Theme 3. OLED
#36: Automotive ATO
| ATO (Advanced Thin OLED) is LG Display’s automotive OLED technology that delivers ultra-slim design, stunning picture quality, and cost efficiency—achieving a panel 20% thinner than conventional glass-based OLEDs. |
LG Display’s automotive OLED solution, ATO (Advanced Thin OLED), maintains the core strengths of OLED—vivid picture quality and design flexibility—while also offering improved cost competitiveness. We take a closer look in this episode.
Why OLED Is the Premium Solution for In-Car Displays
Before diving into ATO, let’s take a look at the key strengths of LG Display’s automotive OLEDs. OLED is a self-emissive technology that enables perfect blacks and highly accurate color expression. Since it doesn’t require a backlight, it allows for flexible designs that can bend and curve to match the contours of a vehicle’s interior.
LG Display’s automotive OLEDs also feature its core technology: Tandem OLED. This structure stacks two emissive layers instead of one, like in conventional OLEDs. While maintaining the same panel thickness, it achieves higher brightness. The energy is distributed across two layers, which not only reduces power consumption but also extends product lifespan—enhancing both performance and durability.
ATO: Combining Core Tandem OLED Technology with Cost Efficiency
Building on the strength of its P-OLED technology, LG Display has established a premium image in the automotive display market. Now, with ATO, the company aims to bring OLED to a broader range of vehicles—from luxury to mid- and entry-level models.
ATO retains the core Tandem OLED structure used in P-OLED, but replaces the polyimide substrate with a glass substrate, significantly reducing manufacturing costs.
Compared to the complex production of polyimide-based P-OLED, the use of a glass substrate streamlines the manufacturing process—improving yield and lowering costs. In addition, ATO uses an ultra-thin glass that is 20% thinner than standard glass OLEDs, enabling even sleeker and more refined display designs.
