Researchers recently have afully 3D printedOLED display developed. This is similar to those found in commercial televisions and smartphones. The groundbreaking technology accordingly opens the door to ubiquitous, easier to manufacture and, above all, cost-effective electronic screens. These would be able to be made by anyone at home using 3D printers, rather than by technicians in expensive microfactories.
New technology for producing OLED display
Currently, such screens are manufactured by specially trained technicians in large high-tech factories. Now, however, scientists have managed to 3D print a flexible OLED display, paving the way for small businesses and even individuals to one day do the same thing themselves. The current prototype contains a grid of 64 light-emitting pixels. To do this, the study authors used a custom extrusion 3D printer. This is equipped with a spray pressure to produce its active layers. The world's first 3D printed display has already proven capable of displaying low-resolution text and emojis. With further research and development, the team believes the technology behind their malleable monitor could now serve as a cost-effective alternative to traditional production or even enable at-home manufacturing.
In this new study, the research team combined two different printing modes to print the six layers of devices. The researchers printed the electrodes, connections, insulation and encapsulation using extrusion. The same 3D printer printed the active layers by spraying at room temperature. The screen was therefore around 1.5 inches (approx. 4 cm) on each side and had 64 pixels. Every pixel worked and showed light. The researchers said the next steps would be to 3D print OLED displays with higher resolution and improved brightness. The beauty of itthis studyis that production is completely integrated, according to the researchers. They actually made this in the lab. So it's not hard to imagine people being able to transfer this to a small portable printer within a few years.
