LG Display unveils its maskless OLED technology for the first time

LG Display has unveiled FLiPP, a new technology that creates organic light-emitting diode (OLED) pixels without a metal mask, to the public for the first time in the world. The technology can improve performance in areas such as screen brightness, lifespan and power consumption depending on product design.

The maskless technology, FLiPP, and other next-generation OLED technologies were showcased at the International Meeting on Information Display 2026 (IMID 2026) held at Bexco in Busan, LG Display said.

FLiPP applies a photolithography process commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing. Red, green and blue (RGB) pixel materials are sequentially deposited and fixed at precise locations on a substrate, after which ultraviolet light is used to remove unwanted material.

Conventional OLED production uses a fine metal mask (FMM), a metal sheet with microscopic openings that is placed directly over the substrate. RGB organic materials are then deposited through the openings to form pixels.

Large FMMs, however, can sag in the center under their own weight, which causes the openings to become misaligned and potentially results in color-mixing defects. Manufacturers also need to produce additional costly FMMs whenever a product’s size or resolution changes.

FLiPP eliminates the unused space between pixels previously required by the FMM, increasing the aperture ratio by about 55 percent compared with the conventional method.

Depending on product design, the technology can increase brightness by up to 1.6 times, extend lifespan by 2.4 times or reduce power consumption by 13 percent, LG Display said.

With fewer restrictions on size and resolution, the technology can be applied to displays ranging from 1 to 100 inches.

LG Display plans to initially use the technology for tablet and laptop panels before expanding its applications.

"Through our participation in IMID, we will lead next-generation OLED technologies and accelerate market differentiation,” Choi Young-seok, CTO at LG Display, said.

BY KIM IN-KYOUNG [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]