OLED is an emerging technology for thin, efficient and bright displays. There are two types of OLEDs: Passive-Matrix (PMOLED) and Active-Matrix (AMOLED). This article explains the difference in both the technology and the applications.

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OLEDs are made from organic light-emitting materials that emit light when electricity is applied. OLED displays are emissive - and do not require any backlight or filtering systems that are used in LCDs. As a result, OLEDs can be made flexible and transparent while providing the best images possible.

An AMOLED smartphone

There are two types of OLED displays - PMOLED and AMOLED. The difference is in the driving electronics - it can be either Passive Matrix (PM) or Active Matrix (AM).

A PMOLED MP3 player

A PMOLED display uses a simple control scheme in which you control each row (or line) in the display sequentially (one at a time). PMOLED electronics do not contain a storage capacitor and so the pixels in each line are actually off most of the time. To compensate for this you need to use more voltage to make them brighter. If you have 10 lines, for example, you have to make the one line that is on 10 times as bright (the real number is less then 10, but that's the general idea).

So while PMOLEDs are easy (and cheap) to fabricate, they are not efficient and the OLED materials suffer from lower lifetime (due to the high voltage needed). PMOLED displays are also restricted in resolution and size (the more lines you have, the more voltage you have to use). PMOLED displays are usually small (up to 3" typically) and are used to display character data or small icons: they are being used in MP3 players, mobile sub displays, etc.

An AMOLED (Active-Matrix OLED) is driven by a TFT which contains a storage capacitor that maintains the line pixel states, and so enables large size (and large resolution) displays. AMOLEDs can be made much larger than PMOLED and have no restriction on size or resolution.

A flexible AMOLED display

The first OLED products in the market used PMOLEDs - these were MP3 players, sub-displays on cellphones and radio decks for automobiles. The displays were small and usually with just one or two colors. AMOLED panels started to emerge in , and today these displays are adopted in smartphones, wearables, tablets, laptops and TVs.

The AMOLED market is growing quickly, and today over a billion AMOLED displays are produced each year, generating over $40 billion in revenues. The PMOLED market is a lot smaller, in both volume and revenues.

If you are interested in adopting a PMOLED or AMOLED display in your next device, we're sure you'll find our comprehensive OLED catalog, the OLED Marketplace interesting.

Further reading

According to the driving method, OLED displays technology can be divided into the active matrix (AM-OLED) and passive matrix (PM-OLED).

Active Matrix OLED (AM-OLED)

AMOLED stands for active matrix organic light emitting diode. It employs an active matrix in addressing pixels and uses a specific type of thin film technology in which organic compounds form electroluminescent material. 

It is a display technology used in mobile devices, digital cameras, media players, and televisions. 

Advantages of AM-OLED

• Each pixel can be driven continuously and independently.

• It can memorize the driving signal without operating under a high pulse current.

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• Higher efficiency and longer lifespan.

• Suitable for large-size, high-resolution full-color OLED display products.

Disadvantages of AM-OLED

• The production process is complex and expensive.

• Immature technology development.

Passive Matrix OLED (PM-OLED)

It refers to the arrangement of the driving electrodes in the OLED display. 

In PMOLED displays, there is an array of horizontal conductors and an array of vertical conductors, with the OLED material between them. 

Its pixel is formed where the vertical and horizontal conductors intersect.

Advantages of PM-OLED

• High contrast displays with cool crisp icons.

• Ultra-thin design as there is no backlight.

• Low power consumption.

• Wide viewing angles.

Disadvantages of PM-OLED

• To maintain the brightness of the entire panel, it is necessary to increase the brightness of each pixel to increase the operating current, so the lifespan is shortened.

• It is not suitable for large-size panels.

Conclusion

AMOLED and PMOLED are two types of organic light-emitting diode display technologies that differ in application and characteristics.

AMOLED displays offer higher resolution and brightness, as they use more pixels and higher-brightness LEDs. They also offer better contrast and deeper blacks, as each pixel can emit light independently without the need for a backlight. 

PMOLED displays, on the other hand, are more suitable for small-screen applications such as embedded devices and watches. They typically have lower resolution and brightness, as they use fewer pixels and lower-brightness LEDs. However, they are also cheaper and easier to manufacture, as they use simpler materials and processes compared to AMOLED. 

Overall, both AMOLED and PMOLED have their advantages and disadvantages and are suitable for different applications. AMOLED is suitable for large-screen, high-resolution applications, while PMOLED is suitable for small-screen, low-resolution applications.

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