OLED on the verge of the next breakthrough? LG showcases new manufacturing technology
LG promises OLEDs that shine brighter, last longer, and consume less power. A new manufacturing technique called FLiPP is supposed to make this possible. It sounds like the next big leap for OLEDs – but it is not quite that simple.
At the IMID 2026 trade fair in Busan, South Korea, LG Display unveiled a new manufacturing method for OLED screens: FLiPP, short for «FMM-Less innovative Pixel Patterning». With this, LG aims to produce OLED panels without the need for the so-called Fine Metal Mask (FMM).
Sounds like technical jargon? Don't worry, I'll explain what it means – and why it matters.
The Fine Metal Mask – and why LG wants to get rid of it
Imagine a stencil with countless tiny holes through which paint is sprayed. That is exactly what the FMM does in OLED manufacturing. A wafer-thin metal plate with microscopic openings ensures that the red, green, and blue light-emitting pixels land exactly where they belong. The problem: the larger the screen, the more likely this mask is to warp, resulting in colors shifting or being misaligned. Furthermore, every display size requires its own expensive mask.
This is precisely the bottleneck LG wants to bypass with FLiPP. Instead of spraying through a physical stencil, the company relies on photolithography and UV light – a process more commonly associated with chip manufacturing. The red, green, and blue light-emitting pixels are first applied over a large area, and excess material is then selectively etched away using UV light. No mask, no warping, no size limitations.
It is noteworthy that FLiPP is specifically intended for RGB OLEDs – the architecture that provides the brilliant image quality of smartphone and tablet displays, but which has never been scalable to TV sizes until now. The reason: that is exactly where the Fine Metal Mask has failed so far.
And the figures LG is citing are significant: according to the manufacturer, FLiPP can increase the so-called aperture – simply put, the proportion of the area that actually emits light – by around 55 percent. Depending on how a manufacturer utilizes this leeway, this could result in up to 60 percent higher peak brightness, a 140 percent longer lifespan, or 13 percent lower power consumption. Important to note: these are not three bonuses you can reap simultaneously, but rather three possible levers to adjust.
When will FLiPP hit the market?
According to LG, the new technology could be used for almost any display size, from 1 to 100 inches, including VR and AR headsets. However, at launch, FLiPP is initially intended for use in tablets and monitors before expanding to other product categories like large TVs. LG does not say exactly when that will happen. There is no concrete launch date for products with FLiPP panels yet.
LG Display is not alone in making such announcements at IMID. Competitor Samsung Display showcased its own innovations at the same fair, such as a stretchable Micro-LED panel. The two South Korean giants are demonstrating that they are not standing still technologically while Chinese manufacturers like TCL or Hisense are increasingly catching up in the TV business.
Technically, FLiPP is a clever approach that addresses a real problem in OLED manufacturing. Nevertheless, as always with trade fair announcements: these are manufacturer figures from their own labs, not independently verified measurements. It will likely be some time before the first FLiPP panels actually end up in tablets or monitors – and only then will we see if the bold promises hold up in everyday use.
I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.
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