OSAKA, Japan, Jan. 8, 2013
/PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic Corporation has developed a 56-inch
organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel with 4k2k resolution
(3,840 x 2,160 resolution, 8.29 million pixels), the world's
largest OLED panel produced through the "RGB all-printing
method."(1) Prototype panels will be exhibited at the 2013
International CES in Las Vegas,
Nevada, from January 8 to 11,
2013.
In the printing method of production of OLED panels, OLED
materials are applied to the substrate through a printing technique
to form an electroluminescent (EL) layer. Due to the
simplicity of the production process, it is expected that the
technology will be easily adaptable to the production of OLED
panels in a variety of screen sizes. Through the printing
method, it is also possible to apply just the right amount of
organic material to where it is needed, reducing waste material and
shortening production lead time, making the printing method of
production more economical.
In the production of the OLED panel, Panasonic is utilizing the
RGB all-printing method, which allows for the separate application
of the red, green and blue OLED materials by means of printing, and
has developed the equipment and process technologies to apply the
materials uniformly to a large substrate.
In addition, with Panasonic's proprietary top emission structure
with a transparent cathode, which can extract light more
efficiently, it has been possible to achieve the world's largest
56-inch RGB all-printing method-based 4k2k OLED panel with
excellent color reproduction and a wide viewing angle.
As OLED panels are self-illuminating devices, they deliver
superb picture quality with high contrast, high color
reproductivity and a fast response rate. They also combine the
advantages of plasma and liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, such
as an ultra-thin profile, light weight and low power consumption.
Due to these characteristics, OLED is considered as a
promising option for next-generation displays that will create new
applications in a broad range of fields, for use not just in the
home, but in medical, broadcasting and aircraft applications. With
the advancement of display technologies, which may enable
sheet-type or flexible displays, OLED panels will find more
applications in a wider range of industries.
Panasonic has been carrying out its own research and development
in OLED technology. The company is exploring ways to
capitalize on the characteristics and potential of OLED devices to
the fullest extent, taking advantage of its know-how in
manufacturing and achieving high picture quality it has cultivated
in its development of PDP and LCD flat-panels. Panasonic is
also collaborating with Sony Corporation to develop mass-production
printing-based technology for OLED panels.(2) The
thin-film-transistor (TFT) substrates used in the prototype panels
were supplied by Sony as part of the collaborative efforts.
Panasonic will continue to accelerate innovations in display
device technologies and further strengthen its R&D activities,
with the aim to create customer value.
[Main features of the new OLED technology]
1) The RGB all-printing method suitable for large
panels
In the printing method, the same print head can be used
regardless of the panel size during the process of forming the EL
layer, and the production process is simple and does not require a
vacuum environment or a high temperature process, it is considered
highly scalable and suitable for producing large panels.
Panasonic has developed printing equipment and process
technologies that enables the separate application of the RGB OLED
materials by color, while applying the materials evenly on a large
panel. As a result, the company has succeeded in producing
OLED panels as large as 56 inches, the world's largest all RGB
all-printing method-based panel, with 4k2k resolution.
2) The combination of the RGB all-printing method and the
unique top emission structure with a transparent cathode achieves
excellent color reproduction and a wide view angle
Through utilizing the RGB all printing method, in which red,
green and blue light-emitting materials are applied individually in
each sub-pixel, and a color filter, which tunes the color of the
emissions, it has been possible to achieve high color purity and
superb color reproduction on the 56-inch OLED panel. The OLED
panel also has a wide viewing angle, thanks to Panasonic's own top
emission structure with a transparent cathode, which improves the
light extraction efficiency by extracting light in the upward
direction through a transparent cathode from the EL layer without
multiple reflections.
[Main Specifications]
Screen
size
|
56 inches (55.6
inches)
|
Screen
measurement
(width x height x
diagonal)
|
1233 x 693 x 1414
mm
|
Resolution
|
3,840 (RGB) x
2,160
|
Peak
luminance
|
500
cd/m2
|
Gray-scale
|
10 bit
|
Contrast
|
3,000,000:1
|
Color
gamut
|
NTSC (u' v'):
100%
|
Thickness(at thinnest
part)
|
8.9 mm
|
Weight
|
12.4 kg
|
Notes:
(1) As of January 9, 2013 for
OLED panels produced through the RGB all-printing method.
(Panasonic data)
(2) Announced on June 25, 2012
About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development
and manufacture of electronic products in three business fields,
consumer, components & devices, and solutions. Based in
Osaka, Japan, the company recorded
consolidated net sales of 7.85 trillion
yen for the year ended March 31,
2012. Panasonic's stock is listed on the Tokyo, Osaka,
Nagoya and New York (NYSE: PC) Stock Exchanges. The
company has the vision of becoming the No. 1 Green Innovation
Company in the Electronics Industry by the 100th year of its
founding in 2018. For more information on Panasonic, its brand and
commitment to sustainability, visit the company's website at
http://panasonic.net/.
SOURCE Panasonic