Samsung Display’s LTPO tech is called HOP

Samsung Display’s low power display technology that it plans to apply to future smart devices is called “HOP”, TheElec confirmed on Tuesday.

HOP is short for hybrid oxide and polycrystalline silicon. 

Samsung is currently developing its own low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT). The hybrid in HOP represents the fact that LTPO is a combination of the best qualities of low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) TFT and oxide TFT, people familiar with the matter said. LTPS TFT are used for smartphone panels and oxide TFT is used mostly in notebooks and tablets.

Applying LTPO TFT on smartphones can save OLED display’s power consumption by 15% to 20%. This can improve battery life of mobile devices.

Samsung Display’s HOP technology will be applied to the Galaxy Note series launching in the second half of the year. It will mark the first time LTPO technology is being applied to a smartphone.

It was previously only applied to smartwatches, with Apple Watch Series 4 in 2018 and Galaxy Watch Active2 in 2019 having the technology applied to them.

Apple Watch 4’s screen size was increased by 30% thanks to the technology. Cupertino applied its own LTPO technology for LG Display LTPO TFT.

Samsung Display’s HOP technology will also be applied to next year’s iPhones. The South Korean display panel maker is the main OLED display supplier for Apple.

Core technology in LTPO is reportedly owned by Apple. Back in 2015, the iPhone maker requested Samsung Display and LG Display develop LTPO-based OLED panels. 

People familiar with matter said for Samsung Display to supply LTPO-based OLED to other companies, it will have to either pay royalties to Apple or develop a workaround technology.