In this blog post, we will look at the development of display technology from black-and-white TVs to transparent OLEDs and its infinite possibilities through various examples.
From the first black-and-white TV in the 1960s to PDP, LCD, and now 3D TVs, which are slowly emerging on the surface, display technology has been developing alongside the medium of TV. Early black-and-white TVs were limited in screen resolution and size, and had significant limitations in viewing angle and color. However, as technology has advanced, screen sizes have gradually increased, colors have been more vividly expressed, and screens have evolved to be thinner and clearer. In Korea, in particular, major companies have invested heavily in the display industry, starting with LG Electronics’ independent development of a 40-inch PDP TV in 1997. As a result, Korea’s display technology has begun to gain global competitiveness, and as a result, it has now become the world’s best in this field, with annual exports of $34.5 billion and a global market share of 45.8%.
The display industry has been confined to the TV or monitor market for decades, but recently, as the spread of smartphones and tablet PCs has expanded, the scope of its application is expanding. As portable devices require high resolution and low power consumption, display technology is facing new challenges, which is leading to faster technological development. Furthermore, these display devices are expanding to wearable devices such as smart watches and augmented reality (AR) devices, and are being used in various parts of our daily lives.
The movie Minority Report, which is often mentioned when discussing future display technology, shows various innovative display technologies such as transparent screens, 3D advertising banners, and display newspapers. The technologies in this movie were based on actual technologies being researched at MIT at the time, and more than a decade after the movie was released, the imaginings of that time are now being realized. Current research on future display technologies includes transparent displays, flexible displays, and ultra-low-cost displays. These technologies are not only providing visual enjoyment, but also bringing about changes in various aspects such as information delivery, convenience, and creativity.
Transparent displays have long been attracting attention for their unique ability to show information naturally with the background. However, in the early days, they were difficult to commercialize due to high manufacturing costs, low durability, and optical limitations. The commonly used liquid crystal display (LCD) method is a technology that displays images by adjusting the light transmittance of a substance that has an intermediate state between a solid and a liquid called a liquid crystal. It is limited in transparency because it requires a pair of polarizers and an optical film. In addition, it is a backlight-based technology, so it is difficult to achieve complete transparency.
However, these limitations are gradually being overcome thanks to the recent rapid development of active organic light-emitting diodes (AMOLED). OLEDs work by injecting electrons and holes into both sides of the organic light-emitting layer, causing them to combine and emit light within the organic light-emitting layer. Since the organic light-emitting layer is usually transparent, transparent OLEDs can be realized by making both electrodes transparent. In particular, AMOLED is used mainly in high-end electronic devices because it consumes less power and can achieve higher resolution than PMOLED, and this technology is playing a pivotal role in driving innovation in the display industry.
AMOLED-based transparent displays have great potential for application in various industries. For example, in smart home technology, if a window is made into a transparent display, it can act as a “smart window” that shows the weather, time, news, etc. and can improve the user experience by providing real-time information inside and outside the room. In addition, in the automotive industry, augmented reality displays that display driving information in real time on the windshield or side mirrors are being developed, and can be applied to future vehicles that provide both safety and convenience.
These applications show that transparent displays can contribute to performing completely new functions and roles, beyond simply replacing existing display technologies. Furthermore, when transparent displays are commercialized, they are likely to be used in various ways in education, healthcare, advertising, and more. For example, in hospitals, the condition of patients can be displayed on transparent screens in real time to improve the efficiency of medical staff, and in museums and art galleries, a new type of exhibition technique is made possible by transparently displaying relevant information on the exhibits.
Innovative technologies such as transparent displays have already been introduced at various flat-panel display exhibitions since 2009, and commercialization is expected to be just around the corner. In fact, some market surveys show that full-scale commercialization began in 2024, and the market size is expected to reach about 32 trillion won by around 2030. In this way, future display technology is not just about increasing screen resolution, but is gradually expanding into new areas where displays have not been used before. This change is expected to go beyond technological innovation and change the way we live our daily lives.
