Korean scientists have developed NTS technology for the production of large-format transparent OLED screens, which can reduce their cost by 10 times compared to existing solutions. The new technology is based on the use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles evenly distributed over an ultra-thin film.
Image source: newatlas.com
Transparent OLED screen technology has come a long way since the first prototypes, but high production costs have held back their widespread adoption. According to New Atlas, a team from the Nanolithography Research and Manufacturing Center at the Korea Institute of Mechanical and Materials Engineering has unveiled NTS (Nano Transparent Screen) technology that promises to change things.
Image source: newatlas.com
NTS is based on the uniform distribution of titanium dioxide nanoparticles with a diameter of only 100 nanometers over the entire surface of the film. This film, according to the developers, is “thin, like human hair,” and the image is projected onto it using a high-resolution projector. Thanks to this, high quality images are achieved with a wide viewing angle of 170 degrees. Optional liquid crystal polymer film can adjust background opacity, improving image clarity in bright environments.
Interestingly, NTS technology is not afraid of extreme temperatures and aggressive weather conditions, which opens up broad application prospects. For example, storefronts, smart windows, outdoor and indoor advertising are just some of the possible use cases. The developers have already demonstrated the capabilities of the technology in practice by installing a transparent screen in the Youth Mall in Gongju (a city in South Korea).
Today, the cost of a typical 100-inch transparent OLED screen exceeds $72,000, which makes it inaccessible to a wide range of consumers, and cheaper transparent LED screens have not become widespread due to their too low resolution. NTS’s capabilities promise to solve this problem by offering mass production of screens at a cost 10 times lower than OLED counterparts.
«Nanotransparent screen technology is an advanced, innovative technology created by combining nanomaterials and nanofabrication technology with existing IT technologies, says project leader Joon-Ho Jeong. “Going forward, we will focus on research and development to continuously improve the quality of NTS to become the first to popularize transparent screens.”
In addition to its affordable price, Nano Transparent Screen promises flexibility and scalability. The developers claim that creating transparent screens larger than 100 inches in size in the future will not be difficult. Currently, work has already begun on commercializing the technology.