Scientists Create Flexible, Stretchable, Transparent Electronics Display: Future of Smartphones (Video)

Imagine an electronics display that's as clear as a window and can stretch like rubber. Scientists may have created just that. They've developed a transparent, elastic organic light-emitting device (OLED) that could one day be the new screen for your smartphone or your computer.

The OLED is a feat of electronics. It can be repeatedly stretched, folded and twisted at room temperature while still remaining lit and retaining its original shape. In fact, the technology is used today in screens for many smartphones and some televisions. Yet this new ultra-stretchable OLED material could potentially lead to foldable and expandable screens in the future.

In fact, the researchers stretched and restretched the OLED about 1,000 times, extending it 30 percent beyond its original shape and size. Despite this, the OLED continued to work at a high efficiency. In addition, the scientists found that the material could be stretched to more than twice its original size while still functioning and could be folded 180 degrees and be twisted in multiple directions.

"Our new material is the building block for fully stretchable electronics for consumer devices," said Qibing Pei, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Along with the development of stretchable thin-film transistors, we believe that fully stretchable interactive OLED displays that are as thin as wallpaper will be achieved in the near future. And this will give creative electronics designers new dimensions to exploit."

The material is made out of a single layer of an electro-luminescent polymer blend that's sandwiched between a pair of new transparent elastic composite electrodes. These electrodes are made of a network of silver nanowires inlaid into a rubbery polymer, which allows the device to be used at room temperature.

"While we perceive a bright future where information and lighting are provided in various thin, stretchable or conformable form factors, or are invisible when not needed, there are still major technical challenges," said Pei. "This includes how to seal these materials that are otherwise sensitive to air. Researchers around the world are racing the clock tackling the obstacles. We are confident that we will get there and introduce a number of cool products along the way."

The findings are published in the journal Nature Photonics.

Want to see the new material for yourself? Check out the video below, courtesy of YouTube.