LG creates world's first display that can stretch like silicone

LG Display has officially announced the world's first stretchable display capable of expanding its working area without sacrificing image quality. This breakthrough, which combines flexibility and functionality, is made possible by an innovative material similar to the silicone used in contact lenses.

The new LG Display prototype has a 12-inch screen that can stretch up to 18 inches, while maintaining a high resolution of 100 ppi and supporting the full range of RGB (red, green and blue) colours. Compared to the previous version of the display, introduced in 2022, the new display's elongation ratio has more than doubled from 20% to 50%. This significantly expands the possibilities for screen design, potentially increasing the technology's competitiveness in the commercial market.

By using a number of new solutions, such as improved properties of a special silicon substrate (similar to that used in contact lenses) and a new wiring structure, LG Display has achieved a significant improvement in the panel's stretchability and flexibility, exceeding the national project's target of 20%.

The new prototype is equipped with micro-LEDs with a diameter of up to 40 microns, which provides increased durability: it can be repeatedly stretched more than 10,000 times without losing image quality. The screen retains its clarity even under extreme conditions, such as low or high temperatures and mechanical stress.

LG's stretchable displays are not only light and thin, but also able to adapt to uneven surfaces such as clothing and skin. These screens are expected to find applications in a variety of industries, from fashion and technology clothing to the automotive industry and mobile solutions.

LG Display has already demonstrated several conceptual applications for stretchable displays, including a car dashboard that can be manually operated to become convex and a display that can be attached to firefighters' uniforms to provide real-time information.

"We will continue to work to build a stable ecosystem for future displays, building on the close collaboration between Korean industry, academia and research institutes," said Suh Young-young, CTO and executive vice president of LG Display.

Source: LG Display