Display materials face a dilemma: if they shine brightly, they don't last long, and if they last long, performance drops. But a Korean research team has found a way to solve this.
A team led by Lee Tae-woo, a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University, said on the 16th that it developed a new technology that dramatically extends the lifespan of "perovskite nanocrystals," emitters for next-generation displays, in collaboration with S&Display, KAIST, and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. The findings were published the same day in the international journal Science and selected as the cover paper.
Perovskite nanocrystals are materials that emit very vivid light and are considered advantageous over conventional quantum dot emitters in color purity (how clean the color is), color gamut, price, light absorption, and power consumption. Quantum dots are semiconductor particles much smaller than a human hair. But perovskites have a critical drawback: their crystal lattice is made of a relatively soft ionic structure, making them vulnerable to heat and humidity and hard to use for long.
Lee said in a phone interview with ChosunBiz, "Perovskites are known as materials widely used in solar cells, but their crystal structure is based on ionic bonding like salt, making them weaker than silicon," adding, "When exposed to heat or light, the crystal lattice shakes, and defects form or performance degrades in the process."
To address these weaknesses, the team devised a method of wrapping perovskite nanocrystals in multiple layers of protective shells. Lee said, "We sequentially coated the outside of dice-shaped perovskite crystals with protective layers such as silica and polymers."
As a result, the protective shells interlocked well with the perovskite crystal lattice and adhered in place, reducing crystal movement and extending lifespan. At the same time, they filled voids on the nanocrystal surface, blocking pathways through which light leaks or the material degrades quickly.
The external quantum yield (EQY) of the perovskite nanocrystals developed this time reached 91.4%. External quantum yield reflects the ratio of photons emitted outward relative to the photons actually absorbed among the incident excitation light (photons) and is a key metric for evaluating emission performance. The material also withstood more than 3,000 hours in hot and humid conditions.
Lee added, "Researchers have studied existing phosphors, including quantum dots, for nearly 50 years but could not raise the external quantum yield above 65%. This study pushed it to the theoretical limit."
Another strength of this material is that it enables ultra-high-resolution patterning. It supports ultra-high-resolution patterning above 3,500 PPI (pixels per inch), making it suitable for Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) displays where pixel density is especially important. It could also expand into wearables, such as healthcare displays that adhere to the body, as well as ultra-high-definition TVs.
Lee said, "We confirmed that this is technology that can be commercialized for tablet displays, monitors, and 75-inch TVs." However, "This time, we demonstrated that we can achieve high resolution," adding, "Our goal is to refine the material and process to further improve lifespan and light-conversion efficiency and then apply it to AR and VR."
The team also published display-related results in Nature on the 15th. In that paper, the researchers demonstrated a stretchable OLED that maintains performance even when pulled. They designed a new emitting layer to efficiently convert charge into light, enhanced elasticity with thermoplastic polyurethane, and created transparent yet stretchable electrodes. As a result, the device retained most of its light output even when stretched to 1.6 times its original length.
Lee Tae-woo said, "The Science paper that simultaneously secured efficiency and stability in perovskites and the Nature paper that achieved high efficiency even when stretched are each significant on their own," adding, "We hope this achievement, which solved global challenges simultaneously in one lab, will strengthen the competitiveness of Korea's display technology."
References
Science (2026), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ady1370
Nature (2026), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09904-0