A research team led by Professor Jiwoong Yang of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST has developed the world's first foundational technology for an ultrahigh-resolution stretchable quantum dot display (QLED) that can stretch freely like skin while maintaining sharp image quality. The findings were published in Nature Nanotechnology.
Developed in collaboration with a research team led by Professor Moon Kee Choi of UNIST and a research team led by associate director Dae-Hyeong Kim of the IBS (Institute for Basic Science) Center for Nanoparticle Research, the technology is expected to significantly expand the commercial potential of next-generation stretchable displays.
"Stretchable displays," which can be freely stretched and deformed, are widely regarded as a key technology for next-generation wearable devices and electronic skin, extending beyond existing foldable and rollable displays. However, conventional technologies stretch only the wires (interconnects) while leaving the light-emitting regions unchanged.
As a result, the proportion of the display area that emits light decreases as the display is stretched, leading to a significant deterioration in image quality.
To overcome these limitations, researchers have been actively developing light-emitting devices based on "intrinsic stretchability," in which the pixels themselves stretch like rubber bands. However, precisely patterning soft, rubber-like stretchable light-emitting layers into fine, high-resolution pixels has proven extremely challenging. In addition, conventional organic electronic composite materials have suffered from significantly reduced color reproduction and brightness.
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