IIT Madras launches AMOLED research centre to develop next-gen AMOLED and OLED screens

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has unveiled a new research facility aimed at advancing India’s display manufacturing capabilities.

Called the “AMOLED Research Centre” (ARC), this National Centre of Excellence aims to develop next-generation AMOLED and OLED screens for smartphones, tablets, watches, and other wearable devices.

The facility is supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India; the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO); and Tata Sons.

Official Inauguration  

S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, inaugurated the ARC at the IIT Madras campus on Dec. 21, 2024. He highlighted the Centre’s potential to produce novel manufacturing techniques for digital-device displays.

According to Shri Krishnan, the ARC also intends to develop prototypes for OLED lighting and organic photovoltaic (OPV) power sources for mobile phones.

“The inauguration of this Centre marks a pivotal step toward fostering innovation, driving self-reliance, and empowering India’s industrial growth. The Centre will create solutions that resonate with India’s aspiration to lead the world in manufacturing and innovation,” said Shri Krishnan.

Senior officials from MeitY, along with IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti, Principal Investigator (PI) of the ARC, Dr Debdutta Ray, and co-investigators Dr G. Rajeswaran, Dr Soumya Dutta, and Dr G. Venkatesh, were present at the event.

Cutting-edge facilities  

Located in the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Madras, the ARC houses state-of-the-art cleanrooms with “class 100” and “class 1000” ratings. A key highlight is its OLED cluster that enables precise, multilayer growth of OLEDs.

The Centre also hosts an advanced pixel patterning system designed by a team at IIT Madras.

Researchers at the ARC are exploring next-generation AMOLED displays using ultrafast growth and patterning techniques. This research includes studying their optoelectronic properties and improving manufacturing methods to lower costs.

In addition to AMOLED displays, the ARC is also focused on white OLEDs for lighting and TV, as well as organic photovoltaic devices.

National Significance  

Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, underscored the Centre’s role in strengthening India’s display and semiconductor sectors.

He noted the global AMOLED market—valued at around USD 15 billion—continues to grow, and India has immense potential to tap into this industry.

“This Centre will support the nation’s semiconductor initiative and develop next-generation AMOLED displays,” said Prof. Kamakoti. “It is a unique Centre in India with the capability to develop smartphone-sized AMOLED screens.”

Economies-of-Speed approach  

The ARC’s principal investigator, Dr. Debdutta Ray, explained that they are pioneering an “economies-of-speed” concept.

Instead of relying on large-scale production, the Centre aims to maintain or improve fabrication times using smaller mother-glass sizes. This approach can lead to modular display factories—referred to as “micro-factories”—that streamline production and reduce overall costs.