After ten years of research and development, LG Display has co-developed a key ingredient of OLED displays, which has up until now been exclusively available through a Samsung subsidiary.
“[T]hanks to collaborative R&D efforts for approximately 10 years, LG Display and LG Chem have done the unthinkable – inventing a high-quality p-Dopant using proprietary technology that rivals the efficiency and performance of its imported counterparts,” reads LG Display’s announcement.
P-Dopant is a key ingredient in mass produced OLED displays, as it adds to the display’s lifespan, brightness, and efficiency. Up until now, it has been available only through Germany’s Novaled, which is owned by Samsung.
LG Display’s announcement commented on the current scarcity of p-Dopant, as well as its importance in OLED manufacturing, stating, “Typically used in its powder form, ‘p-Dopant’ is considered a core material in OLED production. However, since it can be degraded by air, it’s gained a reputation as one of the most challenging materials to deal with in the industry. The industry has often referred to p-Dopant as ‘more precious than gold’ due to its high price resulting from the challenging production process required to maintain high quality.”
“This self-developed p-Dopant will be integrated into LG Display’s large-sized and small- and mid-sized OLED panels, with a systematic expansion plan regarding its wider application,” says LG Display. The company noted that they can now acquire 64% of OLED materials locally, up from last year’s 58%.
