LG Announces World's First Stretchable Display
South Korean tech giant LG has unveiled a new display that can stretch and expand by up to 50%, marking a major improvement over the version launched in 2022.
LG says its new display prototype starts at 12 inches but can be stretched to 18 inches without compromising display quality. The display has a resolution of 100 pixels per inch (PPI), providing clear and detailed images even when fully stretched. The design opens up a wide range of potential applications in areas such as smart wearables, flexible displays for cars, and other advanced electronics.
To enhance the display's stretchability compared to the previous version, LG has made significant improvements to the silicon substrate - a special material used in contact lenses that is known for its high flexibility and natural stretchability. The company has optimized the properties of this silicon to withstand large tensile forces while maintaining durability and stability.
LG also developed a new wiring structure that allows the electrical pathways inside the display to expand and contract in sync with the substrate without disrupting the signal. Thanks to these improvements, the display can expand significantly while still ensuring display performance and device reliability.
According to LG's press release, the new display can withstand repeated stretching over 10,000 times without losing display quality, ensuring images are always clear and sharp. The display's superior durability is ensured by the use of micro-LED lighting technology with ultra-small diodes measuring just 40 micrometers (μm).
These micro-LEDs not only provide uniform light output, but also provide displays with increased mechanical durability, maintaining visual performance even when subjected to continuous and harsh stretching conditions. This opens up the potential for stretchable displays to be used in devices that require high durability and flexibility.
Previously, in 2022, LG launched a display model that could expand up to more than 20%, marking the company's first step in flexible display technology.
The company believes that this innovation will open up great potential for commercialization, as the display can be integrated into a variety of devices that require high flexibility, such as wearables, automotive displays, and advanced electronics. LG expects that this new technology will create a competitive advantage, helping it take the lead in the stretchable display industry when the product is introduced to the market.
LG’s stretchable display is designed to be thin and light, and flexible enough to easily adhere to curved and irregular surfaces such as clothing, skin, or other complex-shaped materials. With this ability, the new display promises to open up a range of potential applications across many industries.
Accordingly, in the fashion field, they can be used to create smart clothes with the ability to display information or change color. For wearable devices, stretchable screens will help the product fit more closely to the wrist or skin while maintaining stable display performance.
In the mobile industry, this technology can help create more flexible devices that can be easily integrated into unique designs. These features not only enhance the user experience but also bring potential for wide-ranging applications in healthcare, sports, and advanced technology products.
At the moment, it is unclear when LG will bring this new stretchable display technology to the market. Although the company has shown some promising prototypes and demonstrated the potential of this technology in many fields, they are still in the process of perfecting and testing to ensure that the display has enough durability, performance, and stability for daily use.
Factors such as manufacturing costs, mass production capabilities, and industry partner feedback may play a role in the final decision on when to commercialize the product. LG may also need more time to optimize its manufacturing processes to meet market demand when it officially launches the product globally.