During iMID 2023, Universal Display discussed the company's RGBB display architecture, highlighting the advantages regarding color gamut and color reproduction.The RGBB architecture basically adds a fourth OLED subpixel, a light-blue (or cyan) one to a standard RGB deep-color stack.
The current approach to achieve a large color gamut (UDC targets BT.2020) is to use emitters with a narrow spectrum, which enables high color gamut. But there's a catch - each person has a different color perception, and some people are less sensitive to certain colors compared to the "average observer". This causes a display that is based on narrow-spectrum emitters to suffer from distorted perceived colors.
RGBB helps to mitigate this problem, as it adds a light-color emitter that enables it to increase the gamut without the need for very narrow spectrum emitters.
RGBB was introduced back in 2010, when UDC said this could be the basis of an all-PHOLED display as the adoption of a light blue emitter extends the operational lifetime of the deep blue emitter, and also increases efficiency. RGBB was never commercialized by any display maker, but UDC continues to promote it. In 2019, UDC highlighted the fact that RGBB also reduces blue light emission. Now it seems the focus is on color gamut and fidelity.
Interestingly, it is actually possible to add more light-color emitters. UK-based Excyton is suggesting an architecture (branded as TurboLED®) based on six sub pixels: three deep-color ones, and three light-color ones. The light color emitters are used to render most images, while the deep emitters are used only when needed. This configuration offers a dramatic performance boost across the board: lower power consumption (50% reduction), extended lifetime, an increased color gamut, dramatic decrease in blue light emission in night mode, and improved fidelity through the use of light color emitters with broad emission spectra. Excyton is working on two configurations, stacked and side-by-side, and is now raising investment for the company to commercialize its technology and bring it to market.
Comments
Nice article. It's great to see coverage of color science and new display concepts. These are the kind of ideas that will take OLED performance to the next level. In reply to the previous comment, as the Founder and CEO of Excyton, while I am flattered (and a little worried!) by your deep knowledge of my career so far, let me assure you I have no such concerns about freedom to operate.
Even more interesting is that the founder and CEO of Excyton is an inventor on the original UDC RGBB patents. I'm sure there will be some interesting freedom to operate discussions going on...