Samsung Display said on the 12th it will launch a premium technology brand, "QD-OLED Penta Tandem," which trademarks the unique five-stack architecture exclusive to quantum dot (QD)-organic light-emitting diode (OLED).
Samsung Display applies a five-layer organic material emission structure to QD-OLED panels used in premium monitors and TVs. To convey the value of this technology, it launched a new technology brand and completed trademark registration. "Penta" means the number "five" in Greek.
QD-OLED expresses color using quantum dots that react to light, using blue OLED, the highest-energy band in the visible spectrum, as the light source. Starting last year, Samsung Display advanced the blue OLED stack structure from four to five layers and applied the latest organic materials to complete high-definition, high-efficiency, high-brightness QD-OLED.
In particular, stacking technology for organic materials is drawing attention as a key factor that determines the intense high-resolution competition in the monitor market. When pixel density is increased to achieve higher resolution within the same panel size, the emission area of individual pixels gradually shrinks. Even under these technical constraints, a technology that effectively disperses the energy applied to organic materials is essential to stably achieve high luminance.
As the number of organic material stacks increases, optical efficiency rises, allowing either higher brightness with the same power or the same brightness with less power. It is similar to five people sharing a load that four used to carry, enabling them to hold it longer or lift a heavier load.
Compared with last year's QD-OLED developed with a four-layer structure, Penta Tandem delivers 1.3 times higher emission efficiency and twice the lifespan. As a result, products with Penta Tandem technology achieve maximum screen brightness—based on an OPR (On Pixel Ratio, the ratio of operating pixels to all pixels forming the screen) of 3%—of 4,500 nits for TVs and 1,300 nits for monitors, reaching the industry's top tier.
This year, Samsung Display plans to expand Penta Tandem across product sizes and supply it to flagship products of major customers. Following the 27-inch UHD (3840x2160) last year and the 31.5-inch UHD and 34-inch WQHD earlier this year, it will be extended to a 49-inch dual QHD (5120x1440) in the second half. For TVs, it has been used since last year in the top-tier models of major customers' OLED lineups.
Executive Director Jeong Yong-uk, head of strategy marketing for the Large Display Business at Samsung Display, said, "Stacking technology for organic materials is completed not merely by increasing the number of layers but by condensing know-how on which materials to stack, at what thickness, and in what combinations," adding, "Penta Tandem technology will be the best option for customers seeking to prove the premium of QD-OLED."