How OLED & MicroLED Displays Work
Organic self-emissive subpixels delivering true infinite contrast without a bulky backlight.
Interactive Exhibit Visualization
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Step 11. TFT Backplane Drive Current
TFT transistor gates regulate micro-ampere current to target subpixel.
LTPO thin-film transistors supply precision driving currents to the transparent ITO anode.
Step 1 of 4How OLED & MicroLED Displays Work
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Unlike LCD screens that use a giant backlight, every single microscopic pixel on an OLED screen produces its own light and can turn completely off for true black.
Key Takeaways
- ✓OLED = Organic Light-Emitting Diode.
- ✓Each pixel is its own tiny lightbulb.
- ✓Black pixels are completely powered off (0 Watts, True Black).
Millions of Tiny Lightbulbs
On an older LCD TV or laptop, a big bright white backlight shines through color filters. Even when showing black, light leaks through, making blacks look dark gray.On an OLED screen, there is no backlight. Every single one of the 8,294,400 pixels (and their Red, Green, Blue subpixels) is an individual organic molecule that lights up with electricity. To show black, that pixel simply turns off!Interactive Challenge+25 XP