The new version can last up to 15,000 hours, according to Universal Display. The new device rounds out the company's patent profile, which also includes durable red and green phosphorescent OLEDs.

"This breakthrough has been part of our continued understanding of the chemistry of [phosphorescent] OLEDs. It involved a number of enhancements, including a better understanding of the energy flow in blue [phosphorescent]OLEDs," said Janice Mahon, vice president of technology commercialization for Universal Display (Ewing, N.J.). "For display applications, we will need a more saturated blue — we are calling this a 'sky blue' OLED — but this lighter blue could be used in lighting," she explained.

The device emits light at a 474-nm peak wavelength with a 9.5 percent external quantum efficiency. The company recently announced the creation of a saturated blue phosphorescent OLED, but it has not yet been able to demonstrate the same durability as the "sky blue" version. Achieving that lifetime for a saturated version is the goal of current R&D, said Mahon.

Samsung just announced a 40-inch prototype flat-panel display with higher resolution than plasma displays. It also includes other advantages such as a wide viewing angle that is difficult to achieve with LCDs.

OLEDs are finding their way into smalll, low-power displays in portable products such as mobile phones and electronic cameras. By adding phosphors to OLEDs, device efficiency can be boosted. Mahon said the increased efficiency has translated into a four-fold reduction in power consumption at the same illumination levels.