Sony achieves a (small) step forward in the development of large-size OLED TVs

No one can deny OLED displays are superior in quality to LCD or Plasma screens. One problem which has been constraining the commercialization of large-size OLED TVs, however, is the high level of power consumption.

On Monday however, Sony and Japanese chemical company Idemitsu announced they succeeded in increasing the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) in deep-blue fluorescent OLED devices to 28.5%. I know, right? Until today, 25% was believed to be the maximum level of luminous efficiency achievable. Among the RGB colors, blue OLED devices are the most energy-intensive.

The two companies have been jointly working on the improvement of OLED display technology since 2005. Sony Japan plans to mass-produce big-screen OLED TVs (20 inches and larger) at the end of 2009.

This is definitively good news since Sony’s current OLED TV XEL-1 is cool but simply too small (11 inches) and too expensive.