Flexible Organic Light-Emitting Diode (FOLED)

Last Updated: April 10, 2012

Definition - What does Flexible Organic Light-Emitting Diode (FOLED) mean?

A flexible organic light-emitting diode (flexible LED or FOLED) is an organic light-emitting device designed with flexible material, such as a reflective metal foil or clear plastic film, instead of the heavier glass used in cathode ray tube (CRT) computer displays. FOLEDs are very useful for portable devices, such as laptop computers and wall-mounted screens because they are relatively easy and inexpensive to produce and require little energy.

A flexible organic light-emitting diode may also be known as a flexible organic light-emitting device.

Techopedia explains Flexible Organic Light-Emitting Diode (FOLED)

FOLED is very much an emerging technology. In 2002, Time Magazine applauded Universal Display Corporation’s FOLED wireless monitor prototype as one of 10 environmentally friendly technologies.

The advantages of FOLEDs include the following:

They are less prone to breakage than glass
They are less expensive to produce than silicone-based liquid crystal displays (LCD)
They can easily be mass produced
They allow viewing from extreme angles such as 90 degrees
They are energy efficient