LTPO

LTPO, or Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide, is a backplane technology used in active-matrix displays to enable dynamic refresh rates with low power consumption. It relies on thin-film transistors made from oxide semiconductors, such as indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), deposited at relatively low temperatures. This oxide-based backplane allows transistors to have very low leakage currents, which helps the display maintain a pixel state with minimal power when not updating.

In practice, LTPO backplanes enable a broad range of refresh rates, typically from about 1 Hz to 120 Hz or higher, depending on the device. The display can downscale to low refresh rates during static content or simple UI tasks to save power, and ramp up to higher refresh rates when motion or animation occurs. This variability is a key feature for devices aiming to balance smooth visuals with battery life, and it is often paired with features such as always-on displays.

History and use have grown in premium devices. LTPO has been adopted by manufacturers to achieve higher energy efficiency in OLED panels, with notable use in high-end smartphones that offer adaptive refresh rate technology. While LTPO improves power performance over fixed-rate backplanes, it can involve more complex fabrication and higher production costs compared with other TFT technologies. The approach is one of several strategies to reduce display power draw while maintaining performance.

See also: LTPS, IGZO, backplane technology, variable refresh rate.