A manufacturing breakthrough could lead to OLED displays that have a lifespan up to five times longer than you thought.

According to a display manufacturer, OLED gaming monitors could be significantly better in the near future than those currently in use. Applied Materials' MAX OLED manufacturing process is said to produce up to three-times more brightness and a five-times longer lifespan than current production methods.

Aside from their high price, there are two things that have always made me hesitate to buy an OLED monitor. They're not as bright as a decent IPS screen, and while this is fine in a darkened gaming room, it's not ideal in a bright office.

Second, there is the constant worry about pixel burn-in. According to Applied Materials press release (via FlatpanelsHD), this could be a thing of the past if Samsung and LG adopt their new manufacturing process called MAX OLED.

"Applied's proprietary technology uses selective deposition for excellent pixel placement accuracy. It more than doubles the amount of OLED per area compared to other technologies. The technology can increase OLED brightness by up to 3X and resolution by up to 2.5X. This amounts to approximately 2,000 pixels on a square inch. The solution can reduce display power consumption up to 30 percent, and increase display life by as much as 5X.

Applied uses a proprietary system, rather than masks, to mark out the exact location of the OLED materials on the glass substrate. This is the primary base for the panel. The result is that the pixels can be bigger (thus emitting a greater amount of light) and more closely packed together (improving the pixel density).

It's important to note that Applied Materials, a world-leading manufacturer of panel production equipment is not some random research firm. It knows a lot about OLED screens. It builds and designs the equipment that is used by others, similar to how ASML manufactures chip fabrication units for TSMC, Intel and others.

Samsung is one of the first large companies to sign up for the MAX OLED process. This means that gaming monitors using panels made with the new technology are likely to be available very soon.

I'm encouraged by the progress being made in making OLED displays brighter, longer-lasting and more durable. I need to have a MAX Cash production system in my bank account to save up for one when it becomes available.