AMOLED

OLEDs are made from organic (carbon based) materials that emit light when electricity is run through them. OLEDs can be used to create displays - and these are bright and efficient with a fast response time and a wide viewing angle. OLED display can be made very thin (the thinnest prototype is 50 microns...) and even transparent or flexible. The possibilities are almost endless... Here's more information on the technology behind AMOLEDs.

Samsung Transparent AMOLED prototype

AMOLED: Active Matrix OLED

The term AMOLED means Active-Matrix OLED. The 'active-matrix' part refers to the driving method. In an AMOLED, one controls each pixel directly and this method can be used to create large, high-resolution displays that are still manageable. 

AMOLED vs PMOLED

A PMOLED uses a different kind of driving mechanism. In this case you control the display by switching a certain row and column - in effect lighting the pixel at the intersection. The pixels are turned on and off quickly, and the sequence creates the image. PMOLEDs are cheaper to make than AMOLDEs, but are more difficult to control and are limited in size (the largest PMOLED is only 5", and most of them are around 1" to 3"). Most PMOLEDs are used for character display, and not to show photos or videos.

OSD 2 color 0.96-inch PMOLED

Samsung's AMOLED 

Samsung is the clear leader in AMOLED production. Samsung are actually using the term AMOLED to brand these kinds of displays. Samung is making 2" to 4" panels today, used in many mobile phones, digital cameras and other mobile devices. Samsung is also showing prototypes of larger (14" up to 42") AMOLED panels, but these aren't produced yet.

Samsung Wave with a Super-AMOLED

Super AMOLEDs

Samsung's Super-AMOLED displays are AMOLED displays with an integrated touch function. Samsung has placed a touch-sensor (on-cell) over the display and made it evaporate. The thickness of the touch sensor is just 0.001mm and this allows the screen to provide better images and to have great visibility even in direct sunlight. Super-AMOLEDs also have better lifetime than regular AMOLED and are very responsive to touch.

AMOLED TV

All OLED TVs will actually be AMOLED TVs... Sony has been the first to make such a TV, the XEL-1 (back in 2007). Since then they have stopped production and marketing in Japan. The AMOLED TV was more of a technology demo than anything else. Even though it costs around $2500 for a 11" display, they were losing money on each set.

Sony XEL-1

LG are the second company to introduce an AMOLED TV, at 15". It too is very expensive at $2500, and currently sold only in Korea.

LG 15-inch OLED TVs