Display technologies have evolved rapidly over the decades, from 19” cathode ray tubes to <1um-pitched microLEDs. Consumers demand thinner screens, higher pixel densities, flexible/curved screens, and near-eye viewing distances. Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) displays have found success as a high performing low-cost technology in the market with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6% reaching $72.8 billion in 2026. MicroLEDs are a slightly newer, competitive and higher-performing technology with a CAGR of 89.3% reaching $18.8 billion by 2026. Despite the expected growth in OLED and microLED technologies, they both suffer from technical drawbacks. OLEDs suffer from short lifetimes due to moisture/oxygen infiltration and MicroLEDs struggle with scaling production due to the decreased pitch size leading to poor sidewall passivation and low pixel efficiencies. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has the ability to improve both OLED and microLED technologies by depositing defect-free films to provide a hermetic encapsulation, and sidewall passivation to improve lifetimes.

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