Apple is moving toward improving OLED screen manufacturing processes for laptops and desktops, as recent reports indicate the company is evaluating "High-Mobility Oxide" (HMO) technology as a more efficient alternative to current thin-film transistor technologies.
What is HMO technology and why does it matter to Apple?
HMO technology is an evolution in thin-film transistor (TFT) technologies, aiming to increase electron mobility within the conductive material. While traditional oxide technologies provide electron mobility of about 10 cm²/V·s, HMO technology targets raising this rate to a range between 30 and 50 cm²/V·s. This increase is essential for operating high-resolution OLED screens while maintaining low power consumption, which is a vital requirement for laptops.
Apple views this technology as a potential successor to the LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) technology currently used in iPhones and iPad Pro devices, as the company seeks to reduce production costs while maintaining high performance.
Manufacturing strategies and partners
Apple is collaborating with both Samsung Display and LG Display to develop this technology. Efforts are centered around two main deposition methods:
- Sputtering process: This is currently the preferred method due to its ease of integration into existing production lines, which reduces industrial transition costs.
- Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD): This is a more precise and slower process that allows for greater control over the oxide transistor layer, and its stability and performance are currently being verified compared to sputtering.
What does this mean for users?
Although Apple has already begun using advanced technologies in the new MacBook Pro devices, the expansion of HMO technology indicates the company's future plans to generalize OLED screens in MacBook Air and iMac models. While there is no official timeline for the full transition of these devices to OLED screens, these technical steps in the supply chains are a strong indicator of the technology's maturity and its availability at a cost that makes it scalable across other Apple device categories.