Apple has begun developing an OLED panel that does not use polarizers, south Korean media outlet The Elec reported. Not using polarizers on the panels will make them thinner, making them more suitable for collapsible panels, sources said.
Polarizers are used to allow light in only certain directions, thus improving the visibility of the display. However, its use reduces brightness, which also affects the brightness efficiency of the panel. Companies often compensate for this by increasing the power consumption of panels, but this also leads to shorter panel life. Removing the polarizer and applying a technique with a similar effect can solve these trade-offs.
Samsung Display is the first to offer OLED without polarizing panels. It supplies the panels for parent Company Samsung Electronics co. 's Galaxy Z Fold 3. Instead of using a polarizer, Samsung Display printed a color filter (CF on TFE__) on the film package and added a black pixel definition layer. This allows the foldable panel to provide sharper colors through color filters, sources said.
The black pixel definition layer replaces the traditionally used orange pixel definition layer made of photosensitive polyimide. Using an orange pixel definition layer as before will reflect light and affect contrast. The black pixel definition layer uses different polyimide materials.
Samsung Display calls the TFE technology on its CF ECO2, or Eco Square. The company had claimed the technology could improve light transmittance by 33 percent and reduce power consumption by 25 percent more than its previous display panels.
