Researchers Claim First Transparent OLED Pixels

Advertisement (Why?)

Researchers located at the Technical University of Braunschweig, claim to have developed the first transparent OLED pixels. Their approach was to use transparent TFTs (thin-film transistors) made of a 100-nanometer-thick layer of zinc-tin-oxide, which transmits more than 90% of visible light.

In the transparent displays, the TFTs and the OLED pixels are positioned next to each other or even on top of each other with no distortion or interference.

In addition, because the TFT layers are thin, they can be deposited on large areas with conventional techniques, and because these techniques can be performed at temperatures below 200 degrees Celsius, cheap, flexible plastic substrates can be used.

By changing the voltage of the driving TFTs, the brightness of the OLED pixels varied from 0 to 700 candelas per square meter. By comparison, typical computer screens today reach a brightness of approximately 300 candelas per square meter.

Project manager from the Technical University of Braunschweig, Thomas Riedl, estimates that prototype displays could be available as early as 2008.

News source: Macworld UK

#1 The Cub on 31 Mar 2006 - 21:09

Sounds like there are gonna be some amazing screens coming our way soon

Last edited by The Cub on 31 Mar 2006 - 22:24

#2 SkyyPunk on 31 Mar 2006 - 21:15

2008? ughh...so long

#3 McG on 31 Mar 2006 - 21:16

Mmmmm awesome!!!

#4 lylesback2 on 31 Mar 2006 - 21:19

sounds good to me

(4 replies) #5 StevoFC on 31 Mar 2006 - 21:20

ugh...who cut out the image to go with this news article?

#5.1 Blackima on 31 Mar 2006 - 21:34

That's what I was thinking...

#5.2 Fubar on 31 Mar 2006 - 22:30

some MS paint noob ? :p

#5.3 jwjw1 on 31 Mar 2006 - 23:56

not an image....suppose to be a 'advert'

#5.4 MonkeyClaw on 01 Apr 2006 - 04:25

It was just a stock LCD monitor image that I found, and figured it was appropriate, dunno why it looks so ugly now but oh well.

#6 bucko on 31 Mar 2006 - 21:32

Cool will be interesting to see the prototypes

, wonder what HDR will be like on them lol

(2 replies) #7 neufuse on 31 Mar 2006 - 21:48

I'm confused... Universal Display had OLED panels in TFT format a few years ago that where 90% transparent? how is this different?

#7.1 Sir Gawain on 31 Mar 2006 - 21:56

These are 100% transparent I believe.

#7.2 advancedboy on 31 Mar 2006 - 22:14

" which transmits more than 90% of visible light. "

meaning, 90% transparent

#8 Fubar on 31 Mar 2006 - 22:31

i bet this plays havoc with my transparent gui lol

#9 Liaqat_ali on 31 Mar 2006 - 22:50

wow

#10 excalpius on 31 Mar 2006 - 23:21

so, what we're saying is that my desktop wallpaper will actually come from my, um, wallpaper.

#11 sixnine:design on 31 Mar 2006 - 23:42

Look forward to this.

#12 Audhumla on 01 Apr 2006 - 01:43

Layered levels of dead pixels?

(7 replies) #13 mundox on 01 Apr 2006 - 02:00

humm that's a lot of technical mumbu jumbo :p

So what theyre saying is that monitors are gettin more good looking? xD

#13.1 Gamerhomie on 01 Apr 2006 - 02:18

I usually understand every term when it comes to technology and computers. But this article is a little, er, confusing. Guess I'm not up to speed on my monitors and pixels.

From what I read I'm guessing this is possible, ala Minority Report? http://microseeds.com/blog/photos/transparent-desktop.jpg

#13.2 sumeet on 01 Apr 2006 - 03:24

Sorta to that effect, but only 90% of it is transparent, unlike the picture shown which is 100%.

#13.3 reidtheweed01 on 01 Apr 2006 - 03:44

but what i dont get is how does the monitor decide on what to make transparent, becuase the windows cant be or you wont be able to see them, im guessing the hardware is going to have to be able to comunicate with the software, instead of being like a regular vga monitor.

#13.4 bangbang023 on 01 Apr 2006 - 04:27

what? The physical screen itself is transparent until something appears on it which is shows as non transparent.

#13.5 reidtheweed01 on 01 Apr 2006 - 04:33

mind-boggling

you should change the title to that

#13.6 McG on 01 Apr 2006 - 06:03

yeah it'd have to be a different setup of the video adapter---there's no "color" not to display. if the "lack" of color was what wouldn't be displayed, what do you think would happen to backgrounds with stars? what about videos and video games.

#13.7 HawkMan on 01 Apr 2006 - 09:45

It meansyou get brighter pictures as they say at the end

they didn't specify if contrast gets better or worse though.

#14 Glassed Silver on 01 Apr 2006 - 07:48

go germany!

-fm

#15 hexagon.sun on 01 Apr 2006 - 08:54

EDITED

#16 dbrehm on 01 Apr 2006 - 10:12

this will never happen imo

never announce until your can sell

#17 Slacker on 01 Apr 2006 - 12:48

I could see a few good advantages.... If you layered these transparent screens on top of each other, you could have the beginnings of some truly 3D images on the screen. It would be possible to really show depth.

Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!

Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.

Neowin.net