in but also consumes less power and has the potential for higher brightness levels.
In this discussion, “Tandem OLED” refers to displays featuring dual layers of RGB OLED materials, a configuration gaining traction in consumer electronics like the iPad Pro and XPS 13. However, different types of tandem structures exist in other OLED displays. For instance, OLED TVs and monitors from companies like LG Display and Samsung Display use WOLED (white OLED) and QD-OLED (quantum dot OLED) tandem stacks, respectively.
QD-OLED displays incorporate three layers of blue OLED emitters to address the inefficiencies typically associated with blue emitters.
As explained by Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), via an email exchange, “WOLED configurations involve two blue layers along with red and green in a stack, whereas QD-OLED configurations use three blue layers and green in a stack. These setups produce only white (WOLED) and blue (QD-OLED) light, differing from the RGB tandem stacks used in devices like the OLED iPad Pros and some automotive displays.”
Considering the high level of brightness achieved by modern OLED TVs with their existing multi-stack OLED designs, there seems to be little reason to switch to Tandem RGB OLED stacks for high-end TVs, according to Eric Virey, a principal displays analyst at Yole Intelligence. He also highlighted challenges related to the production process:
Moreover, the production techniques employed in manufacturing large-scale OLEDs, such as those for TVs, differ from those used in smaller OLED devices like smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and laptops. Small OLED displays are produced using Fine Metal Mask (FMM) patterning technology, while large OLEDs are made using an open mask method, which is incompatible with RGB Tandem OLED architecture.
I am Sofia, a tech-savvy journalist and passionate member of the “Jason Deegan” team. Growing up, I was always fascinated by the latest technological advancements and loved sharing my knowledge with others.