LG Display Unveils FLiPP Maskless OLED Process, Targets IT Panels
LG Display's FLiPP forms RGB pixels by photolithography instead of a fine metal mask, and will be applied first to laptops and monitors.
LG Display unveiled a self-developed OLED pixel-formation process called FLiPP at an online technology seminar held on the 8th, according to digitaltoday.co.kr. The company said the process will be applied first to IT panels, with laptops and monitors taking priority.
FLiPP forms OLED pixels using photolithography instead of a Fine Metal Mask (FMM). LG Display deposits the organic light-emitting material across the whole substrate, covers the areas that must be preserved with a protective layer through an encapsulation process, and removes the rest with ultraviolet light. The sequence is repeated for each of the red, green and blue colors to complete RGB pixels.
The company presented performance figures for the approach. Panels produced with FLiPP have an aperture ratio of 65%, compared with 42% for the FMM method. An 8th-generation mother glass can also be used without cutting, raising cutting efficiency for 23.5-inch panels from about 75% under FMM to more than 93%.
LG Display said it plans to use equipment from existing production lines for FLiPP. The exact timing for applying the process to mass production has not been decided.
Earlier presentations
FLiPP was first shown by LG Display at the IMID display exhibition. In its current production, the company mass-produces Open Metal Mask (OMM) deposition for TV White OLED (WOLED) and uses FMM for smartphone OLED.
Quick answers
What is FLiPP?
FLiPP is LG Display's self-developed OLED pixel-formation process that uses photolithography instead of a Fine Metal Mask (FMM) to create RGB pixels.
Which products will use FLiPP first?
LG Display plans to apply the process first to IT panels, prioritizing laptops and monitors.
When will FLiPP enter mass production?
The exact timing for mass production application has not been decided, according to LG Display.