Low-temperature polycrystalline oxide display or LTPO display is a special kind of backplane technology that is employed as a principal thin-film transistor material. It was Apple that came up with this technology and patented it so that it could be used in electronic gadgets that have OLED screens. On the other hand, it is relevant to liquid crystal display (LCD) technologies such as in-plane switching or IPS LCD, as well as new display technologies such as quantum dot and MicroLED displays. This is in addition to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays.
What Is LTPO Display
Low-temperature polycrystalline oxide is a type of semiconductor that combines the characteristics of oxide-based materials like indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) and low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS). A backplane technology that is based on LTPO presents features that are similar to those of an IGZO TFT and an LTPS TFT.
Switching circuits made of LTPS material and a driving TFT made of IGZO material are utilized in the construction of an LTPS display configuration. A number of significant benefits can be obtained through the utilization of semiconducting materials that are based on both silicon and oxide. This material was developed by Apple in order to maximize the aesthetic and practical aspects of its tiny gadgets, such as the Apple Watch.
Advantages Of LTPO Display
The LTPO display has a number of advantages over other displays that are based on different backplane technologies. Such as when compared to LTPS, the material offers a power savings of between 5 and 15 percent on average. On smaller devices, where battery life and physical dimensions are essential design and functional aspects, power efficiency has key applications that are particularly useful.
Recall that Apple is responsible for the development and patenting of this material, which will be used in the Apple Watch as well as other portable gadgets in the future. The business has been able to use an ultra-low power display as a means of compensating for the tradeoff that exists between the capacity of the battery and the size of the screen.
Due to the fact that the display of the Apple Watch is so power-efficient, Apple has also been able to incorporate extra hardware capabilities and functions into the most recent models of the Apple Watch. An integrated power management circuit, extra sensors based on LEDs and photodiodes for detecting blood oxygen level and heart rate, and improved processors are some of the features that are included in this category.
Disadvantages Of LTPO Display
In light of the fact that low-temperature polycrystalline oxide combines the characteristics and benefits of LTPS and IGZO, it is also true that it shares some of the problems and restrictions that are exclusive to each material. It is important to keep in mind that the production of an LTPS is more sophisticated and expensive than that of an a-Si, and that an IGZO makes use of rare-earth minerals, which might be challenging to acquire.
Because it needs adhering to the manufacturing challenges of both LTPS and IGZO, the production of displays based on LTPO is intrinsically more taxing than other display production methods used. When compared to IGZO by itself, the production cost of LTPS is higher. The cost has an impact on the overall cost as well as the market pricing of devices for end-users.
The component of this material that is composed of metal oxide also exhibits a high level of reactivity to oxygen. Since this is the case, it is vulnerable to low voltage. In addition, it has a shorter lifespan than LTPS and amorphous silicon due to the fact that it oxidizes more quickly than both of those materials. This is evidenced by the fact that the voltage sensitivity decreases or by the fact that there are situations in which responding to the application of voltage occurs.
As an additional point of interest, it is important to point out that low-temperature polycrystalline silicon is more vulnerable to overheating and is sensitive to high temperatures. Heat has the potential to destroy the overall backplane component as well as the silicon-hydrogen bond that is present on the material’s surface.