The adoption of Tandem OLED in the iPad Pro and MatePad Pro is boosting the IT OLED market, increasing shipments, and intensifying competition among panel manufacturers.

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With the release of APPLE’s iPad Pro and HUAWEI’s MatePad Pro featuring Tandem OLED, the adoption of OLED in IT products is gaining momentum. OLED, known for its low power consumption and ability to accommodate larger batteries, is also well-suited for power-hungry on-device AI laptops, suggesting that more IT products will incorporate OLED in the future.

Since the second quarter of 2024, IT OLED panel shipments have been increasing, and major panel manufacturers are solidifying their investments in 8.6th-generation production lines for IT products. As demand and production of IT OLED panels rise, total shipments are projected to reach 23.2 million units in 2024 and grow further to 50.8 million units by 2028, signaling continued expansion in the IT OLED market.

In its latest report, “2024 OLED Technology and Industry Trend Analysis Report for IT,” UBI Research covers trends and forecasts in the IT OLED industry, analyzing the material composition of tandem OLED, hybrid OLED’s glass thinning and panel separation, photolitho OLED, cover windows, and UTG technology, along with developments from related companies.

▶2024 OLED Technology and Industry Trend Analysis Report for IT Sample

Due to the OLED iPad Pro for Tablet PC, shipments are rapidly increasing, and shipments are expected to increase by more than 6 times in 2024 compared to the previous year.

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According to the “3Q24 Medium-Large OLED Display Market Track” published by UBI Research, more than 12 million OLEDs for tablet PCs are expected to be shipped in 2024 thanks to Apple’s entry into the OLED market for tablet PCs.

As mass production of iPad Pro OLEDs began in the first quarter of 2024, shipments of OLEDs for tablet PCs surged to 1.2 million units in the first quarter and 3.4 million units in the second quarter.

As not only Samsung Display and LG Display, but also Chinese panel manufacturers have begun mass production of OLEDs for tablet PCs, the OLED market for tablet PCs is expected to expand further. Among Chinese panel manufacturers, BOE is expected to ship about 1.5 million OLED panels for tablet PCs in 2024, and Visionox is expected to ship about 800,000 OLED panels for tablet PCs.

Due to the increase in panel shipments by Apple and Chinese companies, OLED shipments for tablet PCs are expected to exceed 30 million units in 2028.

▶Medium & Large OLED Display Market Track Sample

Foldable OLED shipments in 2Q reached 9.9 million units, doubling from 1Q and setting a new record.

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According to the “3Q24 Small OLED Display Market Track” published by UBI Research, OLED shipments for foldable phones in the second quarter of 2024 are expected to reach 9.94 million units, more than doubling compared to the first quarter. During this period, OLED shipments for foldable phones accounted for 5.2% of all OLED shipments for smartphones, marking the second-highest proportion ever.

UBI Research anticipates that OLED shipments for foldable phones will continue to grow in the second half of 2024, with total shipments expected to exceed 40 million units for the year. Furthermore, by 2028, OLED shipments for foldable phones are projected to make up 9.9% of total OLED shipments for smartphones.

While the share of OLED shipments for foldable phones remained in the 5% range in the second quarter of 2024, their sales share exceeded 16.3%. This sales share is expected to expand to 27.5% by 2028.

▶Small OLED Display Quarterly Market Track Sample

OLED market for Tablet PCs to grow 6-7 times by 2024 due to Apple’s entry

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OLED panel shipment forecast for tablet PC

OLED panel shipment forecast for tablet PC

According to the ‘2024 Mid-Large OLED Display Annual Report’ recently published by UBI Research, shipments of OLED panels for tablet PCs are expected to grow from 12 million units in 2024 to 28.4 million units in 2028, with an average annual growth rate of 24.1%.

OLED panel shipments for tablet PCs were 1.3 million units in 2022 and 1.8 million units in 2023, forming a small market. However, with the decision to install OLED in the Apple’s iPad scheduled to be released in 2024, Samsung Display and LG Display are producing OLED panels for iPad-oriented table PCs.

Samsung Display produces panels for the 11-inch model and LG Display produces panels for the 12.9-inch model. Due to Apple’s entry, the OLED market for tablet PCs is expected to grow 6 to 7 times in 2024 compared to 2023.

In addition, panel companies are actively investing to apply OLED not only to tablet PCs but also to various IT products. Following Samsung Display’s recent investment in the 8.6G IT line, BOE also invested in the 8.6G IT line, and LG Display is also conducting a paid-in capital increase to secure funds for IT line investment and is planning to sell the Guangzhou LCD line. The OLED market for IT is expected to expand further due to the aggressive investment of panel companies.

▶ 2024 Mid-Large OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

Samsung Display continues to dominate the OLED market for foldable phones

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Foldable OLED shipment forecast

Foldable OLED shipment forecast

According to the ‘2024 Small OLED Display Annual Report’ recently published by UBI Research, OLED shipments for foldable phones are expected to increase from 27.4 million units in 2024 to 52.7 million units in 2028.

According to the report, Samsung Display’s OLED shipments for foldable phones in 2023 will be 13.4 million units, a 6.3% increase from 12.6 million units in 2022. Also, among Chinese panel makers, BOE shipped 6.2 million units of OLED for foldable phones, more than three times the 1.9 million units in 2022, while TCL CSOT and Visionox each shipped 1.1 million units of OLED for foldable phones.

Although there is fierce pursuit by Chinese companies, Samsung Display is expected to still take the lead in the foldable phone market. Samsung Electronics, to which Samsung Display supplies panels, is expected to expand the models of the Galaxy Fold series scheduled to be released this year, and Samsung Display’s foldable phone panels are expected to be applied first to Apple’s foldable iPhone to be released in the future. Based on such technological prowess and competitiveness, Samsung Display’s dominance in the foldable phone market is expected to continue for the time being.

▶ 2024 Small OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

International Business Conference: 2024 OLED Korea & 2024 eXtended Reality Korea will be held in parallel!

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UBI Research, a display specialist research company, will hold the international business conferences OLED Korea and eXtended Reality Korea in parallel at The-K Hotel in Yangjae, Seoul from March 27 to 29, 2024. This event is expected to be an opportunity for people from companies, academia, and research institutes related to the display industry around the world to attend, exchange the best information, and form a global network.

eXtended Reality Korea is the first XR industry-related business conference held by UBI Research and will cover trends and outlook on micro display, XR Hardware/Software, materials, equipment, etc.

This event aims to provide attendees with the opportunity to deeply explore the display and XR areas through a comprehensive program including tutorials, keynote presentations, and panel discussions.

The tutorial on March 27th will feature presentations on the future of XR, micro LED display technology, and key technologies to realize the next generation OLED display.

In addition, keynote presentations by ▲UBI Research, ▲Samsung Display, ▲LG Display, ▲Hyundai Mobis, and ▲Fortell Games are scheduled for the conference to be held on March 28th and 29th. Choong-Hoon Yi, CEO of UBI Research, will give a presentation on “OLED and XR industry outlook.” We will present the overall OLED industry, including OLED for IT, and the micro OLED industry that will be applied to MR equipment.

Samsung Display plans to introduce SDC’s roadmap for expanding the AR/VR market based on SDC’s plan to overcome technical obstacles in ultra-high-resolution displays under the title “AR/VR Development Strategy for Future Display.”

Under the theme of “Life with OLED,” LG Display will examine the field of OLED displays applied in daily life and present the continuous evolution and benefits of OLED technology.

Under the theme of “Automotive Display / HUD Trend and Future Display,” Hyundai Mobis presents trends and requirements for automotive displays, from Pillar To Pillar displays to Rollable displays, predicts future automotive displays, and announces development strategies.

Lastly, Fortell Games will discuss the topic of “Next-Gen Mixed Reality: New Horizons for Spatial Computing”, analyzing the latest developments in mixed reality technology and their impact on the future of the gaming industry.

In addition, it will be run by a total of 34 domestic and foreign speakers and programs, including AR/VR development and technology, automotive displays, OLED industry, backplane technology, and MicroLED display development.

Because it is a parallel event, attendees can attend both events even if they register for one event, and registration is possible at a special discount price during the early bird period until February 29th.

Detailed information can be found on the website (https://oledkoreaconference.com/, https://extendedrealitykorea.com/).

Aren’t you curious about the future of OLED and micro displays? OLED Korea and eXtended Reality Korea will provide the answer!

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Korea maintains a leading position in the IT product and display markets. OLED Korea is an International Business Conference created to serve as a bridge between the global OLED industry so that OLED can replace LCD. This conference, with the participation of approximately 150 to 200 industry experts, has established itself as a key location to gauge the direction of the global OLED industry along with Korea’s OLED.

eXtended Reality Korea is an International Business Conference held for the first time. OLED is becoming a key display for XR displays, and Korea’s micro display development direction will be the key to determining the future of the XR industry.

OLED Korea and eXtended Reality Korea will be held as parallel events at The K Hotel in Yangjae, Seoul from March 27 to 29, 2024. This event consists of presentations and panel discussions by top experts in related industries around the world, focusing on Samsung and LG. Since it is a parallel event, you can attend both events even if you register at one location.

OLED Korea and eXtended Reality Korea will be business exchanges that provide answers and the best global network for companies to succeed in Korea’s OLED industry and XR industry.

OLED Korea : https://oledkoreaconference.com/

eXtended Reality Korea : https://extendedrealitykorea.com/

Foldable and slidable OLEDs are replacing LCDs in IT

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Foldable OLED technology, which started in the smartphone market, is also sprouting up in the notebook market. Foldable OLED technology has the advantage that the entire front of a smartphone or notebook can be configured as a screen, and since the screen can be folded, it is a product that enhances portability. Therefore, it will become an essential product in the increasingly sophisticated information age.

Notebooks are the optimal application of Foldable OLED because the form factor itself is a foldable product, and since folding phones have existed in the mobile phone market before, foldable phones are also naturally being incorporated into the lives of modern people. Since the foldable book can be expanded to 20 inches, it will evolve into a new product that can overcome the monitor market.

Following on the heels of foldable OLED technology is slidable OLED. Slidable OLED is a way to expand the screen by taking out the OLED inside the device. Like Foldable OLED, Slidable OLED is a technology that can expand the screen, making it more portable. The application of Slidable OLED is a slidable PC that will replace tablet PCs. Instead of a 13-inch tablet PC, a slidable PC that can expand to 17 inches will be a new product that can expand to the notebook market.

Foldable Book and Slidable PC will be a game changer that will break the boundaries of the IT market where LCDs are used.

Originally published in 2024, the report “Foldable & Slidable OLED Technology and Market Outlook” detailed the technologies that are essential for foldable and slidable OLEDs to succeed in the market and provided a forecast of the future market.

▶Foldable & Slidable OLED Technology and Market Outlook Report Sample

OLED shipments for IT are expected to reach 31 million units in 2027, with an average annual growth rate of 41%

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According to the ‘IT OLED Technology and Industry Trend Analysis Report’ recently published by UBI Research, OLED shipments for tablet PCs, notebooks, and monitors are expected to reach 31 million units in 2027 with an average annual growth rate of 41%.

This forecast is based on Samsung Display’s 5.5G OLED line, 6G OLED line, 8.5G QD-OLED line, 8.6G (2290 x 2620 mm2) IT line, and LG Display, BOE, and Visionox’s 6G OLED line.

Shipment forecast for IT OLED

Shipment forecast for IT OLED

For IT products, OLED had been a market that received less attention than smartphones or TVs, but has began to receive significant attention due to the increase in demand for IT products in COVID-19 and the prospect of Apple using OLED for IT products.

Previously, Samsung Display was mass producing a small amount of OLED for IT from some of A2 as the 5.5G rigid OLED line and the 8.5G QD-OLED line, and some Chinese companies such as EDO were producing IT OLEDs in small quantities, but in 2024, Samsung Display and LG Display plan to mass produce OLED for Apple’s iPad in earnest from the 6G line, and BOE also plans to mass produce OLED for IT from the B12 line.

In addition, Samsung Display decided to invest in the 8.6G OLED line for IT early this year, and is expected to mass produce various IT products, including notebooks, from the first half of 2026.

Moreover, LG Display and BOE are planning to invest in the 8.6G line as soon as they secure investment funds and customers, and Visionox is also reportedly holding meetings with major equipment companies to invest in the 8.6G line.

If demand for OLED from set companies for IT increases in the future and panel companies invest in 8.6G lines, the IT market is expected to become a new high value-added market for OLED, following the smartphone market.

▶ IT OLED Technology and Industry Trend Analysis Report Sample

OLED shipments for smartphones, China will reverse in 2025

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According to the 3rd quarter OLED Market Track published by UBI Research, China’s OLED shipments for smartphones (including foldable phones) are expected to surpass Korea in 2025.

However, since OLEDs made by Chinese companies are cheaper than Korean products, it is expected that Korea will dominate in terms of sales until 2027.

OLEDs produced by Korean display makers are of excellent quality and will maintain their superiority in sales for the time being.

However, Chinese display makers, based on the huge domestic market and government support, are also improving in quality and knocking on the market with cost-effectiveness, so sales are expected to reverse after 2028 as well.

In order for Korea to maintain its display industry, it is necessary to expand the OLED market for IT and TV, which is difficult for Chinese companies to enter the market. In addition, it is time to make a quick transition to the micro display industry for XR, which is emerging as a new market.

Although China’s investment is ahead of the micro display, it is an area where Korean displays can easily establish a foothold because it requires a precision process similar to that of semiconductors.

Display companies were in a situation where they were chasing Korean companies, but now we have to humbly accept that Korean display companies are in a situation where they have to catch up with Chinese companies.

▶Small OLED Display Quarterly Market Track Sample

[IMID 2023 Keynote] LG Display’s automotive tandem OLED, applied to Hyundai Genesis

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LG Display ‘Discovering the Best Automotive Display Solution for Tomorrow

LG Display ‘Discovering the Best Automotive Display Solution for Tomorrow

At the ‘IMID 2023’ held in BEXCO, Busan on the 23rd, Kim Byeong-gu, head of LG Display’s Auto Business Group, gave a keynote speech on the theme of ‘Discovering the Best Automotive Display Solution for Tomorrow’.

“The electric vehicle market is expected to grow 18% annually from the current 15 million units, reaching 50 million units annually by 2030,” said Kim, head of the group. He also predicted, “The automotive display market is expected to grow by 10% annually and reach a market of 12 billion dollars by 2030, and in particular, the automotive OLED market will show a high annual growth rate of 28%.”

The number of displays mounted on vehicles is increasing every year, and the size is increasing every year. Kim said, “The number of displays installed in vehicles increases every year, and by 2030, an average of 2.3 displays will be installed, and the average size will be over 15 inches.”. And He also mentioned, “We will manufacture large-size OLEDs for vehicles larger than 50 inches within a few years.”

LG Display ‘Discovering the Best Automotive Display Solution for Tomorrow

LG Display ‘Discovering the Best Automotive Display Solution for Tomorrow

Currently, LG Display is supplying luxury flagship P-OLED, premium OLED ATO (Advanced Thin OLED), and low-end LTPS LCD as automotive displays.

Group leader Kim said, “LG ​​Display, after mass-producing the world’s first automotive tandem OLED in 2019, has developed and mass-produced ‘Tandem OLED 2.0,’ which improves brightness by 30% and reduces power consumption by 40% in 2023. And LG Display is developing ‘Tandem OLED 3.0’, which improves luminance by 20% and power consumption by 20% from the second generation.”

LG Display ‘Discovering the Best Automotive Display Solution for Tomorrow

LG Display ‘Discovering the Best Automotive Display Solution for Tomorrow

Following this, Group Head Kim disclosed LG Display’s tandem OLED customers, such as Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, GM, Volvo, and Jaguar. Group leader Kim emphasized the Genesis of Hyundai Motor Company and emphasized, “We have been developing cooperation with Hyundai Motor Group for two years, and sooner or later, Genesis with LG Display’s tandem OLED will appear.”

Lastly, Group Head Kim said, “Based on continuous customer value realization and high-quality orders based on future technologies, LG Display will have a share of more than 50% in the automotive display market in 2026, excluding a-si LCD, and 60% in the automotive OLED display market.”

[IMID 2023] OLED exhibited by Samsung Display and LG Display

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At ‘IMID 2023’ held in BEXCO, Busan on August 22, Samsung Display and LG Display exhibited a number of OLED products.

First, in ‘IMID 2023’, Samsung Display introduced 77-inch QD-OLED and light field display ‘2D↔3D Display’, ‘Slidable Flex Solo’ and ‘Slidable Flex Duet’, ‘Rollable Flex’, ‘Flex G’, ‘Flex It exhibited foldable and sliderable products such as ‘S’ and ‘Flex Note’. Products other than ‘2D↔3D Display’ were exhibited at ‘K-Display 2023’ held last week, and the exhibition scale was smaller than ‘K-Display 2023’.

Samsung Display 2D↔3D Display

Samsung Display 2D↔3D Display

Samsung DIsplay Light Field Display

Samsung DIsplay Light Field Display

The size of the ‘2D↔3D Display’ exhibited by Samsung Display was 16 inches, the panel resolution was 3840×2400, and eyetracking technology was inserted to support a 3D viewing angle of more than 40°.

LG Display’s 77-inch 8K OLED with ‘META Technology’ applied, 45-inch and 27-inch gaming OLED, ‘34” Full Dashboard OLED’, ‘18” Rollable OLED’, ‘15.6” Light Field Display’, ‘0.42” OLEDoS’ exhibited.

LG Display Rollable OLED

LG Display Rollable OLED

The 18-inch rollable OLED, which LG Display unveiled for the first time in Korea, realized a brighter screen by applying a tandem element structure, and passed more than 100,000 rolling tests. The resolution of the ‘18” Rollable OLED’ is 2560×1440, the brightness is 1,000nits, the rolling radius is 20R, and the cover window material is TPU (Thermoplastic Poly Urethane). An official from LG Display said, “There is no plan to mass-produce 18-inch rollable OLED yet, and the rolling radius will be between 5 and 10R when mass-producing actual products.”

‘0.42” OLEDoS (OLED on silicon)’, an ultra-high resolution product with 3500ppi, was the same as the product exhibited at ‘K-Display 2023’. It is a product that combines the optical system of LetinAR, a domestic optical module developer, with the panel of LG Display.

XR Industry Megatrends

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Extended reality (XR) devices, which overlay an extended reality on top of the real world, are emerging as disruptive devices that will drive a second wave of digital convergence, renewing the digital convergence brought about by smartphones. MR (mixed reality) devices will converge TVs, monitors, and laptops, while AR (augmented reality) devices will integrate smartphones, smartwatches, and tablet PCs.

 

UBI Research has released a new report, “XR Industry Mega Trends Analysis,” which provides a detailed analysis of the past and present of the XR industry that set manufacturers, display companies, and component/material/equipment companies need to know in order to prepare for the upcoming second wave of digital convergence.

Analyzing all the models of XR devices on the market from VR devices that started to be released in 1989 to the first half of 2023, we found that XR devices have a very complex industry structure that is different from wearables, mobile devices, and IT devices that have existed before.

MR devices are characterized by being able to work while moving, unlike conventional IT products that are used while sitting in a chair, and AR devices are products that free up both hands while actively adjusting the display to provide information in all directions of head movement.

Therefore, it was analyzed that in order to succeed in the XR device industry, which is the next generation of innovative products, all related companies, including set companies, display companies, and equipment/components/materials, must first understand the composition, operation principle, and content of XR devices and prepare business directions.

The core components of XR devices are optics, displays, and sensors for tracking, and the content used is different depending on the characteristics of these three components. While the existing IT industry has determined the content to be used based on the performance and specifications of the hardware, XR devices are expected to develop in the opposite direction, with the content determining the specifications of the XR devices.

We have summarized the optics and displays of XR devices released in the first half of this year. Understanding the relationship between optics and display is an essential element of the XR device industry, as the type of content determines the specifications of the device.

We analyzed the optics, displays, and tracking methods of all XR devices released since 1989.

Display trends show that the number of models using LCDs is slowly decreasing, while the percentage of XR devices using micro-OLEDs is increasing.

In optical see-through (OST) AR with transparent windows, micro-OLEDs are most commonly used, with waveguides and birdbaths being used as optics.

Display companies need to work together to understand which combination of optics is appropriate for the display they are developing or producing.  This is because XR devices are often used for specific purposes rather than general purpose. The field of view (FoV) of the optics can determine the display of choice.

We analyzed the resolution trends in AR devices. FHD (1920×1080) resolution is becoming the main specification for AR devices. Micro-OLED is mostly used.

Micro-LEDs are attracting attention as the main display for AR devices due to their high brightness, but it will take at least five years before FHD products with a panel size of about 0.25 inches are available because panel and LED manufacturing technologies are not yet established.

As the features and specifications of XR devices vary depending on the purpose of use, it is necessary to closely examine the software, so we analyzed 472 products from 178 companies that have released software for XR since 2010.

We examined the number of software companies by country, and found that the United States has 79 companies, accounting for 44.1%. It is clear that the software industry for XR is dominated by the United States.

To analyze the activity of software companies, we examined the number of companies by genre that released products between 2018 and 2022. We analyzed the number of companies by genre in each country and found that the U.S. has an even distribution of companies in all genres.

This report will serve as a cornerstone for all supply chain players in the XR industry and those who wish to enter the XR industry in the future to understand the characteristics of the XR industry and find a successful business path.

▶ Megatrend Analysis of the XR industry Report Sample Download

Megatrend Analysis of the XR industry : Detailed analysis of XR devices and software industry

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In order to shed light on the footsteps of the XR device industry, which is gradually increasing in scale with the goal of replacing wearable devices and IT devices, and to forecast the future market, XR device models and specifications released from 2018 to the first half of 2023 were analyzed. During this period, there were 327 models of XR devices and 127 companies that were investigated.

XR devices are classified into VR, MR, and AR. As for AR devices, only optical see-through (OST) products were classified as AR, and video see-through (VST), which allows viewing of the real world through a camera, were classified as MR. Since the labeling methods for MR and VR devices were mixed by the company, the fixing method was also closely investigated and referred to the device classification.

In order to analyze the trend of XR devices, it was analyzed by dividing into three types by period.
1) Latest trends of products released only in the first half of 2023
2) Overall XR device flow through analysis of products released from 1989 to 2022
3) 5-year trend between 2018 and 2022 for an accurate analysis of the current status, taking into account the company’s mergers and acquisitions, closure, etc.

Analyzing the number of models released between 1989 and 2022 by device, the XR device industry appears to have started to bloom in 2016. Most of the device models were for VR, but after the number of models released peaked in 2017, the number of new VR device models has been slowly declining. Especially since 2020 when Covid-19 started, the number of AR device models has outpaced the number of VR device models. One of the reasons for the decrease in the number of newly released VR device models is the increase in the number of MR device models. From this analysis, it seems that the XR device industry is shifting from VR to AR and MR industries from 2021.

The competitiveness of each country in the XR device industry was also analyzed. Recently, the device industry has been affected by the entire supply chain depending on the ecosystem of each country, so we looked at the countries and application fields that are leading the XR set industry. Between 2018 and 2022, the country with the highest number of vendors launching XR devices was China, with 25 vendors. The United States comes next with 20 companies, and Korea has the third largest number with 9 companies. As a result of investigating the number of companies by application field, Chinese companies have the largest number of companies that have released VR and MR products, but the number of AR companies is the number one in the United States. South Korea ranked third in AR and VR products respectively.

When analyzing the number of XR device product models, China ranked first, the US ranked second, and Taiwan ranked third.

We analyzed software companies for XR between 2010 and 2022, as well as their released products and applications. The number of software released during this period was 472, and the number of companies was 178. The increase in the number of software releases for XR started from 2016, and when 472 software were analyzed by XR type, the ratio was 66% with 311 cases for VR, and 81 cases and 80 cases for AR and VR, respectively. VR software still seems to dominate the XR software industry.

When XR type software was analyzed by country, China released the most products for VR with 177 cases. This result shows that China is leading the VR software industry. As a result of analysis by genre, game use accounted for 49% with 233 cases, industrial use with 62 cases with 13%, and entertainment with 41 cases with 9%.

When the number of software companies is analyzed by country, US companies have an overwhelming number of companies with 79. On the other hand, China, which has the most VR software releases, had only 12 companies.

▶ Megatrend Analysis of the XR industry Report Sample Download

LG디스플레이 부스

LG Display “A significant portion of the panel inventory adjustment that has been ongoing since last year is expected to turn profitable in the 4th quarter”

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LG Display’s 2Q 2023 Performance Summary

LG Display’s 2Q 2023 Performance Summary

In a conference call on LG Display’s Q2 2023 earnings announcement held on the 26th, LG Display CFO Seong-Hyeon Kim announced, “As a significant portion of panel inventory adjustments have been made, a turnaround is expected in the fourth quarter of this year.”

Since last year, intensive inventory adjustments in downstream industries have continued, centering on TV and IT products, and panel inventory levels across the industry ecosystem have been declining. In the second quarter, demand for mid- to large-sized panels, including OLED TVs, increased and shipments expanded. Compared to the previous quarter, shipment area increased by 11% and sales increased by 7%.

Sales by product (based on sales) in the second quarter were 24% for TV panels, 42% for IT panels (monitors, laptops, tablet PCs, etc.), 23% for mobile panels and other products, and 11% for automobile panels.

LG Display plans to continue to promote ‘advanced business structure’ centered on ‘order-based business’ and expand the proportion of OLED business. It plans to further increase the proportion of OLED and business competitiveness in all large- and small- and medium-sized products. This year, OLED sales are expected to exceed 50%.

In the small and medium-sized OLED sector, it plans to make efforts to expand mobile product shipments based on the expanded production capacity, while further solidifying its leadership in IT OLED technology and preparing for mass production and supply systems in 2024 without a hitch. The automotive display business plans to focus on increasing sales and order receipts based on various and differentiated technological competitiveness that encompasses tandem OLED and high-end LCD.

Kim Seong-hyun, CFO of LG Display, said, “It is judged that the inventory adjustment of downstream industries, which has been ongoing since last year, has progressed considerably since the first half of the year.” Thanks to the expansion of order-based business performance, such as increased shipments, we expect a turnaround in the fourth quarter.”

LG Display announced that it recorded sales of KRW 4,738.6 billion and operating loss of KRW 881.5 billion in the second quarter of 2023.

▶ 2023 Medium and Large OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

OLED panel makers’ 8.6G IT line investment trends, LG Display and BOE’s investment delays

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Apple iPad Pro

Apple iPad Pro

Samsung Display and LG Display are investing in the 8.6th generation IT line with high added value to compensate for the decrease in sales due to the Chinese panel makers’ flexible OLED low-cost offensive and LCD withdrawal.

At the LG Display 2Q earnings announcement conference call held on the 26th, an official from LG Display said, “The announced 6th generation IT-related investments are proceeding as scheduled, and the investments will be made until the first half of next year.”

However, regarding the possibility of investing in the 8.6th generation IT OLED, it stated that “nothing has been confirmed yet”. LG Display emphasized, “We will carefully look at the possibility and progress of technology development and whether market demand is developing to a level that can contribute to the company’s profits before making an investment decision.”

LG Display’s 8.6th generation IT line investment is expected to be delayed compared to Samsung Display due to difficulties in securing new line investment funds due to operating losses, but it is expected to be able to supply panels to Apple from 2026.

Not only LG Display, but also Chinese panel maker BOE’s investment is being delayed. Samsung Display can secure Samsung Electronics and Apple, and LG Display can secure LG Electronics and Apple as customers, but BOE is expected to take at least two years to invest in the 8.6G line for IT because of uncertainty in securing customers.

Another Chinese panel maker, Visionox, is also preparing to invest in the 8.6G line for IT. Visionox plans to announce its investment in the 8.6th generation line with a total capacity of 30K in September.

On the other hand, Samsung Display’s investment in the 8.6th generation IT line has already been decided. Samsung Display plans to apply Oxide to the TFT of the 8.6th generation IT line and build it with 2 stack RGB OLED. Samsung Display had previously developed 8.6th generation vertical deposition 2 stack RGB OLED as an IT line, but the investment was decided for 8.6th generation horizontal deposition. Canon’s exposure machine is planned to be brought into Samsung Display’s IT line in April 2024, and negotiations on the price of the deposition machine with Canon Tokki have already been completed.

▶ 2023 Medium and Large OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

Choong Hoon YI, CEO of UBI Research “Samsung Display will strengthen profitability by producing OLED for high value-added IT”

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It is expected that Samsung Display will focus on producing panels for tablet PCs and notebooks to compensate for the reduced utilization rate of the A2 line due to the low-cost flexible OLED offensive of Chinese panel makers.

At the ‘2023 OLED & Micro Display Analyst Seminar’ held at the Federation of Korean Industries in Yeouido on the 5th, Choong Hoon YI, CEO of UBI Research, gave a presentation on ‘IT OLED industry trends and market prospects’.

Choong Hoon YI, CEO of UBI Research

Choong Hoon YI, CEO of UBI Research

CEO YI said, “Samsung Display is expected to focus on rigid OLED production for tablet PCs and notebooks to compensate for the reduced utilization rate of the A2 line due to the low-priced offensive of Chinese companies. As much as it focuses on IT OLED production, the shipment of rigid OLED for smartphones will drop sharply, but it is possible to maintain sales by producing rigid OLED for IT with high added value.” And he also said, “LG Display will start mass production one year later than Samsung Display, and BOE will start mass production at least two years later than Samsung Display.”

According to CEO Choong Hoon YI, LG Display’s decision is being delayed because it is difficult to secure funds for investment in new lines due to the deficit caused by the delay in switching from LCD lines to OLED lines. Nevertheless, LG Display is expected to be able to supply IT panels to Apple from 2026. However, there are still problems to be solved, such as stabilizing the process and securing yield of Sunic system equipment whose production capacity has not yet been verified.

BOE has invested in three OLED line factories for smartphones, but the operation rate is at a level of only one factory, and the Beijing city government is very dissatisfied with over-investment due to insufficient securing of Apple supplies. For the reasons mentioned above and because securing customers for IT OLED has not been decided, BOE’s IT OLED line investment is expected to take at least two years.

CEO YI said, “Chinese panel makers are trying to increase their market share with low-priced attacks, but domestic companies that have secured large customers such as Samsung Electronics and Apple have a significant advantage in competition. In the future, the OLED industry for TV and IT will be developed mainly by Korean companies.”

▶ 2023 Medium and Large OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

[SID 2023 Keynote] Tianma leaps forward to become one of the top 3 global display makers with the ‘2+1+N’ strategy

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SID2023 Tianma Keynote

SID2023 Tianma Keynote

At SID 2023 held in Los Angeles, USA, Charles Peng, chairman of Tianma, delivered a keynote speech under the theme of ‘New Trends and Strategies for the Display Industry’. Chairman Charles Peng predicted that the proportion of LCD applied to smartphone displays will continue to decrease, while the proportion of AMOLED will increase and exceed 50% by 2024.

Chairman Peng said “By 2025, smartphone shipments with LTPO backplanes will reach 50%. Currently, Tianma is sequentially supplying AMOLED with LTPO backplane to flagship and foldable models and LTPS backplane to high-end and mid-range models.”

Chairman Peng continued, “In the current display market, the shipments of products with 150 ppi or more account for only 13%, but account for 60% of the total display market revenue, and products with 150 ppi or less account for 87% of shipments, but the market revenue is 40%. “It is important to capture the outstanding profitability of displays with high added value and high resolution.” Chairman Peng said, “In line with this trend, Tianma is pursuing a ‘2+1+N’ strategy that expands two core businesses such as smartphones and displays for automobiles, one core growth business for IT displays, and value-added businesses such as industries and applications. We will leap forward to become one of the world’s top three display companies.”

▶ 2023 Small OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

Tianma’s OLED shipments for smartphones were second only to BOE among Chinese makers

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TIANMA

TIANMA

It was found that Tianma, a Chinese OLED panel supplier, supplied the second most OLED panels for smartphones after BOE in the first quarter of 2023. In the meantime, among Chinese companies, Visionox has always been in second place after BOE in OLED shipments for smartphones, but it gave way to Tianma for the first time in this first quarter.

Tianma’s major customers include Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, Honor, and Lenovo. It is analyzed that one of the reasons for Tianma’s increase in OLED shipments is that it brought some of TCL CSOT’s shipments to Xiaomi.

Thanks to orders from Xiaomi, Tianma’s panel shipments have soared since the fourth quarter of last year. Tianma’s OLED panel shipments for smartphones in the fourth quarter of 2022 increased by about 3 times compared to the previous quarter, and in the first quarter of 2023, OLED panel shipments for smartphones reached 8.5 million units, an increase of 430% compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

If this atmosphere continues, it is analyzed that there is a possibility that Tianma will overtake Visionox and produce the second largest number of OLED panels for smartphones after BOE in China for the first time this year.

▶ China Trend Report Inquiry

OLED emitting materials market in 2027 expected to reach US$ 2.59 billion with an average annual growth rate of 7.7%

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According to the ‘2023 OLED Emitting Material Report’ recently published by UBI Research, the total emitting material market is expected to reach US$ 2.59 billion in 2027 with an average annual growth rate of 7.7% from US$ 1.92 billion in 2023.

total emitting material market

total emitting material market

Analyst Yoon Daejeong of UBI Research said, “The small OLED material market is expected to grow at an average annual growth rate of 2.5% from 2023 to US$ 1.61 billion in 2027. And in 2027, Samsung Display’s purchase of small OLED materials is expected to be US$ 560 million, BOE US$ 430 million, and LG Display US$ 200 million.” and “the small OLED material market will change depending on how much the foldable OLED market replaces the sharp decline in rigid OLED shipments for smartphones.

Analyst Yoon continued, “As the shipments of LG Display’s WOLED and Samsung Display’s QD-OLED are expected to be 12 million units and 3 million units, respectively, in the large OLED material market in 2027, the purchase amount of emitting materials is also expected to be US$ 430 million and US$ 140 million, respectively”

Meanwhile, the report predicted that by OLED method in 2027, RGB OLED would occupy the largest share at 66.6%, followed by WOLED at 16.5%, RGB 2stack OLED at 11.4%, and QD-OLED at 5.5%.

▶ 2023 OLED Emitting Material Report Sample Download

Samsung Display Signs MOU with Ferrari, Enters ‘Samsung OLED’ in Supercars

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Samsung Display will supply state-of-the-art OLEDs to the supercar Ferrari. Samsung Display announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ferrari at the Asan Campus on the 11th to develop display solutions to be installed in Ferrari’s next-generation car models. The signing ceremony was attended by Choi Joo-seon, president of Samsung Display, and Benedetto Vigna, CEO of Ferrari.

According to this MOU, Samsung Display will develop a luxurious and innovative automotive display solution suitable for a luxury supercar brand based on the world’s best OLED technology and support Ferrari’s digital transformation, which is currently speeding up.

Samsung Display, which has led the technology transition in the premium smartphone market from LCD to OLED over the past decade, is actively targeting the automotive display market based on its unrivaled OLED technology accumulated over a long period of time.

In particular, the ‘New Digital Cockpit’ was introduced for the first time at the last ‘CES 2023’. The 34-inch display mounted on the ‘New Digital Cockpit’ is equipped with bendable technology that bends left and right at 700R, and provides the driver with an optimal viewing distance to enhance concentration.

Samsung Display said, “Samsung OLED is a technology that can satisfy the needs of automobile manufacturers who want innovative and luxurious designs because it has excellent design scalability with a light and slim structure and thin bezel, and can express perfect black and deep contrast.” and “Especially, OLED’s low-power characteristics will increase the efficiency of automobiles and act as a more attractive factor.”

Regarding the agreement, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Viña said, “Ferrari is a luxury company that provides a special experience, not just a means of transportation.” and “We expect to maximize the value and completeness of Ferrari’s next-generation products through strategic cooperation with Samsung Display, which makes the best OLED,” he said.

Choi Ju-seon, president of Samsung Display, said, “Based on OLED technology that has been intensively developed over a long period of time, we will introduce a cutting-edge display solution suitable for ‘Ferrari’.” And “We plan to strengthen our OLED business for automobiles in cooperation with leading global automobile companies, including Ferrari, in the future,” he said.

▶ 2023 Medium and Large OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

JOLED filed for civil rehabilitation due to financing problems, withdraws from OLED business

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JOLED

JOLED

JOLED filed for civil rehabilitation with the Tokyo District Court due to financing problems. As JOLED withdraws from the OLED business, it will close two factories in Japan and lay off about 280 employees. JOLED’s total debt is $257 million.

JOLED was born in 2015 by merging the OLED business units of Panasonic and Sony with the goal of accelerating the development and commercialization of mass production of OLED displays. However, due to a global semiconductor supply shortage, weak display demand, and extreme price competition, JOLED’s situation worsened and profitability was sluggish, so it filed for civil rehabilitation.

JOLED entered into an agreement with JDI(Japan Display Inc.) to support the revitalization of its technology development business at the same time as filing for bankruptcy. JDI said it has agreed to acquire JOLED’s technology development team and intellectual property, which consists of approximately 100 employees, to expand and accelerate its growth.

JOLED raised funds by receiving investments from companies such as Denso, Toyota and Sumitomo Chemical in 2018, and entered into a capital partnership with TCL CSOT in 2020. However, JOLED’s liabilities exceeded its assets in March 2022, with its production lines closed until the spring of 2021 due to the impact of the coronavirus, and continuing losses due to a global chip shortage. JOLED, which can only produce mid-sized OLED panels, has been hit hard by the corona as it is unable to capitalize on growing demand in other sectors.

▶ 2023 Medium and Large OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

OLED panel shipments for TVs are expected to reach 14.1 million units in 2027 with an average annual growth rate of 11.6% from 9.1 million units in 2023

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According to the ‘2023 Medium and Large OLED Annual Report’ recently published by UBI Research, OLED panel shipments for TVs are expected to grow from 9.1 million units in 2023 to 14.1 million units in 2027 with an average annual growth rate of 11.6%.

Shipment Forecast for OLED TV

Shipment Forecast for OLED TV

In 2022, it is analyzed that TV demand will decline due to the global economic deterioration, and global TV shipments will also stop at the early 200 million units. In the case of LG Display, it set a goal to ship more than 10 million WOLEDs in early 2022, including those for monitors, but released a total of 6.96 million units, recording a decrease of 880,000 units from 7.84 million units in 2021. Samsung Display’s QD-OLED shipments for TVs are also analyzed to have recorded 950,000 units.

As the economic situation is expected to gradually recover in 2023, LG Display’s TV WOLED shipments are expected to be 7.6 million units and Samsung Display’s QD-OLED shipments to be 1.5 million units.

Meanwhile, UBI Research predicted that LG Display’s micro lens array (MLA) applied ‘OLED.EX’ panel would be partially mass-produced from 2023, and Samsung Display’s QD-OLED monthly capacity of 36K is expected to be 41K per month by the second half of 2023 and 45K per month by the first half of 2024.

▶ 2023 Medium and Large OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

2023 OLED KOREA Conference “OLED, a premium electronic product lineup and micro display, a promising future industry”

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OLED KOREA, hosted by UBI Research, a market research company, will be held at the Central Park Hotel in Songdo, Incheon from April 12 to 14. OLED KOREA, which marks its 7th anniversary, is a business conference where top authorities in display from Korea, Japan, Asia, the United States, and Europe gather.

This conference will deal with the topics of OLED, which has become a premium electronic product, and micro-display for AR and VR, which are rapidly emerging as future industries.

In order for OLED to replace LCD, the emergence of phosphorescent blue materials is the most important. At this conference, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology and UDC will introduce the direction of phosphorescent material development. Commercialization of phosphorescent blue materials will be an inflection point that can overturn the display industry.

There are two types of micro displays: micro OLED and micro LED. While micro OLED is leading the way for VR, micro LED is gradually taking its place in AR. In OLED KOREA, programs are composed of AR companies, micro display manufacturers, and related technology companies. It will be an important place to guess who will be the winner of the future micro display.

The pre-registration period for this conference is until April 7, 2023, and you can check program and speaker information and register for the event through the website (https://oledkoreaconference.com/).

 

Samsung Display’s foldable OLED expected to exceed 50 million units in 2027

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Foldable OLED shipment ratio forecast

Foldable OLED shipment ratio forecast

According to the ‘2023 Small OLED Display Annual Report’ recently published by UBI Research, Samsung Display’s OLED shipments for foldable phones are expected to reach 50.9 million units in 2027 with an average annual growth rate of 28.1% from 18.9 million units in 2023.

According to the report, Samsung Display’s foldable OLED shipments in 2022 were analyzed to be 12.6 million units, accounting for 85.1% of global foldable OLED shipments in 2022. BOE, TCL CSOT, and Visionox mass-produced some foldable OLEDs, but Samsung Display led the foldable OLED market.

It is expected that Samsung Display will continue to dominate the foldable OLED market in the future. It seems difficult for TCL CSOT and Visionox to record annual shipments of more than 1 million units by 2027, and unless LG Display also secures a customer, the time for mass production of foldable phone panels is unclear.

Lastly, the report forecasted global OLED shipments for foldable phones to be 61.4 million units in 2027, with Samsung Display expected to account for 82.9% of the market with 50.9 million units and BOE with 9.6 million units and 15.7%.

▶ 2023 Small OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

UBI Research will hold “2023 OLED KOREA Conference”

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2023 OLED KOREA

2023 OLED KOREA

UBI Research, a research company specializing in displays, will hold the 7th 2023 OLED KOREA from April 12th to 14th, 2023 at the Songdo Central Park Hotel in Incheon, Korea.

On Wednesday, the 12th, a tutorial, one of OLED KOREA’s programs, is prepared, dealing with core technologies for realizing large-size OLED displays. This tutorial covers the latest technology trends such as OLED TV product technology, oxide TFT, compensation circuit, white OLED device, and encapsulation.

At the OLED KOREA Conference, which runs from the 13th to the 14th, 19 programs are prepared under the theme of display related to OLED and AR/VR. This will provide a place for attendees to share their opinions and contribute to the growth of the OLED industry.

At this event, 19 experts from Korea and around the world related to OLED and micro displays, including UBI Research, Samsung Display, LG Display, and JOLED, ▲Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, ▲UDC, ▲APS Holdings, ▲Korea Photonics Technology Institute, ▲ENMI, ▲PlayNitride, ▲Coherent, ▲Amorphyx, ▲OLEDON, ▲Simbeyond B.V., ▲LetinAR, ▲Chengdu Vistar Optoelectronics, ▲Yole, and ▲Applied Material will make a presentation.

OLED KOREA, Korea’s largest display business conference held since 2015, is contributing to the development of the Korean display industry. UBI Research is attracting a lot of attention as it is actively inviting experts in the global display industry, as well as academic and industry leaders. The pre-registration period for this event is until April 7, 2023, and you can check program and speaker information and register for the event through the website (https://oledkoreaconference.com/).

LG Display strengthens its transparent OLED lineup by launching 77-inch transparent OLED this year

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LG Display at 2023 display technology roadmap

LG Display at 2023 display technology roadmap

LG Display announced that it will release 77-inch transparent OLED products by the end of this year. LG Display plans to continuously strengthen its transparent OLED product lineup, which is a next-generation technology.

At the presentation of the 2023 display technology roadmap held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the 21st, Yeo Joon-ho, group manager of LG Display, said, “In addition to the 55-inch size that is currently being released as transparent OLED, we plan to release 77-inch transparent OLED products by the end of 2023.”

LG Display Transparent OLED

LG Display Transparent OLED

Emphasized that “transparent OLED can create a sense of openness that can connect spaces and create new spaces and advertising areas,” adding, “Recently, interior-friendly designs are in the limelight. We have tried many ways to realize the needs of consumers, and if we meet them, we will be able to open consumers’ wallets even at high prices.”

Finally, “LG ​​Display is currently a B2B company, and transparent OLED products are being sold to B2B customers rather than B2C. In the future, we plan to expand the scope to B2C customers.” Group leader Yeo said, “The reaction to transparent OLED in Europe and the US was not bad. However, since the transparent OLED market is centered on B2B, there has not yet been a case where a large unit of volume explodes at once. We are thinking about how to effectively continue our fragmented business.”

▶ AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5 Sample Download

LG Display, Already completed development of OLEDoS-applied prototype for VR

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LG Display presenting OLEDoS at OLED School

LG Display presenting OLEDoS at OLED School

At the 19th OLED School held at Sookmyung Women’s University from February 9th to 10th, Senior Research Fellow Yoo Chung-geun of LG Display announced, “We are developing a set for VR using OLEDoS, and some of the prototypes have already been developed.”

On this day, Research Fellow Choong-Keun Yoo gave a presentation on ‘The Future of OLED Display, Metaverse and Display’. Researcher Yu explained the specifications and technologies required for micro displays such as metaverse and VR/AR, and said, “In general VR devices, luminance of 10,000 nits or more and AR devices require luminance of 100,000 nits or more, but it is difficult to apply this to OLEDoS. Currently, the display for AR developed by LG Display has achieved a brightness of over 7,000 nits and a resolution of 3,500 ppi.”

LG Display OLEDoS Manufacturing Process

LG Display OLEDoS Manufacturing Process

3500ppi or higher OLEDoS being developed by LG Display requires ultra-high-definition patterns, so Si-wafer backplane and WOLED + CoE technology must be applied, so cooperation with semiconductor foundries is essential. Research Fellow Yu explained, “For high-resolution OLEDoS, semiconductor foundries have no choice but to make display backplanes through wafers.”

Finally, researcher Yoo said, “We are developing a set for VR using OLEDoS, and it is planned to be released soon. We are developing products for major IT companies such as Apple, Google, and Meta, and some prototypes have already been developed.” He continued, “It takes more time to supply products that meet consumer needs, such as brightness of 10,000 nits or more, but it is possible to produce better VR devices even with 3500ppi class OLEDoS, which has now been developed.” When asked if the next actual product supply time was right before September, he replied, “There is nothing planned yet.”

▶ AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5 Sample Download

The groundbreaking ceremony for the BOE B20 line will be held on February 10, 2023.

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BOE

BOE

BOE’s 6G LTPS LCD line, B20, will hold a groundbreaking ceremony in Beijing on February 10th.

The capacity of the B20 line is 45K per month, and it is mainly based on the LTPS TFT process, but since an oxide TFT line with a capacity of about 15K per month is also built, it is expected that oxide TFT technology will be applied to some products.

The approximate schedule is that the construction of the plant will be completed in the third quarter of 2024, and equipment will be brought in in the fourth quarter of 2024. It is expected that the module line will utilize existing lines from factories in Qingdao, Chongqing, and Chengdu.

Although B20 is an LCD line, investment in OLED evaporators is also being considered, so the possibility of using it as an OLED line is predicted in the future.

▶ AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5 Sample Download

Samsung Display Develops the World’s First Large-sized, Touch-Integrated OLED Display

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Applying touch-integrated panels in place of plastic touch film to boost Samsung Display’s competitiveness with simplified design and productivity

Applying touch-integrated panels in place of plastic touch film to boost Samsung Display’s competitiveness with simplified design and productivity

Samsung Display today announced the successful development of the world’s first large-sized OCTA (On-Cell Touch AMOLED) technology, expanding the technology’s application from smartphone OLED to the laptop OLED panel, with full-scale mass production starting in January.

Samsung Display developed OCTA, the world’s first touch-integrated OLED, for smartphones back in 2010. It is a technology that embeds the touch sensor inside the panel instead of attaching a TSP (Touch Screen Panel) film to recognize touch action on the panel surface. The panel is much friendlier to the environment because it doesn’t need additional plastic film for touch. Moreover, the thickness and the weight of the panel are reduced with a simplified structure.

Samsung display touch-Integrated OLED Display

Samsung display touch-Integrated OLED Display

Samsung Display explained that touch film generally accounts for 6-11 percent of the total panel thickness and that the thinner the panel, the better the design expandability and portability of the product. Also, the company has been focusing on developing large-sized OCTA technology as the recent demand for laptops with touchscreen functions has increased with the expansion of the OLED laptop market.

Samsung display touch-Integrated OLED Display

Samsung display touch-Integrated OLED Display

“The difficulty level of the touch-integrated technology surges greatly as the display area increases, which leads to the increased number of touch sensors required,” said Hojung Lee, Head of Product Planning Team for Small and Medium-sized Display Division at Samsung Display. “We were able to achieve the natural feel and touch responsiveness for larger displays through the development of new materials and process technologies.”

Samsung Display plans to first apply its large-sized OCTA technology to Samsung Electronics’ new high-end Galaxy Book model and expects to complement a chic design with high portability. In addition, Samsung Display showcases the panel performance of its products with display features 16:10 ratio, 120-Hz refresh rate and 3K resolution.

▶ AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5 Sample Download

Fold, extend… Foldable IT device trends seen through exhibition trends

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As panel makers have recently accelerated the development of foldable OLEDs, a variety of products, including foldable phones, foldable tablet PCs, and foldable laptops, are being exhibited. We look at the development trend based on the exhibited products of panel makers.

‘Flex Hybrid’ and ‘Slidable Flex Duet’ exhibited by Samsung Display

‘Flex Hybrid’ and ‘Slidable Flex Duet’ exhibited by Samsung Display

At CES 2023, which was held in January, Samsung Display, a leader in foldable displays, exhibited the ‘Flex Hybrid’, a combination of foldable and slider, and the ‘Slidable Flex Solo’, which extends on one side and, the ‘Slidable Flex Duo’, which extends on both sides. In the ‘Flex Hybrid’, the screen expands from the default 8 inches to 10.5 inches when the folded screen is unfolded, and to 12.4 inches when the right side is extended. Sliderable products can expand the screen from the basic 13 to 14 inches to 17 inches.

Prior to this, Samsung Display had exhibited S-type and G-type, double-folding ‘Flex S’ and ‘Flex G’, and ‘Slidable Wide’ that extends outward in 2022, and all three products had a maximum size of 12.4 inches. The size of the prototypes is 12.4 inches, which is the same as Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Tab S8+. When mass-producing actual products, it is expected that mass-production will be carried out according to the needs of set makers.

Foldable OLED for laptops from Samsung Display, LG Display, and BOE

Foldable OLED for laptops from Samsung Display, LG Display, and BOE

In addition to tablet PCs, foldable laptops are also being developed. Samsung Display exhibited the 17.3-inch foldable OLED ‘Flex Note’ for laptops at IMID 2022 and SID 2022. Originally, Samsung Display was expected to supply this 17.3-inch foldable OLED to Samsung Electronics last year, but the schedule was delayed to this year.

LG Display is also developing a foldable OLED for 17.3-inch laptops. LG Display exhibited a 17.3-inch ‘Foldable OLED Laptop’ with an improved folding radius of 1.5R at IMID 2022. LG Display is currently developing foldable OLED for laptops with the goal of supplying HP.

BOE of China is also developing foldable OLED for IT. BOE exhibited a 12.3-inch foldable OLED for tablet PCs that double-folds into an S-type at SID 2022 in May of last year. It also unveiled a foldable OLED for 17.3-inch laptops, and this panel was mounted on Asus’s ‘ZenBook 17 Fold’ released in 2022.

Samsung Display, LG Display, and BOE are all developing foldable OLEDs for notebooks in the same size and resolution. When full-scale mass production begins, competition for panel supply between the three companies is expected to be fierce.

▶ AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5 Sample Download

New emitting structure QM2 for QD-OLED will be applied to Samsung Electronics’ 2023 OLED TVs

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According to ‘AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5’ recently published by UBI Research, QM2, a new emitting structure of QD-OLED, has been applied from the end of 2022, and is expected to be applied to Samsung Electronics’ 2023 OLED TVs.

QD-OLED QM2 structure, Source: AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5

QD-OLED QM2 structure, Source: AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5

QD-OLED, which is being mass-produced by Samsung Display, consists of three blue emitting layers and one green emitting layer, and is a structure in which the three primary colors of RGB are expressed through quantum dots and color filters.

In the QM1 structure mass-produced by the end of 2022, there was no aETL and G’ in the green emitting layer, but it was confirmed that all of them were applied from the QM2 structure. In addition, the change cycle of the emitting structure is expected to be extended from one year to two years due to recycling of materials.

Meanwhile, Samsung Display is expected to expand its existing 30K monthly QD-OLED Capa. to 45K monthly by 2024. In addition, from 2023, it plans to further expand its lineup by mass-producing 49-inch and 77-inch panels in addition to 55-inch and 65-inch panels.

▶ AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5 Sample Download

2023 Gram for the first time to be equipped with OLED, applied Samsung Display’s rigid OLED

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Gram by LG Electronics

Gram by LG Electronics

Samsung Display’s rigid OLED panel is applied to Gram Style and Gram Ultraslim, the new 2023 Gram products to be released by LG Electronics. Samsung Display is producing rigid OLEDs for smartphones and IT products in the A2 line. This is the first time for Samsung Display to supply OLED panels to LG Electronics.

The representative product, Gram Style (model name: 16Z90RS, 14Z90RS), has an aurora white color that changes color depending on the angle and direction of light and Gorilla Glass material applied to the exterior. The space below the keyboard is equipped with a hidden touchpad that only lights up when touched.

Gram Style consists of two types, 14 and 16 type. The 16-inch adopts a 16-inch WQHD+ (3200×2000) OLED display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and meets the standard color gamut DCI-P3 of the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI). AGLR (Anti-Glare & Low Reflection), which reduces light reflection and glare, is applied to the panel.

One 15.6-inch Gram Ultraslim has been released, with a resolution of FHD (1920×1080), an ultra-light weight of 998g, and a thin thickness of 10.99 mm, making it the lightest and thinnest ever among the Gram series.

LG Electronics applied only IPS panels to the previous Gram series, but applied OLED panels for the first time starting with this new product. It is analyzed that LG Electronics adopted OLED for reasons such as not only the excellent picture quality and immersion of OLED, but also the ability to use proven Samsung Display panels and a price that is not significantly higher than that of IPS. In addition, from the standpoint of Samsung Display, it is an opportunity to recover the utilization rate of the A2 line, which has been sluggish due to China’s low-price offensive, and to secure new customers.

▶ AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5 Sample Download

LG OLED evo, praised by local media in Japan, proven OLED TV competitiveness

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LG Electronics' OLED evo (model name: 42C2)

LG Electronics’ OLED evo (model name: 42C2)

LG Electronics’ OLED evo was selected as the best TV in Japan in recognition of its overwhelming picture quality competitiveness and differentiated customer viewing experience.

LG Electronics’ OLED evo (model name: 42C2) received the gold award and film critics special award, the highest award at the ‘VGP (Visual GrandPrix) 2023’ hosted by Sound Source Publishing, one of Japan’s most prestigious AV media, and a special critic in the video category.

Regarding the LG OLED evo, VGP said, “It is a premium TV that allows you to properly enjoy the delicate and three-dimensional images that 4K OLED TVs express as well as the best immersion.”, “Not only the highest level of visual beauty based on the overwhelming contrast ratio and black expression, but also excellent convenience features such as support for four HDMI 2.1 ports are also advantages.”

LG OLED evo (model name: 42C2) was selected as the best product in the 50-inch or smaller OLED TV category at the ‘Best Buy Winter 2022’ selected by HiVi, one of Japan’s most prestigious AV media last year. Following this, he also won the Silver Award in succession at the ‘HiVi Grand Prix 2022’.

Hivi said, “LG ​​Electronics, as the originator of OLED TVs, is presenting a variety of lineups equipped with not only image quality but also ease of use and beautiful designs. In particular, the LG OLED evo showed high definition that far exceeded all 42-inch OLED TVs introduced by other manufacturers last year.”

LG Electronics has proven its competitiveness in Japan, where premium TVs, including OLED, are highly preferred. In particular, it is expected to continue to lead the market in that it has been recognized as the best product one after another, beating Japanese local companies called famous TV companies. LG Electronics is accelerating its technology differentiation by recently launching LG OLED Flex, a bendable gaming OLED TV, in Japan.

“This award is the result of recognizing LG Electronics’ unrivaled OLED technology leadership accumulated over the past 10 years,” said Son Seong-joo, head of LG Electronics’ Japanese subsidiary.

▶ 4Q22 Medium & Large OLED Display Market Track Sample Download

Samsung Electronics to enter the domestic market with QD-OLED TV within the first half of the year

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77-inch QD-OLED TV exhibited by Samsung Display at CES 2023

77-inch QD-OLED TV exhibited by Samsung Display at CES 2023

According to the industry, Samsung Electronics recently obtained radio wave certification for its 55-inch OLED TV (KQ55C95A). Since products are usually released within three months after obtaining certification, it is expected to be introduced in the domestic market within the first half of the year. Samsung Electronics is expected to obtain radio wave certification for 65-inch products following 55-inch products, and then release them to the domestic market at the same time as 55-inch products.

Samsung Electronics launched 55-inch and 65-inch QD-OLED TVs in North America and Europe in March last year. At the time, it was not released in Korea due to problems such as low yield and profitability of QD-OLED panels. Samsung Electronics’ 55-inch and 65-inch QD-OLED TVs were released at 2,200 dollars and 3,000 dollars, respectively, but due to QD-OLED panel yield improvement, the prices went down to 1,450 dollars and 1,800 dollars, respectively.

In addition to 55-inch and 65-inch TVs, Samsung Electronics is also reviewing the release of a 77-inch QD-OLED TV first unveiled at CES 2023. Samsung Display also plans to diversify its QD-OLED lineup by producing 49-inch and 77-inch QD-OLED panels following 55-inch and 65-inch QD-OLED panels in line with set makers. If the MMG (Multi model glass) process is applied to the 8.5th generation (2200x2500mm) motherglass used by Samsung Display, it is possible to produce a total of four panels, two 77-inch panels and two 49-inch panels.

▶ 4Q22 Medium & Large OLED Display Market Track Sample Download

Among the 234 OLED smartphone models released in 2022, China occupied 86.3% of the market with 202

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OLED smartphone models released in 2022

OLED smartphone models released in 2022

Among a total of 234 OLED smartphones released in 2022, 202 were released in China, accounting for 86.3% of the market. On the other hand, Korea released 39 products in 2020 and 20 in 2021, followed by only 11 products in 2022, accounting for 4.7% of the market. Currently, Samsung Electronics is the only company that releases smartphones in Korea. It was followed by the United States with 8 and Taiwan with 6.

OLED smartphone sizes released in 2022

OLED smartphone sizes released in 2022

By size, 6-inch products accounted for 95.3% of the market with 223 products, establishing themselves as the mainstream. Among the 6-inch products, 6.5-inch or larger products accounted for 75.8% of the market, and products smaller than 6.5-inch products accounted for 24.2% of the market share. Following the 6-inch product, seven 7-inch products, three 8-inch products, and one 5-inch product were released. Except for Vivo’s ‘X Note’ products, all products with a screen size of 7 inches or larger were foldable products, and the largest foldable product was Vivo’s ‘X Fold’.

By display design, 193 punch hole models accounted for 82.5%, followed by 21 notch models, 12 narrow-bezel models, and 8 under display camera (UDC) models. The share of the punch hole model increased by 30% in two years, and the share of the notch model decreased by 25%.

Lastly, in display area (DA), the ratio of display to smartphone size, 196 products belonging to 80-90% occupied 83.8% of the market, and 38 products with 90% or more occupied 16.2% of the market. The average D.A. of OLED smartphones released in 2022 is 87.1%, and has been steadily rising at an average annual rate of 1.2% since 2018. The products with the highest D.A were Honor’s ‘Magic4’ and ZTE’s ‘Axon 40 Ultra’ with 93.1% D.A.

▶ 2022 Small OLED Display Semi-Annual Report Sample Download

BOE is reviewing investment in a module line for certification evaluation for Apple iPhone

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It was found that BOE is considering investing in the golden line of modules for Apple’s iPhone at the B11 Mianyang plant. The module golden line invested this time is a line for iPhone certification evaluation, and the investment is expected to be confirmed in early 2023. Since evaluation and verification take a lot of time, it is analyzed that the verification line is invested first before the full-scale module line investment. The line is expected to be used for verification when investing in new iPhone 15 or iPhone 16 models.

After investing in module lines for verification and evaluation in 2023, it was found that BOE is preparing additional investment plans for between 14 and 20 Apple-oriented module lines at the B11 Mianyang plant. If BOE’s 20 module lines are completed, the annual volume of iPhone modules that BOE can produce is about 120 million units. However, since Apple’s demand is less than this and there are variables in negotiations with Apple, the investment is likely to proceed gradually.

BOE’s total supply of iPhones to Apple in 2022 is expected to be around 30 million units. BOE is supplying Apple with panels for the iPhone 12, 13, and 14 basic models, and is expected to supply panels for the iPhone 15 basic models to be released in 2023. It is not yet decided whether BOE will supply panels for the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 max model.

▶ China Trend Report Inquiry

OLED materials and components market for mobile devices is expected to grow by US$16.73 billion in 2027 with an average annual growth rate of 4.6%

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OLED materials and components market for mobile devices

OLED materials and components market for mobile devices

According to UBI Research’s ‘4Q22 AMOLED Materials and Components Market Track’, which predicts 19 major components such as TFT, encapsulation, touch sensor, adhesive, and cover window, the mobile device materials market is expected to grow by US$13.91 billion by 2023, with an average annual growth rate of US$16.73 billion.

It is predicted that the market for flexible OLED materials, including foldable OLEDs, will continue to maintain more than 80% of the market and reach more than 90% from 2025. The Rigid OLED material market is expected to fall by 13.5% annually from US$1.89 billion in 2023, reaching US$1.07 billion by 2027. This is because Samsung Display’s rigid OLED shipments, which are the majority of rigid OLED shipments, are expected to continue to decline from 130 million units in 2023.

The materials market for flexible OLEDs and foldable OLEDs is expected to reach US$15.66 billion by 2027 with an annual growth rate of 7% from US$12.02 billion in 2023. This figure reflects 80 million units of Samsung Display’s expected shipment of foldable OLEDs in 2027.

By country, Korea’s materials purchases are expected to continue to show more than 50% of the market share. Korea’s purchases of major materials are expected to reach US$8.79 billion by 2027 with an annual average growth rate of 3.2 percent from US$7.5 billion in 2023. China’s purchases of major materials are expected to reach US$7.94 billion in 2027 with an annual average growth rate of 6.2%.

▶4Q22 AMOLED Materials and Components Market Track

Shipments of Medium and Large OLEDs Over 10 inches Will Expand to 69.5 Million Units by 2027

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According to the “4Q22 Medium & Large OLED Display Market Track,” which combines the performance and prospects of OLEDs over 10 inches at UBI Research, medium and large OLEDs are expected to expand from 26.1 million in 2022 to 69.5 million in 2027.

It is predicted that OLED for TVs will lead the mid- to large-sized OLED market based on sales by 2027. Due to the global economic downturn, expected shipments in the future decreased from the previous quarter, but a total of 14.8 million units are expected to be shipped in 2027 at an annual average growth rate of 11.2%, recording sales of $9.18 billion. This is 62.8% of the total sales of medium and large OLEDs in 2027.

It is expected that OLED markets for IT such as laptop, tablet PC, and monitor will gradually bloom from 2024. The OLED market for IT is expected to be led by OLED for laptop, and 19.7 million units are expected to be shipped by 2027 with an annual average growth rate of 22.9%. In 2024, Apple’s OLED for iPads will be released in full-scale, and OLED markets for tablet PCs will expand. Although OLED shipments for tablet PCs are expected to be 2 million units in 2023, they are expected to be 7.2 million units in 2024 and 23.3 million units in 2027. The average annual growth rate from 2023 is 85.7%.

OLED for vehicles is also expected to grow at an annual average rate of 54.7% from 2022, and the market is expected to continue to expand.

Shipment ratio forecast by application

Shipment ratio forecast by application

▶ 4Q22 Medium & Large OLED Display Market Track Sample Download

Rigid OLEDs for Smartphones are Expected to Fall 12.9% Annually to 96 Million Units by 2027

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According to the “4Q22 Small OLED Display Market Track” published quarterly by UBI Research, global shipments of rigid OLEDs for smartphones are expected to continue to decline.

Since the second half of 2022, shipments of rigid OLEDs for smartphones by Samsung Display have decreased significantly, and 19 million units were shipped in the third quarter, less than half of the same quarter last year. This trend continues in the fourth quarter, and Samsung Display’s shipments of rigid OLEDs for smartphones are expected to fall 20.8% annually from 2022 and reach only 50 million units by 2027.  Global shipments of rigid OLEDs for smartphones are expected to drop 12.9% annually to 96 million units by 2027.

On the other hand, shipments of flexible OLEDs for smartphones are expected to continue to increase at an annual growth rate of 7.4% from 2022. UBI Research predicts that Samsung Display will ship 220 billion flexible OLEDs in 2027 with an annual average growth rate of 2.2%, and BOE will ship 140 billion flexible OLEDs in 2027 with an annual average growth rate of 13%.

It is expected that global foldable OLED shipments will continue to expand. Global shipments of foldable OLEDs are expected to be 19 million units by 2022 and 90 million units by 2027. Samsung Display is leading the global foldable OLED market in the future, and it is expected to account for 89.1% of global foldable OLED shipments by 2027

The market share of foldable OLEDs is low at 2.7% in 2022 among small OLED markets under 10 inches, but it is expected to expand to 9.6% in 2027 and have a similar share to that of rigid OLEDs.

Rigid OLED shipment forecast for mobile device

Rigid OLED shipment forecast for mobile device

▶ 4Q22 Small OLED Display Market Track Sample Download

LG Display Expected to Supply only LTPO Panels for iPhone 15 to be Released in 2023

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iPhone 15 expected lineup

iPhone 15 expected lineup

It is forecasted that LG Display will supply only two panels of the LTPO model among the iPhone 15 series to be released in 2023. It is unlikely that panels will be supplied to 6.1 inch LTPS models that have previously supplied panels. LG Display first started supplying OLED panels for the iPhone11 Pro max released in 2019 and supplied LTPO TFT-applied panels for the first time for the iPhone14 Pro max released this year.

According to the prospect that LG Display will supply LTPO panels for iPhone 15 to be released next year, Samsung Display and LG Display will jointly supply LTPO models. Samsung Display is expected to supply panels for all 4 types of iPhone15, LG Display for 2 pro models, and BOE for 6.1-inch LTPS models. It is still unknown whether BOE will supply panels for the 6.7-inch LTPS model.

It was in 2017 that Apple began to apply OLED to iPhone. LTPO TFT was applied from the iPhone13 pro series released last year and LTPO TFT applied panel was supplied to Apple for the first time by Samsung Display.

▶ 2022 Small OLED Display Semi-Annual Report Sample Download

Black Friday Ends, Some Premium TV Prices Begin to Recover

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Premium TV prices

Premium TV prices

According to information confirmed on December 1st, Samsung Electronics and Sony’s premium TV product prices have mostly recovered from the price drop between October and November due to Black Friday and the World Cup in Qatar. This is the first time that prices have recovered as a whole in the premium TV market in 2022. LG Electronics’ OLED TVs generally maintained their prices and some products recovered their prices.

Samsung Electronics’ Neo QLED products have recovered at least $100 to the maximum of $500, reaching the price range in October. However, the price of the 65-inch and 75-inch Neo QLED Q85B entry-level model and the Q95B high-end model maintained the previously reduced price. The reason for maintaining the price is that Samsung’s marketing point is to maintain the sales volume of the popular Neo QLED TV product line. Samsung’s QD-OLED TV, S95B, recovered the price by $250 for 55 inches and by $200 for 65 inches.

Sony’s products increased in price for all products except for 8K high-end products. The price of X95K, a Mini LED TV model, increased by an average of $233, and WOLED TVs, A80K and A90K, recovered from a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $300. The price of A95K, a QD-OLED TV that receives panels from Samsung Display, increased by $300 for 55 inches and $200 for 65 inches.

Unlike Samsung Electronics and Sony, LG Electronics’ OLED TV products mostly maintained their price range between October and November. The price of the overall OLED TV products was the same as in November, but the price of the low-end OLED TV model A2 series 65 inches rose by $100, the mid-range OLED TV model C2 series 42 inches by $100, 77 inches by $200, and 83 inches by $500. The high-end model, the G2 series 77-inch price rose by $200.

In the 55-inch and 65-inch markets, most of LG Electronics’ products maintained their prices, while Samsung Electronics mostly recovered their prices. Attention is focusing on how Samsung Electronics will respond to LG Electronics’ OLED TVs, which are competitive by maintaining lower prices.

▶ 2022 Mid-Large OLED Display Semi-Annual Report Sample Download 

H&iruja Secures Competitiveness in Display Market by Developing Large-Area Cluster Sputter [2022 Display General Workshop]

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H&iruja, Cluster Sputter (2022 Display General Workshop)

H&iruja, Cluster Sputter (2022 Display General Workshop)

At the “2022 Display General Workshop” held at Pyeongchang Phoenix Park from November 9 to 11, 2022, H&iruja presented a research project on the development of an ultra-low damage cluster sputter system for mass-production of small and medium-sized OLEDs for 8.5th generation substrates.

H&iruja said, “It is important to improve yield and increase productivity using large substrates due to the enlargement of the panel size of mobile devices and the expansion of application of OLED panels to IT devices such as notebooks, tablet PCs, and monitors.” Therefore, it is necessary to develop a cluster sputter that is advantageous for ultra-clean and low-damage.”

H&iruja, Cluster Sputter (2022 Display General Workshop)

H&iruja, Cluster Sputter (2022 Display General Workshop)

The task consists of the development of core parts in detail 1 and 2 and the development of equipment systems in detail 3. H&iruja supervises the development of 8.5 generation cluster sputter with ultra-clean and low-damage of 3 parts among them, and Samsung Display verifies the equipment performance of demand companies.

H&iruja, Cluster Sputter (2022 Display General Workshop)

H&iruja, Cluster Sputter (2022 Display General Workshop)

H&iruja said, “In 2021, the first year, the configuration of the 8.5 generation vacuum system was determined and the simulation to secure thin film uniformity and verification of the base technology were completed. In the second year, 2022, we are in the process of verifying unit technology through the production of a chamber for evaluating the cathode for the 8.5 generation and a test kit, and we are in the process of optimizing through temperature, plasma simulation, and thin film analysis.” And also announced, “In the future, we plan to develop 8.5-generation sputter equipment and secure sputter performance and reliability as tasks.”

Lastly, “If the development of large-area cluster sputter is completed while the global high-resolution small and medium-sized OLED market is expected to expand, it is possible to secure Korea’s unique display competitiveness. By solving the research task, we can build a solid SCM that leads to companies that demand materials, modules, equipment, and panels, and secure the stability of supply and demand for high-quality parts and equipment,” he concluded his presentation.

Blue Phosphorescent Material Will Be a Turning Point in the OLED Market [2022 Second Half OLED Seminar]

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UBI Research, Ripple effects of blue phosphorescent materials (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

UBI Research, Ripple effects of blue phosphorescent materials (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

At the ‘The Second Half of 2022 OLED Accounting Seminar’ held at the FKI in Yeouido on November 9, UBI Research CEO Choong-Hoon Lee predicted that the blue phosphorescent material, an essential condition for the expansion of the OLED market, would be developed in 2024 and commercialized in 2025.

CEO Lee said, “U.S. material company UDC is developing a blue phosphorescent material by mixing TADF with phosphorescent dopant. The lifespan and characteristics of the material are equivalent to those of fluorescent materials two years ago, and the development of blue phosphorescent materials can be a turning point in the OLED market due to the characteristics of mobile devices where power consumption is important.”

UBI Research, Ripple effects of blue phosphorescent materials (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

UBI Research, Ripple effects of blue phosphorescent materials (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

Currently, Samsung Display’s QD-OLED has a structure in which a blue light emitting layer is stacked three times. If a blue phosphorescent material is used instead of fluorescence for QD-OLED, it is possible to replace the existing structure in which the blue light emitting layer is stacked three times with a structure in which the blue light emitting layer is stacked once or twice.

CEO Lee explained, “It is possible to replace not only smartphones and smart watches, but also OLEDs for tablet PCs and automobiles under development with a tandem structure with a single structure. The development of blue phosphorescent materials will accelerate the transition from LCD to OLED.”

UBI Research, Ripple effects of blue phosphorescent materials (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

UBI Research, Ripple effects of blue phosphorescent materials (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

Next, CEO Lee continued his presentation on OLED market trends. The situation is not easy for Korean companies due to the deteriorating market conditions and panel price cuts by Chinese panel makers. According to UBI Research, Samsung Display’s smartphone OLED shipments in the third quarter of this year were 78.9 million units, down 35% from 121.4 million units in the same period last year.

CEO Lee Choong-hoon said, “If you look at OLED shipments by substrate, flexible OLED is similar to the same period of the previous year, but rigid OLED declined sharply. As Chinese panel makers cut rigid OLED panel prices, domestic companies’ position in the rigid OLED market is narrowing. Samsung Display may stop producing rigid OLED panels in the next year or so.” he analyzed.

Finally, even in the first half of 2023, despite the unfavorable OLED market conditions, OLED panel shipments for TVs are expected to increase slightly. CEO Lee said, “The number of OLED panels for TV from 8.7 million this year is expected to increase to 9.5 million next year. LG Electronics is expected to produce 4.5 million WOLED TVs and Samsung Electronics is expected to increase QD-OLED TV shipments from 450,000 this year to 1 million next year.” He added, “Although Samsung Electronics entered the OLED TV market, it remains to be seen whether the deterioration of the overall TV market will affect the OLED TV market expansion.”

▶ 2022 Mid-Large OLED Display Semi-Annual Report Sample Download 

Micro-display’s Challenges From Three Perspectives [2022 Second Half OLED Seminar]

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Professor Hee-Jin Choi of Sejong University, Display and Optical Technology for Realizing Ultra-Realistic Near Eye Display(Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

Professor Hee-Jin Choi of Sejong University, Display and Optical Technology for Realizing Ultra-Realistic Near Eye Display
(Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

At the ‘The Second Half of 2022 OLED Accounting Seminar’ held at the FKI in Yeouido on November 9, Professor Hee-Jin Choi of Sejong University made a presentation on the theme of ‘Display and Optical Technology for Realizing Ultra-Realistic Near Eye Display’. Professor Heejin Choi analyzed the tasks that next-generation micro-displays must be solved from three perspectives: ‘FoV & Resolution’, ‘Reality’, and ‘Form Factor’.

First, Professor Hee-Jin Choi explained that from the perspective of ‘FoV & Resolution’, the micro-display resolution standard should be applied to PPD (Pixels per degree), which is affected by the viewing angle, rather than PPI (Pixels per inch) applied to general displays. Professor Heejin Choi said, “Based on visual acuity of 1.0, a resolution of 60 PPD or higher must be satisfied for the screen door effect to not appear. 60 PPD is the same resolution as 8K and it is very difficult to achieve on a small screen.”

Professor Hee-Jin Choi of Sejong University, Display and Optical Technology for Realizing Ultra-Realistic Near Eye Display(Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

Professor Hee-Jin Choi of Sejong University, Display and Optical Technology for Realizing Ultra-Realistic Near Eye Display
(Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

Professor Choi Hee-jin mentioned the visual characteristics that do not recognize the surroundings outside the center of the screen as a way to solve this problem, and emphasized, “Foveted Rendering” technology that applies high resolution only to the center of the screen and low resolution to the periphery can efficiently shorten the rendering time.” Subsequently, he explained that the problem of AR display, which varies the path of light and the position of the eye, can be solved with multiple output rays and eyebox extension technology.

Professor Hee-Jin Choi of Sejong University, Display and Optical Technology for Realizing Ultra-Realistic Near Eye Display(Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

Professor Hee-Jin Choi of Sejong University, Display and Optical Technology for Realizing Ultra-Realistic Near Eye Display
(Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

Regarding the second point of view, ‘Reality’, he noted that multi-focus is needed for the realism of AR displays, saying, “Considering human vision, between 10 and 12 focusing sections are needed to implement realistic AR displays. “Currently, two focusing sections can be implemented with the current technology, and research is underway to implement four focusing sections.

Finally, regarding the ‘Form Factor’ perspective, Professor Choi said, “The form factor is the least advanced compared to other technologies. The form factor of micro-display is still quite thick and heavy. The ultimate goal of the micro-display form factor is the weight and size of the glasses.”

“It is possible to reduce the thickness of the device by applying a simple optical system and optical folding technology. However, there was a disadvantage of poor light efficiency and brightness. There are many trade-offs in the optical world. Many researchers are actively working on research to solve this problem,” he said at the end of the presentation.

He concluded, “We were able to reduce the thickness of the device by applying a simple optical system and optical folding technology, but there were disadvantages in terms of light efficiency and brightness. In optics, there are many conditions that are in a trade-off relationship. Many researchers are actively conducting research to solve this problem”

▶ 2022 Micro-display Technology Report Sample Download

65-inch Premium TV $800 Price Drop On Average. Prices Are Expected to Continue to Fall.

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The price of 65-inch premium TV models released from April 2022 was analyzed to have dropped by an average of $800 by October. The price drop is expected to continue for a while because of the Qatar World Cup starting on the 21st of next month and Black Friday on the 25th of November.

Average prices for 65-inch premium TVs

Average prices for 65-inch premium TVs

The prices of Samsung Electronics’ QLED TV and QD-OLED TV, LG Electronics and Sony’s WOLED TV, and Sony’s QD-OLED TV and Mini LED TV were analyzed on a 65-inch basis until October 2022. The selling price of Bestbuy.com was used as the standard, and Sony’s TV was based on the selling price of the official website.

LG Electronics’ WOLED TVs A2, B2, C2, and G2, released in March, were priced at $2,000, $2,300, $2,500, and $3,200, respectively. Samsung Electronics’ 4K QLED TVs 85B, 90B, and 95B cost $2,000, $2,600 and $3,300. 8K QLED TVs 800B and 900B were $3,500 and $5,000. QD-OLED TV, S95B was priced at $3,000. Sony’s WOLED TV, A80K, was priced at $3,800 and QD-OLED TV, A95K, at $4,000. Mini LED TV, X95K was priced at $2,800.

In October, the price of LG Electronics’ G2 model fell by $300, forming an average price difference of $300 per series. Samsung Electronics’ QD-OLED TV, the S95B model, continues to maintain a price difference of $200 lower than LG Electronics’ high-end model, the G2. Sony lowered the price of the WOLED TV A80K by $1,000, the QD-OLED TV A95K by $500, and the mini LED TV X95K by $600.

The higher price of TV, the larger the price drop and among premium TVs, Samsung’s QLED TV, QN90B, had the highest rate of decline at 34.6%. Among OLED TVs, Samsung Electronics’ QD-OLED TV, S95B, had the highest rate at 33.3%.

In terms of price competition, Samsung Electronics’ S95B and LG Electronics’ high-end OLED TV, G2, are competing. Sony’s QD-OLED TV, which had maintained its price range, is also entering the price competition by lowering its price. The prices of Samsung Electronics’ 4K Neo QLED TV series and LG Electronics’ 4K OLED TV series are forming similarly. In Samsung Electronics’ entire TV series, QD-OLED TV is located between 90B and 95B, which are 4K Neo QLED.

Samsung Electronics’ 8K QLED TV, QN800B, has the same price as Sony’s 4K WOLED TV, A80K, and QN900B has a $300 difference from Sony’s QD-OLED TV A95K, leading to consumption of 8K TVs instead of 4K TVs.

With the Qatar World Cup starting on the 21st of next month and Black Friday on the 25th, premium TV prices are expected to continue to decline. Price-competitive marketing by company according to market conditions is expected to be a major variable.

▶ UBI Research website
https://ubiresearch.com/en/

Is China’s 6G flexible OLED line reorganized?

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According to the ‘2022 OLED Display Semi-Annual Report’ recently published by UBI Research, it is predicted that the 6G flexible OLED line in China will be reorganized.

Representative companies that produce flexible OLED for smartphones in China are BOE, TCL CSOT, Tianma, and Visionox. EDO also owns some flexible OLED lines, but is mass-producing panels mainly for rigid OLED.

Among them, TCL CSOT and Visionox have recently continued to business difficulties, the possibility of reorganization of its flexible OLED line in China is being raised.

TCL CSOT mainly supplied panels to Xiaomi, but recently, due to panel performance issues and Tianma’s promotion, it was found that the 3Q utilization rate of the T4 line with a monthly capacity of 45K was only 10%.

In particular, the operation of ph-3 is being delayed indefinitely due to the low utilization rate of ph-1,2. In addition, TCL CSOT has tried to promote the panel supply for the Apple iPhone series, but it does not seem to get good results.

Utilization rate of TCL CSOT T4 line until August 2022, Source: 2022 OLED Display Semi-Annual Report

Utilization rate of TCL CSOT T4 line until August 2022, Source: 2022 OLED Display Semi-Annual Report

Visionox, which mainly supplies flexible OLED to Honor, has recently been operating the V3 line with a monthly scale of 30K, but the panel price is set at $30 or less, and its sales are greatly affected. It is a situation in which the utilization rate is guaranteed by securing a clear customer, but profits are not guaranteed.

For this reason, there is a possibility that BOE will take over the T4 line of TCL CSOT and the V3 line of Visionox. Daejeong Yoon, an analyst at UBI Research, said, “In the case of the T4 line, if BOE puts OLED facilities into the B20 LTPS line in the future, the possibility of taking over the T4 line of TCL CSOT and using it, or after the sale of the V3 line from Visionox, there is a possibility to acquire a part of the T4 line. In the case of the V3 line, it is also heard that the Hefei government has offered to acquire BOE.”

Although it is unlikely that China’s 6G flexible OLED line will change rapidly right now, attention is focused on how Chinese panel makers will continue to operate their lines in the future in a situation that has been evaluated as over-investment in the past and the market stagnation.

▶ 2022 Small OLED Display Semi-Annual Report Sample Download

Samsung Display’s first slidable display was introduced!

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Choi Joo-sun, CEO of Samsung Display Introducing a Slidable Display. Captured from Intel Newsroom Video

Choi Joo-sun, CEO of Samsung Display Introducing a Slidable Display.
Captured from Intel Newsroom Video

“Foldable is gone”

Samsung Display unveiled its 17-inch slidable display for the first time at the “Intel Innovation 2022” event held at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California on September 27th.

When Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger announced Intel’s strategy for the user experience and said, “Let me introduce our Korean partner.” Samsung Display CEO Choi Joo-sun made a surprise appearance at the venue.

CEO Choi entered the stage and held a tablet PC-sized device in his left hand. “A few years ago, I saw this device and thought it was a good solution to the portability of a large monitor,” Pat Gelsinger said. CEO Choi added, “At the same time as demonstrating the demo version, we are here to prove that Samsung Display creates an innovative form factor through collaboration with ecosystem developers in software and hardware.”

Samsung Display's 17-inch Slidable Display Before Expansion(Left) and After Expansion(Right). Captured from Intel Newsroom Video.

Samsung Display’s 17-inch Slidable Display Before Expansion(Left) and After Expansion(Right). Captured from Intel Newsroom Video.

CEO Choi stated, “We sometimes need a big screen.” He went on to remark, “We will show you magic.” He then stretched the screen by pulling the slider display by hand. The 13-inch display screen has grown to 17 inches. It is a display for PCs that is applied with flexible OLED (organic light emitting diode). “Foldable is gone.” he declared and concluded that, “Slidable displays will meet the needs of large screens and portability.”

Gelsinger also introduced ‘Unison’, a software that can share information between smartphones and laptops using a slidable display. Unison supports both Android phones and iPhones.

Is green emitting material a key material in the high refresh rate trend?

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green emitting material capacitance

OLED material

Recently released smartphones support a fast refresh rate of 120 Hz. Such a fast refresh rate allows smooth screen transitions and can express dynamic movements, especially in games, but consumes a lot of power.

Major set makers such as Samsung Electronics and Apple started to use OLEDs with LTPO TFTs, which consume relatively low power while realizing a refresh rate of 120 Hz and OLED smartphones to which LTPO TFT is applied are positioned in each set maker’s ultra-premium lineup.

In this high refresh rate trend, the capacitance of the green emitting material is becoming an issue.

If the capacitance of the green emitting material is high, dragging may occur when switching the screen in the high refresh rate mode. Since the human eye responds the most to green, the green appears prominently, which may cause problems in color expression.

For this reason, it is understood that some material makers have recently received requests from set or panel makers to lower the capacitance characteristics of green emitting materials.

Daejeong Yoon, an analyst at UBI Research, said, “The biggest issue for material companies in the past and still is lifetime and efficiency, but recently, even the capacitance of materials has become an issue due to the trend of high refresh rate.” And “Green material with deuterium substitution technology will be applied to some mass production from the second half of this year, and material makers are immediately forced to develop green materials with low capacitance.”

As smartphones supporting a high refresh rate of 120 Hz are expected to become mainstream in the future, the use of green emitting materials with low capacitance is also expected to increase.

▶ 2022 OLED Emitting Material Report Sample Download

[K-Display Business Forum 2022] Sumitomo Chemical Material Performance Disclosure

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At the ‘Display Business Forum 2022’ held at COEX, Seoul from August 10 to 12, 2022, Sumitomo Chemical unveiled the performance of inkjet materials developed until recently.

Inkjet printing technology is attracting attention as a technology that can reduce the process time and increase material usage of 3-stack OLED or 4-stack OLED, which are mainly used for medium and large-sized devices. JOLED is mass-producing panels for monitors, and TCL CSOT also are considering investing.

Sumitomo Chemical first disclosed the RGB performance of the top-emitting OLED and the bottom-emitting OLED produced by spin coating. Although there was no significant difference in the OLED of the bottom emission type from the previous year, it was confirmed that the performance of the material was improved in the OLED of the top emission type, and in particular, both the efficiency and performance of the blue material were improved.

Sumitomo Chemical's Material Performance

Sumitomo Chemical’s Material Performance

Sumitomo Chemical also mentioned impurity management, ink formation, curing process, and jetting mechanism as core tasks of inkjet printing technology. In order to secure the process time, yield, and performance of inkjet printing, the aforementioned four factors must be overcome.

Lastly, Sumitomo Chemical announced the performance of RGB inkjet materials developed so far, and concluded the presentation by mentioning the target efficiency and lifetime of future materials.

Sumitomo Chemical Development Milestone

Sumitomo Chemical Development Milestone

▶ 2022 OLED Emitting Material Report Sample Download

[K-Display 2022] LG Display creates new value with transparent OLED

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At ‘K-Display 2022’ held from August 10 to 12, LG Display exhibited various transparent OLED products such as wall type and TV type. The transparent OLED exhibited this time had a transmittance of 45% and a resolution of FHD level.

LG Display's transparent OLED

LG Display’s transparent OLED exhibited at K-Display 2022

At the ‘Display BUSINESS Forum 2022’ held on the 11th, Kang Won-seok, managing director of LG Display, said that the use of transparent OLEDs is increasing due to improved transmittance and reduced weight.

Director Kang mentioned that LG Display has been developing transparent OLED since 2014, and announced that he would increase the value of transparent OLED in line with internal activities that have been increasing since COVID-19.

LG Display Transparent OLED Roadmap

LG Display Transparent OLED Roadmap

Currently, LG Display is mass-producing transparent OLED on a limited basis in its E3 line. Currently, only 55-inch transparent OLEDs are being mass-produced, but from the second half of this year, they plan to expand the lineup to 77 inches.

LG Display’s transparent OLED is mainly used for museums and signage in China. As demand is expected to increase in the future, LG Display is expected to respond to the market by lowering panel prices and introducing production lines other than E3.

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[K-Display 2022 Business Forum] CosesGT Passed the UTG 0.9mm Folding Radius, Folding Test 340,000 Times

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UTG market outlook source : UBI Research

UTG market outlook source : UBI Research

At the ‘K-display 2022 Business Forum’ held at COEX from August 11th to 12th, CEO Il-jae Lee of Coses GT presented ‘Cover Window for Foldable and UTG Manufacturing Method’.

Regarding the foldable phone market, CEO Lee said, “According to UBI Research data, the size of the foldable market is expected to grow to 1 trillion won by 2025. Recently, not only Korea, but also China and the United States are actively engaged in foldable-related businesses. We are concentrating on securing competitiveness in UTG and hinge technology to catch up with Samsung Electronics such as Apple in the US and Huawei, Oppo and Honor in China.”

Next, explaining the characteristics of UTG products, “OCA and PET films are attached on the UTG products that are actually used and hard coating and anti-finger coating are made. If you do a pen-drop test on the 30um thick UTG of CosesGT, the panel breaks at 2.5cm. If PET film is applied over UTG, it can withstand up to 25cm in the pen-drop test, but the unique properties of UTG are greatly damaged. We are thinking about how to proceed with UTG alone without any special process on top of UTG.”

Regarding product mass production, “Actually, the Galaxy flip or fold-sized panel developed by CosesGT can be mass-produced with a thickness of 50 to 70um. Samples can be made with the same thickness as flip and fold for a 17-inch or larger medium-large panel such as a laptop, but considering mass production, it can be produced with a thickness of 70-100um.”

According to the announcement, the actual folding radius of the panel developed by CosesGT achieved a radius of 0.9R at 6.8 inches, 1.2R at 8.2 inches, and 4R at 17 inches. The folding test passed 170,000 times for 96 hours at 60°C and 170,000 times for 96 hours at -20°C, a total of 340,000 folding tests.

Finally, when asked about the most difficult aspect of UTG development by Chinese UTG processing companies, he said, “Recently, Chinese panel makers’ UTG demand is increasing, but Chinese processing makers have not yet entered the UTG business. The hinge technology of Chinese processors is also a problem, but the development of foldable phones is still being delayed because the proportion of foldable phones in the smartphone market is still small. Also, UTG processing companies in China seem to think that early UTG and glass are the same material and can be easily developed.”

CosesGT's UTG for laptop/tablet

CosesGT’s UTG for laptop/tablet

CosesGT exhibited UTG for 6.1-inch iPhone13 Pro and UTG for 13.3, 13.9, 15, and 17.8-inch notebooks/tablets at K-display 2022. Currently, CosesGT receives a glass ledger from NEG, a Japanese glass producer, and processes it, and samples are being evaluated by several companies.

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[K-Display 2022 Business Forum] Samsung Display, ‘QD-OLED, The New Display Industry Standard‘

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Samsung Display's Vice President Seon Ho

Samsung Display’s Vice President Seon Ho

At the ‘K-display 2022 Business Forum’ held at COEX in Samseong-dong from Aug 11 to 12, Samsung Display’s Vice President Seon Ho and Marketing Team Manager Shah Chirag gave a keynote speech, ‘QD-OLED: Redefining Your Visual Experience’.

Vice President Seon Ho said, “As the COVID-19 situation has passed, online communication has become more active, and the era has come when daily life is done through displays.” He continued, “If the focus has been on increasing the size of the display so far, the display in the future will pursue better picture quality. Samsung Display is aiming for a display that has excellent color volume and purity, expands HDR, and does not change color depending on the viewing angle. QD-OLED will be the new standard for displays in pursuit of better picture quality.”

Marketing Team Manager Shah Chirag

Marketing Team Manager Shah Chirag

Shah Chirag presented, “QD-OLED is currently the display that can display the color closest to nature.” Samsung Display’s QD-OLED supports more than 125% of DCI-P3 and more than 90% of BT2020 color gamut due to the characteristics of quantum dots.

Shah Chirag also mentioned the excellent viewing angle characteristics of QD-OLED. He further explained, “Unlike general displays that have different colors or brightness depending on the viewing position, QD-OLED shows 50% improved luminance and color characteristics compared to conventional displays at a viewing angle of 60 degrees.”

excellent viewing angle characteristics of QD-OLED

excellent viewing angle characteristics of QD-OLED

Lastly, Vice President Seon Ho concluded with, “It has been half a year since QD-OLED TV came out as a set, and Samsung Electronics and Sony are selling them. Next year, we will continue to strive to create brighter and clearer displays so that more products can be launched in Korea. I hope the display industry develops in a better direction.”

Samsung Display mainly exhibited QD-OLED TVs at K-display 2022. Samsung Display has mass-produced QD-OLED panels since the end of last year. The production capacity is 30,000 sheets per month and the products produced are 55- and 65-inch TV panels and 34-inch monitor panels.

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iPhone14에 적용되는 M12 구조의 Supply chain

Samsung Display’s New Material Structure M12, iPhone14 Pro Models Only

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Samsung Display's M12 structure (to be applied to iPhone 14)

Supply Chain of M12 Structure Applied to iPhone14

Samsung Display will apply the new material structure M12 only to the top two Pro models of Apple’s iPhone 14 series, scheduled to be released in the second half of the year. For the lower two models, the M11 structure applied to the iPhone13 is used as it is.

Samsung Display supplies OLED to all four iPhone14 series. Samsung Display uses the same M11 structure applied to iPhone13 as it is for iPhone14 and 14 Max, the two lower models to which LTPS TFT is applied. Samsung Display applies a new structure, M12 structure, to 14 Pro and Pro Max to which LTPO TFT is applied.

The reason why Samsung Display applies a material structure differently to the iPhone series seems to be Apple’s cost-saving measure. In Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S22 series released in the first half of the year, M11 was applied to Ultra and Plus models and M10 was applied to regular models.

Samsung Display’s new material structure M12 is applied to Apple’s iPhone14 series and Samsung Electronics’ foldable phones Z Fold4 and Z Flip4.

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Samsung Display's pol-less technology can reduce power consumption by 25%

Samsung Display’s Pol-less Technology, Reducing Photo Process

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The ‘2022 OLED Components and Materials Report’ recently published by UBI Research (www.ubiresearch.com), a company specializing in OLED market research, summarizes Samsung Display’s pol-less technology development status and future roadmap.

Pol-less technology applies black pixel define layer (BPDL) and color filter instead of polarizer. It is called ‘On-Cell Film’ (OCF) at Samsung Display and ‘Color filter On Encapsulation’ (COE) at BOE and Visionox.

Pol-less technology was applied to ‘Galaxy Z Fold 3’ for the first time. Samsung Display announced that it can reduce panel power consumption by up to 25% even at the same brightness by increasing the light transmittance by 33% by applying pol-less technology.

Samsung Display's pol-less technology can reduce power consumption by 25%

Comparison of power consumption of OLED with polarizer applied and OLED with polarizer removed, Source: news.samsungdisplay.com

According to UBI Research, Samsung Electronics’ ‘Galaxy Z Fold 4’ to be released in the second half of this year will apply RGB resist in color filters as a low reflective material instead of pol-less technology.

Samsung Display’s pol-less technology requires two photo processes for TFT and five photo processes for color filter. In the future, it is expected that the process time and cost will be shortened by reducing the photo process 3 to 4 times by applying new materials.

Samsung Display is expected to further develop pol-less technology and apply it not only to smartphones but also to IT devices.

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This Year’s OLED Mass Production Capacity Substrate Area is Expected to be 47.3 million ㎡

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According to the ‘2022 OLED Components and Materials Report’ recently published by UBI Research (www.ubiresearch.com), a company specialized in OLED market research, the substrate area of ​​the total OLED mass production capacity in 2022 is expected to be 47.3milion ㎡. In 2022, the LTPO TFT line and EDO’s 6th-generation rigid OLED line, which Samsung Display invested in to supplement the idle capacity of the A3 line, are scheduled to be operated. In 2023, LG Display’s E6-4 line and BOE’s B12-3 line Line, Samsung Display’s 8.5G IT line are expected to be put into operation in 2024.

As for the substrate area of ​​small OLED for smart watch and smartphone, the line capacity for rigid OLED in 2022 is 5.29 million ㎡, accounting for 24.8% of the market share. Rigid OLED investment is not expected in the future. In 2022, the capacity for flexible OLED is 15.3 million ㎡, accounting for 71.5% of the total. From 2024, part of Samsung Display’s A3 line will be converted to an IT line, and the mass production capacity is expected to decrease. The line capacity for foldable OLED is expected to reach 0.79 million ㎡ in 2022 and 1.52 million ㎡ from 2023.       

Samsung Display’s IT line capacity is expected to expand to 2.69 million ㎡ by 2025 as part of the A3 line is converted to an IT line in the first half of 2024. A new 8.5G line is expected to be operated in 2024. From the second half of 2023, LG Display’s capacity is expected to be 0.75 and 0.52 million ㎡, respectively, with the E6-4 line operating and BOE’s B12-3 line operating.

OLED line capacity for TV is not expected to change until 2026 unless additional investment is made. From 2022, LG Display’s mass production capacity is 20.3 million ㎡, accounting for 85.5% of the total. Capacity is expected to increase further depending on whether additional customers are secured in the future. Samsung Display’s capacity is 3.3 million ㎡ and BOE’s is 0.13 million ㎡, accounting for 13.9% and 0.6% of market share, respectively.

Meanwhile, the ‘2022 OLED Components and Materials Report’ published this time dealt with the latest OLED industry issues analysis, development of components and materials for foldable devices, industry status, analysis of mass production capacity of OLED panel companies, and major component and material market forecasts. It is expected to help parts and materials companies to understand related technologies and predict future technology directions and markets.

▶ 2022 OLED Components and Materials Report Inquiry

Chinese Government’s Aggressive Movement Toward Domestic Product Exclusivity. What Next for Korean Companies?

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Recently, there is a movement to manufacture display-related materials, materials, and equipment exclusively in China. According to the ‘2022 OLED Components and Materials Report’ recently published by UBI Research (www.ubiresearch.com), China National Development and Reform Commission(国家发展和改革委员会) or Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China(中华人民共和国工业和信息化部) are providing investment funds to Chinese OLED display-related developers and are rapidly moving towards domestic demand.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China is planning a large-scale support project for display-related materials, equipment, and parts for domestic demand in China. The companies selected for the project will receive unprecedented subsidies from the Chinese government. Recently, the Ministry of Public Information and Security is believed to have supported FMM and related evaporators and other equipment. In addition, the items promoted by the National Development and Development Committee of China for domestic demand will be developed and mass-produced within three years, and all domestic production will be carried out within five years.

In addition to government projects, companies are also active in domestic demand. BOE, China’s largest display maker, has already made significant investments for domestic demand. In March, BOE CEO Gao Wenbao, who felt the pressures due to volume and cost, ordered a special policy directly for purchase planning. In the process of diversifying business partners for cost reduction, BOE reviewed only domestic companies, excluding overseas companies. Of BOE’s investment in materials, materials and equipment for domestic demand, about 70% of the capital has already been invested. The investment is expected to be completed by 2023.

The Chinese government has included display in the national high-tech strategic industry early on and has provided unprecedented support to display companies such as BOE and TCL CSOT. In addition, the Chinese government is raising import tariffs on materials and parts that can be produced in China and is meeting the needs of domestic demand.

In order to widen the gap with China, which is closely chasing Korea from LCD to OLED, the Korean government must take active measures. The Korean government will designate display as a national high-tech strategic technology in the ‘Special Act on National Advanced Strategic Industries’, which will be enforced on the 4th of next month and will provide tax support and various benefits to display companies.

▶  2022 OLED Components and Materials Report Inquiry

[China Trend Report] TCL CSOT delays new investment all at once

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<Display technology strategy announced by TCL CSOT at DTC 2021>

According to the China Trend Report published by UBI Research, the schedules of TCL CSOT’s 8.5G LCD line T9 and 6G LCD line T5 are expected to be delayed.
In early July, the T9-1 was put into operation, but overall equipment orders for the ph-2 were delayed. According to the report, the schedule is expected to be delayed by about six months.
The schedule of the T5 line is expected to be postponed indefinitely. The T5 line was expected to begin mass production in the second half of 2023, but the schedule is indefinitely postponed and the mass production schedule is also uncertain.
Accordingly, TCL Chairman Li Dong Sheng, who is scheduled to visit Korea at the end of July, is expected to seek the understanding of Korean equipment makers due to the delay of schedules for LCD lines as well as consultations due to Samsung Electronics’ decrease in TV panel volume.
After visiting Korea, he is expected to visit JOLED in Japan to check inkjet technology. According to this visit, it is expected that the outline of whether the T8 line will be applied with inkjet process or deposition technology will be revealed in the future.

China Trend Report Inquiry

Nano Korea 2022 Exhibition Contents

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From July 6th to the 8th, NANO Korea 2022 Exhibition was held at the Kintex 1st Exhibition Hall Ilsan. The exhibition consisted of 604 booths from 343 companies. The International Nanotechnology Convergence Exhibition, the International Adhesive Coating Film Convergence Material Exhibition, the International Laser Technology Exhibition, the International Advanced Ceramics Exhibition, and the International Smart Sensor Technology Exhibition were just a few represented at this exhibition.
One display company, AMOGREENTECH, a company based on nanomaterials, exhibited thermally conductive adhesive sheets and thermally conductive pastes as heat dissipation solutions with low dielectric constant and high thermal conductivity. The products exhibited by AMOGREENTECH showed a simple process structure and high heat resistance and transfer characteristics.

CollTech booth

CollTech, an adhesive solution company established in 2013, is converting its adhesive business from film to liquid to reduce the display bezel of automotive displays. An official from Coll tech stated, “Since it is difficult to develop a liquid adhesive from the beginning, we are developing it in advance for films. Recently, companies have been requesting a lot of liquid type adhesives or sealing agents containing black pigments during UV curing.”

Films exhibited by AMTE

AMTE, which produces functional coating materials and films, exhibited high-hardness antifouling coatings used for OLED and LCD, high-brightness anti-glare coatings, transparent antistatic coatings, and blue light cut coatings.
French laser company Amplitude exhibited laser equipment used for display repair, panel shape cut, and camera hole cut. Recently, Amplitude mentioned that he is testing a ‘giga burst’ technology that improves machinability by splitting laser pulses into 200-800 pieces.
In addition, laser companies such as Coherent and Trumpf exhibited their laser equipment, and various display-related companies such as Evident Korea, Nanosolution, Profinecam, and Iotechnics exhibited their products.

Can VR replace TVs and Monitors?

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VR devices have been on the rise since 2016 and were expected to be an important factor in IT business, but have not yet made a big impact. At CES 2016, Intel exhibited applications that enable creative activities such as education and art. In 2017, Samsung presented games and movies that can be felt with the body in 4D form at the IFA VR experiment zone.

VR features excellent immersion and presence. A 1-inch display can look like a 60-inch display. The display that provides information uses micro-display, but LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) has a slow response speed, poor color, and low contrast ratio. So the trend is changing to OLEDoS (OLED on silicon). Sony is making its own micro OLED and Panasonic is working with US Kopin to make VR.
Recently, VR devices are preparing to replace monitors. If it is made in high resolution, about 10 screens can be displayed on each VR monitor screen. In the future, the monitor market will change to the VR market. VR can emerge as the best dark horse in the IT market. VR may possibly also replace TVs. A head speaker with a much better three-dimensional effect is essential. There may also be changes in the movie theaters as a VR device might provide a 60-inch screen and provide a high sense of immersion into the film for movie-goers.
Micro OLED composition consists of TFT designed on a silicon wafer and OLED is formed on it. LGD’s WOLED method is used for OLED. The RGB method requires a fine metal mask, but the AP system is preparing a mask capable of 2000ppi or more using a laser. Because WOLED uses a color filter, there is a loss of about 10%. RGB may be more advantageous in terms of luminance, but for commercialization, WOLED resolution can be much higher. Since it has been developed for a long time, WOLED is expected to be applied. Applications include military, medical, industrial, viewfinder, smart glasses, and the like.

Recently, Apple requested LG Display and Samsung Display to prepare Micro OLED. LG Display placed an order for the Sunic System evaporator in June and is moving quickly.
Samsung Electronics also has a request for VR. In 2025, it can be seen that LG Display and Samsung Display can produce many types of Micro OLED. We expect to see Apple’s VR devices around 2024.

Related Report : 2022 Micro-display REPORT

Fierce Price Competition Amongst WOLED TVs, QD-OLED TVs, and Neo QLED TVs

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We experienced fierce price competition in the first half of 2022 among premium TVs with a launch price of $2,000 or more. It will be interesting to see how the Amazon Prime Day event scheduled for July will affect TV prices.
2022 OLED TV prices until June 2022 was analyzed based on 65 inch TVs. The standard was the selling price on Bestbuy.com and Sony’s QD-OLED TV selling price on their official website.
LG Electronics’ WOLED TVs B2, C2, and G2 released in March were $2,300, $2,500, and $3,200, respectively. Samsung Electronics’ QD-OLED TV S95B was $3,000. Sony’s WOLED TV A80K was priced at $3,800 and QD-OLED TV A95K was priced at $4,000.

In June, the price of LG Electronics’ G2 model fell by $200, forming a price difference of $500 for each series. Samsung Electronics’ S95B model continues to maintain a price difference of $200 lower than LG Electronics’ high-end model G2. Sony lowered the price of the WOLED TV A80K by $300, while maintaining the price of QD-OLED TV A95K.
Samsung Electronics’ S95B and LG Electronics’ high-end OLED TV G2 are in heavy price competition. Sony is setting the price of QD-OLED TV higher than WOLED TV.
The price competition is also fierce between OLED TVs from each set makers and Neo QLED TVs with Samsung Electronics’ mini-LED technology.
As of June, the prices of Samsung Electronics’ 4K Neo QLED TVs, QN85B, QN90B, and QN95B, are $1,800, $2,600, and $3,300, respectively. The 8K Neo QLED TVs QN800B and QN900B are $3,300 and $4,800.

The prices of Samsung Electronics’ 4K Neo QLED TV series and LG Electronics’ 4K OLED TV series are similar. Within Samsung Electronics’ entire TV series, QD-OLED TV is located between 4K Neo QLED and 8K Neo QLED. Sony’s OLED TV series, which is highly evaluated in terms of picture quality, is competing in price with Samsung Electronics’ 8K Neo QLED TV series.
Although this price trend is expected to continue this year, aggressive marketing following the Amazon Prime event in the second half of the year and the Qatar World Cup is expected to be strong variables. Attention should be paid to how LG Electronics’ OLED TV with micro lens array technology, which is expected to be released next year, will affect the premium TV market in the future.

OLED Smartphone Launch Products Slows Down In The First Half of 2022

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The number of OLED smartphone launches, which had steadily increased from 2019 to 2021 reached only 110 units in the first half of 2022. 137 units had been released in 2019, 166 units in 2020, and 225 units in 2021. If this industry trend continues in 2022, OLED smartphones expected release will only be similar to 2021 or even slightly fewer than it had been last year.
Most of the smartphones released in the first half of 2022 were made in China. 98 products from China accounted for 89% of market share, followed by 9 products from Korea, 2 from Japan, and 1 from India.
By size, 6.6-inch products were the most with 34 types, followed by 6.4-inch products with 31 types and 6.7-inch products with 21 types. The largest sized product was Vivo’s ‘X Fold’, which was an 8.03-inch foldable. Not including the foldables, Vivo’s ‘X Note’ was the largest at 7.0 inches. The smallest product was Sony’s ‘Xperia 10 IV’, which was 6.0 inches.
By design, 102 types of punch hole models were released, with 4 narrow bezel types, 2 notch types, and 2 UPC types. There were two types of smartphones with UPC (Under Panel Camera) applied: ZTE’s Axon 40 Ultra and Nubia Red Magic 7 Pro.

By resolution, 51 products with 300ppi range, 50 products with 400ppi range, and 9 products with 500ppi or higher were released. No products under 300ppi were released. The product with the highest resolution was Sony’s ‘Xpeia 1 IV’, which had a resolution of 643ppi.
There were three foldable phones released in the first half of the year: Vivo’s ‘X Fold’, Honor’s ‘Magic V’, and Huawei’s ‘Mate Xs2’. All three types of foldable phones have a punch-hole design. The resolution of ‘Mate Xs2’ was 424ppi, which is 10ppi higher than the average OLED smartphones released in the first half of the year. Whereas ‘X Fold’ and ‘Magic V’ were two products with the lowest resolution among OLED smartphones released in the first half of the year.

Merck, now it is time to consider the refractive index of common layer materials.

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At the ‘OLED settlement seminar for the first half of 2022’ held at COEX on June 23, Merck’s Kim Jun-ho, head of research institute, said, “The concept of the refractive index of the emitting layer is often applied to the capping layer on the cathode, but now it is also required for HTL” and mentioned that the light extraction efficiency can be improved through the optimized refractive index design of HTL.

Next, Kim said, “Because the refractive index of HTL has a trade-off relationship with the hole transport capacity, it is difficult to adjust the refractive index,” and “Even though it was lowered to 1.77 from 1.85, the light extraction efficiency could be improved by 7% without an increase in the driving voltage or a decrease in electron mobility.”

Recently, panel makers are continuously developing the OLED light extraction efficiency. This is because by increasing the light extraction efficiency, as a result, the battery life can be increased. Representative examples include a high-refractive capping layer and micro lens array, and an on-cell film that removes the polarizer and uses a color filter.
The concept of the refractive index of the light emitting, which had been concentrated on the capping layer, is extended to the common layer, and it is expected that panel makers will intensify technological competition, and that there will be many changes in the supply chain of emitting materials of panel makers in the future.

Choong-Hoon Yi, CEO of UBI Research, “Korean display companies must have price competitiveness as well as OLED technology competitiveness”

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Although there is still a gap in display technology between Korea and China, it has been argued that Korean display companies should have price competitiveness as soon as possible.

On the 23rd, at the ‘OLED Settlement Seminar for the first half of 2022’ held at COEX in Samsung-dong, Seoul, UBI Research CEO Choong-Hoon Yi made a presentation on ‘Forecast of the small OLED market, which China is chasing fiercely’.

CEO Yi announced, “Currently, the media reports that the technological gap between Korea and China has almost narrowed, but making and displaying products and mass-producing products are two different things, and the technological gap between Korea and China is still significant.” He continued, “Samsung Display is planning various products such as slideable and Z-folding based on technological competitiveness. However, it will be difficult to commercialize it immediately because the slideable phone invades the existing foldable phone market.”

CEO Yi said, “It is very important not only to develop technological competitiveness, but also to increase price competitiveness. The reason Korean companies closed the LCD business is not because of the good technology of Chinese companies, but because they were pushed back in price competitiveness.”, and “As the technology advances, the performance difference felt by ordinary consumers becomes insignificant, so products with good price competitiveness are inevitable in the market,” he analyzed.

Finally, “China’s OLED industry is growing under the enormous support from the government. In order not to lose the lead in the OLED market like LCD to China, it is essential for domestic companies to prepare for price competitiveness and the government’s support policy,” he concluded.

GrapheneLab surpasses the ppi limit with a plated metal mask

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GrapheneLab, a graphene commercialization technology company, announced that it is possible to manufacture FMMs over 800ppi using graphene.

At the ‘UBI Research First Half 2022 OLED Settlement Seminar’ held at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul on the 23rd, GrapheneLab CEO Yong-duk Kwon said, “In the early 2000s, FMM technology, which started in the early 2000s, was not interested in the plating method. It is changing,”, and “After 2013, many patents related to the plating method FMM manufacturing technology have been applied, and it is easier to apply the plating method than the currently used etching method in order to go to high resolution.”

Next, CEO Kwon said, “We moved away from the existing limiting etching method FMM and applied the plating method FMM. Compared to the etching method, where 400ppi was the limit at the same thickness, the plating method realized more than 600ppi.”, “Etched metal mask has a dead zone of 8um in length due to the INVAR structure that becomes sharp like a dot when etching at a depth of 20um, whereas there is no dead zone during pattern plating of the plated metal mask.”

Lastly, CEO Kwon said, “For the MSAP electroforming technology, a low coefficient of thermal expansion with a thin thickness is required. As a result of measuring the coefficient of thermal expansion using TMA on the plated sample, it was measured up to 3.1ppm, and it went down to 2.5ppm without heat treatment.”

Will BOE Resume iPhone 13 Production?

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iPhone13/Apple

It seems that BOE has started line operations for iPhone 13.
Back in March, most of the iPhone 13 shipments were canceled due to an issue with Apple. BOE will now resume production. With this new development, BOE’s forecast for iPhone 13 production this year is expected to increase after being adjusted down in March.
BOE has a total of 20 iPhone module lines at its B11 (Mianyang) plant. BOE’s production of the iPhone 13 is believed to have begun in early June and production of the iPhone 14 is expected to begin as well. The B11 factory has iPhone 13 line to produce iPhone 12 and 13 and iPhone 14 module line exclusively for iPhone 14, as the process is quite different from iPhone 13 line.
Details of BOE’s iPhone 13 and 14 production volume, panel unit price, and module line by product can be found in UBI Research’s ‘China Trend Report’. UBI Research’s ‘China Trend Report’ can be inquired on the UBI Research website.

1Q of 2022 OLED Emitting Material Market $420 million, up 9% Compared to the Same Quarter of the Previous Year

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According to “2Q22 OLED Emitting Material Market Track”, a quarterly report published by UBI Research, the sales of emitting materials in the first quarter were $421 million, down 21.1% (QoQ) from $533 million in the previous quarter but was an increase by 9% (YoY)when compared to $386 million in the first quarter of 2021.
Although sales of emitting materials for TV and mobile devices decreased compared to the previous quarter, IT sales recorded a meaningful figure of $6.6 million. Although sales fluctuate depending on seasonal demand for applied products, if the sales of emitting materials are analyzed by application product, TV use is gradually increasing.

The top 3 companies in 1Q sales were UDC($86.6 million), DuPont($41.3 million), and Duksan($37.5 million). Duksan became the number one company in sales as a Korean company. The overall sales of luminescent materials in the first quarter decreased compared to the previous quarter but only UDC’s sales increased. Sales decreased to $421.5 million in 1Q22 from $533.8 million in 4Q21. However, UDC’s 1Q22 sales increased to $86.6 million from 4Q21’s sales of $85.5 million. It is estimated that this is due to the rise in the price of rare earth metals, a key material for manufacturing dopant.
Estimated sales of emitting materials in 2022 are $1.77 billion and are expected to grow to $2.4 billion in 2026.
By application product, the projected sales of emitting materials for smartphones this year are $1.4 billion, accounting for 79% of the total.
Of the projected sales in 2026, emitting materials for TV are expected to reach $550 million, which is expected to increase by 23%. In addition, emitting materials for IT are expected to account for 9% of $210 million.

“OLED Emitting Material Market Track” surveys and analyzes the market for quarterly OLED emitting materials. The total market of light emitting materials was identified by examining sales by light emitting layer and common layer. Performance analysis was categorized by country, panel maker, application product, layer, and OLED method (RGB, WRGB, QD-OLED). In addition, OLED market information for the next five years (up to 2026) was forecasted by predicting the amount of emitting material usage and sales by company. The quarterly market track provides necessary information to industry professionals who lead the OLED industry.

Chinese Panel Makers in Crisis! Will the Display Business’s Deficit Increase This Year?

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<Honor 70 With Panels Supplied by Visionox>

Chinese panel makers such as Visionox and BOE are expected to face losses due to cost pressures.
The operation rate of Visionox was analyzed to be high. This is because Visionox is exclusively producing 70-80% of Honor, a large Chinese smartphone manufacturer.
However, despite the high operation rate, Visionox’s business status is precarious at best. Through cooperative efforts, Visionox was allocated most of Honor’s panel production quantity, but it is known that Honor has requested additional panel price reduction. According to some sources, Visionox is currently facing a loss of about 200 million yuan per month due to the reduced panel price.
BOE, the largest panel maker in China is also facing trouble. BOE along with Visionox had previously been in charge of panel production for Honor but received almost no allocation of production volume from Honor. Earlier this year, BOE faced tremendous difficulty due to the cancellation of existing iPhone 13 shipments to Apple. In April, BOE’s CEO Gao Wenbao felt a sense of crisis due to pressure on OLED and LCD volume and price and gave direct orders on cost reduction. Currently, BOE’s OLED line operation rate is less than 40% and it is estimated that the OLED business unit may incur a loss of about 10 billion yuan this year.
LCD, which is one of the main businesses of Chinese panel makers, is continuously falling in prices and the supply and demand of panels from smartphone set makers are sluggish. If an appropriate countermeasure is not found, Chinese panel makers will continue to experience a growing deficit in the display business.

Samsung Display Unveils World’s First High Refresh Rate 240Hz OLED

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□ OLED supporting 240Hz, installed in new MSI notebooks
□ Emerging as a ‘game changer’ in the gaming laptop market with high refresh rate OLED

<World’s first 240Hz OLED laptop from MSI featuring Samsung Display OLED delivers game changing lifelike immersiveness>

 

Samsung Display today announced the start of mass production of the world’s first OLED displays for laptops with high refresh rate of 240Hz. The new panel will make its debut in MSI’s latest 15.6-inch gaming laptop, Raider GE67 HX, upping the ante in the fiercely competitive gaming market for high-performance displays.
Samsung Display’s OLED exceptional advantages of wide color gamut, high contrast ratio, true black and low blue light are not only recognized by smartphone users but by discerning laptop users as well. Beyond visual elements, specifications that affect actual gameplay such as response time and refresh rate, are more critical to gaming laptop users and the reason many players are opting for OLED products.
Refresh rate, or the number of times a display can update its image in one second, is a key factor in display performance. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the movements on a screen without afterimages. As displays featuring higher refresh rates present better image transitions, they are the tools of choice among first-person shooter (FPS) players who need to perceive fast-changing game situations as quickly as possible.
“OLED with high refresh rate is the perfect combination for a premium gaming experience, with super-low response time, super-wide color gamut, and super-high contrast ratio. In addition, it balances well between high resolution and high refresh rate performance,” said Clark Peng, Vice President of MSI Notebook Product Management Division. “Therefore, the latest 240Hz OLED display is suitable for high-performance enthusiasts and content creators as well as for gamers enjoying premium games,” he added.
“Our new 240Hz refresh rate OLED meets and exceeds the demand of consumers who have long been waiting for a laptop with a high refresh rate OLED panel,” said Jeeho Baek, Executive Vice President and Head of Samsung Display Strategic Marketing for Small and Medium Business. “The clear advantages offered by high refresh rate OLED panels compared to LCDs will be a game changer for the gaming industry.”
To introduce Raider GE67 HX to the world, MSI will hold a new product launching event on its YouTube channel on June 7, 2022, 10:00 a.m. PDT under the theme “MSIology: Ahead of the Curve.

What is the future change of WRGB OLED to respond to QD-OLED?

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2As Samsung Display’s QD-OLED begins to be applied to TVs and monitors in earnest in 2022, technological changes are being detected for LG Display’s WRGB OLED, which has been leading the large OLED market.

LG Display’s WRGB OLED has produced a WBC structure consisting of two blue layers and one red+yellow green layer in Paju by the end of 2021, and a WBE structure consisting of two blue layers and one red+green+yellow green layer in Guangzhou. Deuterium substitution technology was applied to the blue of the WBE structure.

Since 2022, LG Display has stopped producing WBC panels from its Paju line and has been producing ‘OLED.EX’ panels with deuterium substitution technology applied additionally to green of WBE produced in Guangzhou.

<Photo of OLED.EX presented by LG Display at the 2022 OLED Korea Conference>

At SID 2022, LG Display also exhibited a large OLED panel with micro lens array technology. Micro lens array technology was applied to Samsung Electronics’ ‘Galaxy S Ultra’ series, and it is the first technology applied to large OLEDs. LG Display is known to expect a 20% improvement in luminance compared to the previous one by applying micro lens array technology. Panels which micro lens array technology is applied are expected to be produced in Paju from the second half of this year.

Lastly, it is known that LG Display is developing a structure in which yellow green is removed from WRGB OLED. By eliminating yellow green, material and processing costs can be saved, and color gamut is expected to be improved.

Attention is paid to how LG Display’s WRGB OLED will evolve to compete against QD-OLED.

<OLED panel with micro lens array technology exhibited by LG Display at SID 2022>

[UBI Research China Trend Report] Will BOE Provide UPC Panel with Transparent PI Substrate to Oppo?

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BOE, the largest display maker in China, produces UPC (Under Panel Camera) panels with transparent PI substrates.

UPC is a technology that makes a full screen of a smartphone possible by placing the front camera under the screen. The UPC technology that is currently commercialized is a method of patterning the cathode electrode and changing the resolution near the camera. However, this time it is expected that a transparent PI substrate will be additionally applied to the UPC panel supplied by BOE to Oppo.

Existing transparent PI substrates had difficulties in mass production due to the high process temperature of LTPS TFT. Yet, the recent test results of the panels with the transparent PI substrate produced by BOE reached most conditions of satisfactory levels even at the LTPS TFT process temperature.

The UPC OLED panel with the transparent PI substrate developed by BOE is expected to be installed in Oppo’s upcoming products.

 

Introducing iPhone 14 Display Specifications and Panel Vendors

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<Apple iPhone 14 Series Specifications>

 

Samsung Display, LG Display, and BOE are expected to supply panels to Apple’s new iPhone 14 series in 2022. It is expected that Samsung Display will supply panels to all models in addition to iPhone 13 series. LG Display will supply 6.12-inch LTPS models and 6.69-inch LTPO models. BOE will supply panels only to 6.12-inch LTPS models.

The existing 5.4-inch mini model has been removed from the iPhone 14 series and a 6.69-inch Max model has been added. The size and resolution of iPhone 14 Max are the same as iPhone 14 Pro Max and LTPS TFT is applied instead of LTPO TFT.

In terms of design, the iPhone14 Pro and 14 Pro Max will have a punch hole design instead of the conventional notch. Apple’s punch hole design is expected to be applied as a double punch hole design due to various sensors and cameras.

Meanwhile, the total OLED panel supply to Apple in 2022 is expected to be about 215 million units, with Samsung Display expected to supply 135 million units, LG Display 55 million units, and BOE 25 million units. However, shipments are expected to be organically controlled due to market conditions and Apple’s policies.

 

[2022 OLED KOREA CONFERENCE] LG Display’s OLED 3.0 Captures Brightness and Lifespan Simultaneously

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At the keynote session of UBI Research’s ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ held from April 6th to 8th, Sang-Hyun Ahn, Managing Director of LG Display, announced, ‘The Present and Future of Automotive OLED Display: LG Display’s Future Outlook’.

Director Ahn announced, “The future will transform people and vehicles, and vehicles and vehicles to be connected, autonomous, shareable, and electrically driven. In order to respond to these changes, vehicle displays are getting bigger and more diverse in design, and displays are being applied to various locations to provide sights and information”.

Director Ahn continued, “The automotive display industry was led by LCD, but the OLED market is also gradually expanding its area.” He predicted, “The automotive OLED market will be worth $1.2 billion in 2025, It is also possible to grow to $6 billion.”

In addition, Director Ahn said, “LG ​​Display has already introduced an OLED 1.0 structure that satisfies the minimum requirements for automotive display: brightness of 800 nits and lifespan of 10,000 hours. Unlike OLED for smartphones, OLED for automobiles requires brightness of 800 nits or more to grasp accurate information even during the day, and lifespan of 10,000 hours or more is essential because the use cycle is more than 10 years. Although there is a trade-off between brightness and lifetime, we plan to develop OLED 3.0 with a brightness of 1,000 nits or more and a lifetime of 10,000 hours or more by overcoming this through development of materials and structures.”

Lastly, Director Ahn mentioned about future displays such as extra-large and transparent, slidable, and rollable that are applied to vehicles and said, “Many companies want large and many screens, but they want to hide those screens inside the vehicle. Slidable panels, which can be a solution to this, are already technologically stable and can become common around 2025. On the other hand, rollable panels, such as those that come down from a vehicle sunroof, still have a long way to go, but we will continue to develop them.”

 

[2022 OLED KOREA CONFERENCE] LG Display Executive Vice President Hyun-Woo Lee, Advancements in the Display Market with Technological Innovation that Suits Changing Lifestyles

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Executive Vice President Lee explained OLED technology innovation, future application fields, and market changes. He mentioned that COVID-19 has increased everyone’s time at home and changes in life display is necessary to match it.

Executive Vice President Lee first explained LG Display’s OLED.EX, and said, “LG Display’s OLED.EX is the most advanced OLED panel to which EX technology is applied. OLED.EX applies deuterium to increase brightness (an important element in OLED panels) by 30%. Through personalize algorithm based on AI and big data, reliability will be increased.” He also emphasized that “LG Display’s OLED.EX will be applied to all OLED TVs in the second quarter of 2022 and LG Display will lead the display market with innovative technologies including OLED.EX.”

Next, Executive Vice President Lee announced about life displays applied to everyday life, and said, “OLED is applied to life displays such as gaming, transparent, and portable displays. OLED realizes 100% original color to increase the sense of reality and enables excellent interaction with eye care, making it suitable as a gaming display.” Also “Transparent OLED maximizes the advantages of OLED, enabling the highest level of transparency and picture quality. By applying it to signage, it provides an effective experience to customers, and by applying it to mobility, it can use the dead space to indicate the current operation status or use it for advertisements. In addition, it is possible to create a space of new value and change a creative lifestyle by applying it to life”.

‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ was a conference for exchange of ideas, business relationships, and partnerships with renowned speakers from major companies in the display industry from all over the world. ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ held a business conference on the 7th and 8th, beginning with a tutorial on April 6th.

[2022 OLED KOREA CONFERENCE] Samsung Electronics Joins the OLED TV Market, and the TV Panel Market is Expected to Exceed 20 million Units in 2025

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At UBI Research’s ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ held on April 6th-8th, UBI Research CEO Choong-Hoon Lee gave a presentation on, ‘OLED Market Review’.

CEO Lee presented the status of the entire OLED industry, market, and outlook with a focus on issues in 2022.

CEO Lee first announced the OLED TV business, a major issue in the recent OLED industry. CEO Lee said, “The biggest issue that has been heating up the OLED industry since the end of last year is OLED TV. There are topics such as Samsung Display’s re-entry into the large OLED business, sales of QD-OLED TVs between Samsung Electronics and Sony, and visualization of collaboration between Samsung Electronics and LG Display.”

In the TV OLED panel demand and supply forecast, CEO Lee said, “If Samsung Electronics purchases OLED panels from LG Display and conducts OLED TV business, LG Display and Samsung Display can supply a total of 12 million TV OLED panels this year. Among them, demand is 11.7 million units, and oversupply accounts for only 3%.” In addition, “With the joining of Samsung Electronics, the demand for OLED TV panels is expected to expand to 13 million units in 2023 and 20 million units in 2025. According to the expanding market, companies need to expand their facilities by the third quarter of this year” he predicted.

CEO Lee continued, “LG ​​Display has been working hard to secure funds for 8.5 generation OLED line expansion since last year, and it is estimated that it will secure additional funds for 45K expansion within this year. With LG Display’s additional measures, the TV OLED panel market is expected to reach 13.5 million units in 2023 and 16 million units after 2024. However, to secure a market of more than 20 million units, it is necessary to plan to invest in the 10.5 generation by next year” he analyzed. He also said, “If Samsung Display invests, 10.5G investment is desirable, but 8.5G investment is expected.” He said, “Whether LG Display invests or Samsung Display invests, a long-term supply contract with Samsung Electronics for 10.5G investment should take precedence. If the investment proceeds, Samsung Display is expected to secure its own funds, but LG Display is expected to require joint investment with Samsung Electronics.”

‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ was a conference for exchange of ideas, business relationships, and partnerships with renowned speakers from major companies in the display industry from all over the world. ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ held a business conference on the 7th and 8th, beginning with a tutorial on April 6th.

 

[2022 OLED KOREA CONFERENCE] What New Technology Will Advance OLED for Mobile Devices?

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At UBI Research’s ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference Tutorial’ held on April 6th-8th, Dr. Jae-Jin Yoo from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University gave a presentation on, ‘An Overview of OLED Materials and Devices’.

Dr. Yoo explained the paradigm and market prospect of OLED for mobile devices, the structure of each layer, and the light emitting material. Although LCD is still leading the market by introducing mini-LED and other technologies, it is predicted that OLED will lead the display market in the future.

Dr. Yoo explained that among the latest technologies, “LTPO TFT is a technology newly applied to mobile by supplementing the shortcomings of LTPS TFT and oxide TFT process. LTPO TFT is a double-designed display with low electron mobility but no leakage current by changing at least one transistor to oxide in the LTPS TFT process”. He also explained, “In still images, LTPS TFT needs to be driven at 60Hz to maintain the brightness of the screen due to high leakage current, but for oxide TFTs, 1Hz operation is possible because of low leakage current.” Dr. Yoo added, “Although there is an issue that the process of LTPO TFT is more complicated than that of LTPS TFT, it can reduce the total power of mobile devices by 10~15% and it has the advantage that it can be applied to AOD (Always on Display).”

Next, introducing the OLED deposition method and vapor deposition machine, he explained that if the 8.5 generation vertical deposition method, which is currently an issue for IT, is commercialized, it has many advantages in terms of productivity and is a much anticipated technology.

‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ was a conference for exchange of ideas, business relationships, and partnerships with renowned speakers from major companies in the display industry from all over the world. ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ held a business conference on the 7th and 8th, beginning with a tutorial on April 6th.

 

 

[2022 OLED KOREA CONFERENCE] Expected iPhone Shipments to Remain Strong at 249 Million Units in 2022

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At UBI Research’s ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ held from April 6th to 8th, Yasuo Nakane, senior analyst at Mizuho Securities, presented ‘Consumer Electronics/Flat Panel Display Industry What is the Outlook for Turbulent 2022?’ .

Regarding Apple’s iPhone industry, Senior Vice President Nakane said, “The strength of iPhone continued in 2021. iPhone production in 2021 was 234 million units, which was 3 million less than shipments of 237 million units. Sales were 240 million units which made it so that no inventory was accumulated.” He also announced that “In the first quarter of 2022, 62 million iPhones were produced, a 13% increase compared to the same period last year, and 53 million units are expected to be produced in the second quarter”. He analyzed the outlook of 2022, “Considering the strong first half of 2022 and the impact of new product price hikes in the second half of 2022, annual iPhone production in 2022 is estimated to be 249 million units, a 6% increase from the previous year, of which iPhone 14 is estimated to be 83 million.”

Next, regarding the older iPhone models, he analyzed that “iPhone13 series is expected to continue sales for the time being except for iPhone13 Mini. Among iPhone12 series, only iPhone12 will continue to be sold”. He also announced, “Samsung Display supplies panels for all models of the iPhone series, LG Display supplied LTPO models for the first time, and BOE’s panels will continue to be used in iPhone12.” In addition, he predicted, “Suggestions to apply not only LCD but also OLED to iPhone SE3 would continue and iPhone 11’s camera is expected to be used. Face ID would not be applied.”

Regarding the timing of OLED application for iPad and MacBook, Nakane said, “It is expected that two models of iPad air with OLED will come out in the second half of 2024 at the earliest and OLED will be applied to MacBook Air in the second half of 2025 at the earliest.” Finally, “the business plan for the foldable model has not been decided, but it seems that they are interested in a PC-size foldable model rather than a smartphone-sized foldable model. The plan is to release them after 2026.” he predicted.

[China Trend Report] TCL CSOT’s T8 Project to Invest in Generation 8.5 Inkjet Printing Technology

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According to the ‘China Trend Report’ published by UBI Research, TCL CSOT plans to apply the generation 8.5 inkjet printing OLED technology to the T8 line. It is expected that some layers will be formed by vapor deposition in the inkjet printing method rather than the complete inkjet printing method. The location is likely to be Guangzhou.

TCL CSOT’s T8 line was scheduled to start construction in March 2022 using the inkjet method, but there were rumors that the schedule continued to be delayed due to investment scale and yield issues. There are also talks about the project being canceled altogether. However, it seems that TCL CSOT has continuously improved its technology by continuously collaborating with JOLED. They also announced related contents at DTC 2021 held in November 2021.

It is is expected that mainly OLEDs for IT and automobiles will be mass-produced at the T8 line. The investment schedule and details of the TCL CSOT T8 project can be found in the ‘March China Trend Report’.

Analysis of 65-inch Premium TV Price Trends in the First Quarter of 2022

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We analyzed the prices of 65-inch TVs of Samsung Electronics’ QLED TVs, OLED TVs from LG Electronics and Sony, and LG Electronics’ QNED TVs until March 2022.

The models we investigated at Samsung Electronics were 4K high-end model QN90A, 4K entry-level models QN85A and QN80A, and 8K models QN800A and QN900A. The models at LG Electronics were OLED TVs A1, C1, and G1 models and QNED TVs QN90UP and QN99UP. The models at Sony Electronics were OLED TV XR65A80J and XR65A90J.

The prices of Samsung Electronics’ 4K models QN90A, QN85A, and QN80A were $2600, $2200, $1700, respectively and the 8K models QN900A and QN800A were $5000 and $3500, respectively. The launch prices of LG Electronics’ OLED TVs A1, C1, and G1 were $2000, $2300, and $3000, respectively while the QNED TVs QNED90UP and QNED99UP were $1600 and $2700, respectively. Sony’s OLED TVs XR65A80J and XR65A90J were priced at $2800 and $4000, respectively.

 

As of March, the highest-priced 65-inch premium TV model was Sony’s XR65A90J. The lowest-priced model was Samsung Electronics’ QN65QN80A.

The prices of most of Samsung Electronics’ products have been falling since December. As of March, Samsung Electronics’ 80A, 85A, and 90A models are priced at $150, $200, and $500 lower than LG Electronics’ A1, C1, and G1 models, respectively, to induce consumption.

The price of LG Electronics’ OLED A1 and G1 models did not change after the last $100 price reduction in January and the C1 model has maintained the price of $1800 since October 2021. The price of LG Electronics’ QNED90UP did not change and the QNED99UP maintained a price of $2500, down $200 from its launch price.

Sony’s XR65A80J, which had dropped to $1800 in October 2021, recovered to $2000 in December and has maintained it until March. The XR65A90J has been steadily dropping in price since December 2021, forming a price of $3000 in March.

 

Samsung Display Expands its Business from Smartphones to OLED for IT

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According to UBI Research’s published quarterly report, “1Q22 Medium & Large OLED Display Market Track”, mid-to-large OLED sales in the fourth quarter of 2021 was up 29.1% (QoQ) from the previous quarter at $2.2 billion and up by 76.9% (YoY) from the same period of the previous year.

Although Samsung Display leads the way in the OLED market for mobile devices, LG Display overwhelming dominates the mid to large-sized OLED market.

Of the $2.2 billion in mid to large-sized sales in the fourth quarter of 2021, LG Display’s sales was a massive $1.84 billion, accounting for 83.6% of the market.

By application product, OLED for TVs accounted for 85% of the market with $1.87 billion and OLED for notebook sales accounted for 8.8% of the market at $193 million.

 

 

Samsung Display began shipping QD-OLED for TVs and monitors from December 2021.

LG Display announced that it will begin supplying improved OLED EX panels of OLED panels for TV from 2022. LG Display plans to complete preparations for OLED EX production in Paju and Guangzhou by the first quarter of 2022. LG Display has negotiated with Samsung Electronics to supply OLED panels for TVs but no final decisions have been made.

Samsung Display is expanding its OLED business from smartphones to IT applications such as notebooks and tablet PCs.  UBI Research predicted the larger than 10-inches, mid-to-large OLED market after 5 years.  The TV market, which accounts for 83.5% in 2022, will decrease to 62.1% in 2026. However, the IT market is expected to expand.

“1Q22 Medium & Large OLED Display Market Track” provides data analysis for 10-inches or larger, mid-to-large OLED by examining the current status of OLED production capacity, major panel makers, shipments by application, and sales performance.

In addition, this analysis provides information for major product lines such as automotives, note PCs, monitors, and TVs by evaluating detailed quarterly shipments, sales performances, ASP by application, and OLED supply and demand analysis by application. It projects the market for the next 5 years.

[China Trend Report] Honor Magic4 Series, Panel Supply from BOE and Visionox

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According to the ‘China Trend Report’ published by UBI Research, Honor, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, announced Magic4 and Magic4 Pro at MWC 2022 held on February 28th.

Both products are 6.81 inches in size. Magic4 has a resolution of 1224×2664 and Magic4 Pro has a resolution of 1312×2848. The peak brightness of both products is 1,000nits and the refresh rate is 120Hz. LTPO TFT and 1,920Hz high frequency PWM dimming technology are applied.

The display panel is supplied by Chinese panel makers BOE and Visionox. The DDIC is supplied by Taiwanese IC chip maker Novatek. BOE supplies panels of three models: Magic4, Magic4 Pro, and Magic4 Pro plus. Visionox supplies panels of two models, Magic4 and Magic4 Pro.

Detailed mass production line and quantity estimation of Honor Magic4 series are included in ‘China Trend Report’. The ‘China Trend Report’ provides various information on the Chinese display industry trends, such as the latest issues of major Chinese display companies, line trends and shipments, equipment disclosures by company, and introduction of new products in China. The report can be inquired on the UBI Research website.

Simbeyond enters new phase of growth with investor and partner ECFG

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Eindhoven, 25 February 2022. ECFG has acquired a minority share in Simbeyond through Eindhoven Venture Capital Fund II (EVCF II). Simbeyond has developed simulation software (Bumblebee) that can very accurately measure the effects of OLED materials at the device level. This is the first financing round for Simbeyond. The financing will be used to accelerate company growth (R&D and sales organization).

 

The software

Simbeyond offers a software tool, Bumblebee. The software tool is a computer simulation for the use of materials in the engineering process of OLED materials. The current process is often based on trial & error, which means that this is expensive and involves time-consuming and experimental efforts. The software is developed for companies that want to simulate the effects of organic light-emitting or light-emitting diodes at the device level. Customers include research & development (R&D) companies and departments of large tech companies and other relevant R&D institutes (such as universities). The unique approach allows customers to analyze, predict and improve device performance. This leads to a shorter time-to-market and to reduced R&D costs for the electronic devices of today and tomorrow.

Investment objectives

Simbeyond is a technology-driven organization. The past few years have mainly been dominated by product development. The goal in this new growth phase for Simbeyond is to become the preferred supplier of organic materials simulation software for the high-tech industry. Additionally, two more application areas will be materialized into an expansion of the current product line: batteries and nanolithography.

Cooperation

“Simbeyond is entering a new growth phase with ambitious goals and a drive for new opportunities. This investment and collaboration mean not only securing the resources to become the number one simulation tool in the OLED market, but also taking a step forward into new products,” said Siebe van Mensfoort, CEO of Simbeyond.

Hans Bloemen of ECFG: “To measure is to know and Simbeyond does that in its purest form. Bumblebee is only just getting ready to really enter the market. It now needs the right commercial attention with the most suitable profession. The investment ensures that this step towards growth can be realized. In addition to further developing the current market, a step can also be taken in a new market, battery technology. Together we hope to bring this technical gem to fruition.”

About ECFG | Ecfg.nl

ECFG is an independent fund manager that advises, guides and invests in SME companies active in the business-to-business segment. The activities are primarily aimed at strategically and financially supporting innovative, sustainable and promising companies. The broad entrepreneurial investor base and relevant network also offer additional added value. Since the start of ECFG in 2008 and has guided more than 400 entrepreneurs and companies in business development, financing and strategy and realized more than 30 participations. ECGF operates in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The ECFG team consists of fourteen people and is located in the center of Eindhoven.

About Simbeyond | simbeyond.com

Simbeyond is a simulation software company which accelerates development of advanced materials and high-tech devices as used in state-of-the-art display, lighting and signage applications. Organic electronics, such as the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays of present-day smartphones, paves the way for mechanically flexible electronics. The unique approach provided allows customers to analyze, predict and improve device performance. This leads to a shorter time-to-market and to reduced R&D costs for the electronic devices of today and tomorrow. Simbeyond was founded in 2015, as a spin-off launched by the Technical University of Eindhoven (TU/e). The company is located in Eindhoven and its team consists of thirteen people.

 

More information

Simbeyond | Polina Vasilkovska | Simbeyond |  marketing@simbeyond.com

ECFG |  Silvia Dekkers | +31 6 288 30 330 | communicatie@ecfg.nl

[China Trend Report] Significant Reduction of BOE’s Panel Supply to Apple in February and March due to Touch IC Supply Issue

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According to the ‘China Trend Report’ published by UBI Research, BOE B11 (Mianyang) plant is experiencing difficulties in supplying quantities to Apple due to the supply and demand problem of Touch IC. The report analyzed that BOE’s shipments to Apple have decreased significantly due to the supply and demand problem of Touch IC. As a result, shipments are expected to fall far short of the 2022 target set by BOE.

Along with the Touch IC supply issue, the overall shipments of major Chinese panel makers are also on the decline. According to the report, the total shipment of OLED panels for smartphones in China in January this year was 12.7 million units, a decrease of 27% compared to 17.4 million units in December last year.

The ‘China Trend Report’ provides various information on China’s display industry trends. It covers the latest issues of major Chinese panel makers, including BOE’s reduced shipments to Apple, line trends and shipments, equipment disclosures, and new product lists. The report can be inquired on the UBI Research website.

Foldable Phones Predicted to Exceed 100 Million Units by 2026

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According to UBI Research’s “1Q22 Small OLED Display Market Track” Small OLED Display (10-inches or smaller watch, smartphone, foldable phone, etc.) shipment in 2021 was 746 million, a 34.4% increase from the previous year’s 555 million. The reason for the increase in shipments compared to 2020 can be attributed to the increased sales of iPhone 12, iPhone13, and the unexpectedly strong sales of Galaxy Z’s Fold 3 and Flip 3.

Compared to the previous year, Small OLED sales in 2021 was up from $26.5 billion to $38.1 billion, a 43.9% increase.

Graphs are categorized by application product; Watch, Smartphone, Foldable Phone.

Since 2019, foldable phones have been on an upward trend. The market for foldable phones in 2021 exceeded 10 million units, accounting for 1.4% of all small displays. It is predicted that foldable phones’ yearly upward trend will result in exceeding 100 million units by 2026, accounting for 9.7% of all small displays.

“1Q 2022, Small OLED Display Market Track” analyzes the production capacity for 10-inches or smaller OLED Displays. Quarterly sales market and shipment market were investigated by these categories; major panel makers, country, generation, substrate, TFT technology (LTPO and LTPS), and by application products (watch, smartphone, foldable phone).

An analysis of ASP and OLED supply/demand by application is also provided. Small OLED Display market forecast data is predicted until 2026 on Excel.

[UBI Research China Trend Report] Chinese Panel Makers’ Total Shipments of OLED Panels for Smartphones in the Fourth Quarter of 2021 Increased by 26% Compared to the Third Quarter

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26% Increase in Total Shipments of Chinese OLED Panels for Smartphones in the Fourth Quarter compared to the Third Quarter

 

According to UBI Research’s ‘February 1st China Trend Report’, total shipments of OLED panels for smartphones by Chinese panel makers in the fourth quarter of 2021 were 44.8 million units, a 26% increase from 35.57 million units in the previous quarter. By company, BOE shipped 20.9 million units and occupied a 46.7% share, followed by Visionox with 9.7 million units, EverDisplay Optronics with 5.5 million units, CSOT with 5.5 million units, and Tianma with 3.1 million units.

 

By substrate, flexible OLED panel shipments were the highest for BOE with 20.9 million units, followed by CSOT with 5.5 million units, Visionox with 4.7 million units, and Tianma with 3 million units. BOE’s panel shipments increased the most compared to the previous quarter with an increase of 5.3 million units, followed by Visionox by 1.9 million units and Tianma by 1 million units. CSOT’s panel shipments decreased by 300,000 units from the previous quarter.

In the field of rigid OLED panel shipments, EverDisplay Optronics shipped 5.54 million units, a decrease of 80,000 units compared to the third quarter, but maintained the No. 1 position in rigid OLED panel shipments with a market share of 52%. Visionox, in second place, shipped 5.04 million units, up 43% QoQ, chasing EverDisplay Optronics. Tianma’s rigid OLED panel shipments were 120,000 units, accounting for only 1%.

The details can be found in the ‘UBI Research China Trend Report’, and inquiries can be made on the UBI Research website.

China Aims for the Foldable Phone Market with Multiple Foldable Phone Launches

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Samsung Electronics widely successful release of its foldable phones, Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 last year has risen expectations for establishing foldable phones into the mainstream. Chinese companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo are also releasing multiple foldable phones.

As the first foldable phone in China, Huawei has been releasing the Mate X series every year since its launch in 2019. The Mate X and the Mate Xs released in 2020 are 8 inches in size and folds outward. The external display is 6.6 inches with a resolution of 1148×2480 and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9.

Mate X2 was introduced in February 2021 with 8 inches for the internal display and the external display is 6.45 inches OLED with a resolution of 1160 x 2700 and an aspect ratio of 21:9. Colorless PI was applied to the cover window. Mate X2 folds inward instead of Mate X’s outward folding display.

P50 Pocket released in December 2021 is a clamshell phone similar to the Samsung Flip 3. The internal display is 6.9 inches with 120Hz refresh rate and an aspect ratio of 21:9. The cover window is 1.1 inches circular type.

Honor released a foldable phone, Magic V on January 10th 2022.

The internal display is 8 inches with 90Hz refresh rate and the external display is 6.5 inches with 120Hz refresh rate. The cover window is colorless PI. Both internal and external panels are made in BOE B11(Mianyang) line. The initial production is estimated to be 50,000 and the estimated total production volume is 100,000 to 200,000.

According to the sales result, the Visionox panel might be applied to the product.

Vivo is about to release a new foldable, the NEX FOLD. Vivo filed patents for NEX FOLD, NEX ROLL, and NEX SLIDE.

NEX fold’s internal display is 8.03 inches with QHD 120Hz and the external display is 6.53 inches with FHD 120Hz. Both internal and external display has the same refresh rate. The display panel is Samsung Display’s LTPO, and the cover window is planned to be 30 um thickness UTG.

It is planned to be released in March 2022, but no official announcement has been made.

Samsung Display is using UTG(Ultra Thin Glass) for the cover window and most Chinese panel companies are using Colorless PI. Many Chinese companies are introducing foldable phones, but durability issues are reported on many social network media posts. Chinese panel makers still have much to go in terms of quality in technology and production cost when compared to Samsung Display.

SDC, 4Q2021 The Highest Smartphone Shipments 125 million units, Highest market share of flexible OLED 50.1%

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According to UBI Research Weekly Report, Samsung Display’s OLED shipped 480 million units in 2021. The highest number of shipments were in the 4th quarter at 133 million units and the second highest was in the in 3rd quarter at 129 million units.

Samsung Display OLED application products shipped in 2021 were smartphones, watches, tablet PCs notebooks and TVs. OLED for TVs started shipment in the fourth quarter of last year. It was the first OLED for TV shipment in eight years since 2013 when they had discontinued mass production.

Samsung Display OLED for smartphones shipped 456 million units, which was 94% of the total shipments. OLED for watches shipped 14 million units, just 2.9% of the total shipments.

OLED for notebooks had the most significant growth in 2021. 5 million units were shipped, representing a 2.5 times higher growth than the 1.9 million Tablet PC units shipped.

According to a quarterly analysis of Samsung Display smartphones shipments in 2021, 125 million units were shipped in the fourth quarter, showing the highest performance. This is mainly due to high shipments to Apple in the fourth quarter for OLED for iPhone. In 2021, 102 million units of OLED for iPhone were shipped and 45.4 million units were supplied to Apple in the fourth quarter. Therefore, the market share was the highest at 50.1% in the fourth quarter for flexible OLED shipments.

Flexible OLED and rigid OLED shipments were 190 million units and 257 million units respectively in 2021. The annual shipment market share was 41.6% and 56.5% respectively. Foldable OLED shipments were 8.7 million units, a market share of 1.9%.

 

LG Display Achieves Record Sales in 2021, Swinging a Profit after Three Years

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As LG Display posted the highest sales ever, at the same time it also made a sharp pivot into a profit for the first time in three years. On the 26th, LG Display announced that it had achieved annual sales of 29.878 trillion won and operating profit of 2.23 trillion won in 2021. “This is the result of the large-sized OLED panels in the premium market, the strengthening of the small and medium-sized OLED business base, and the innovation of LCD structures centered on IT products,” LG Display goes on the explain. While the overall TV market experienced negative growth last year, LG Display led the large-sized OLED business. OLED TV panel shipments grew by more than 70% compared to the previous year, which turned to profit in the second half of the year. This helped reach a break-even point.

Following the previous year’s earnings announcement, LG Display stated, “This year, we plan to expand profitability in stages based on shipment growth of more than 20% compared to the previous year and strengthened business capabilities,” and “From the second quarter, ‘OLED.EX’ will be applied to all OLED TV panel series to accelerate the trend toward OLED in the premium TV market.” OLED.EX is a TV panel that increases screen brightness (luminance) by 30% and reduces bezel by 30% by applying ‘deuterium technology’ and ‘personalization algorithm’ to organic light emitting devices. These are the core elements of OLED picture quality. In the case of small and medium-sized OLEDs, the mobile sector plans to improve profitability by expanding new models and high-end products in the second half of the year and expand to the overall mobility industry. The LCD division will continue its strategy of selection and concentration focusing on IT products.

LG Display also expressed confidence in Samsung Display, which has emerged as a new competitor in the OLED market. When asked about LG Display’s competitiveness compared to Samsung Display’s QD-OLED, Large-Scale Marketing Manager Lee Tae-Jong remarked, “Our competitor’s products have not been released yet, so an accurate comparison will be possible only after the actual launch.” He continued, ”LG Display, which has been in business for more than 10 years is far superior in our overall competitiveness in our products and cost, economies of scale, and customers. We will continue to widen the gap in the future.”

Analysis of 65-inch Premium TV Price Trend in 2021

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Analysis of 65-inch Premium TV Price Trend in 2021

This is an analysis for the 65-inch TV prices for Samsung Electronics’ QNED TV, LG Electronics’ OLED TV, and Sony’s OLED TV in 2021.

Samsung Electronics started with the 4K high-end models QN90A and the 8K models QN800A and QN900A. The entry-level models QN80A and QN85A were released sequentially. The 4K models QN90A, QN85A, and QN80A were priced at $2,600, $2,200, and $1,700 respectively. The 8K models QN900A and QN800A were priced at $5,000 and $3,500.

Starting with the high-end model G1, LG Electronics launched the entry-level models A1 and C1 models. The launch prices were $3,000, $2,300, and $2,000 for the G1, C1, and A1, respectively.

Sony launched two models, the XR65A80J and XR65A90J. The starting price was $4,000 for the XR65A90J.

In 2021, events such as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Black Friday played a major factor in aggressive marketing by companies.

Samsung Electronics’ 8K models QN900A and QN800A had two prices cuts, the first one for the Tokyo Olympics and then for Black Friday. In the end, the QN900A was lowered by $1,700 and QN800A by $800 than their launch prices. Similarly, the 4K models 90A cut its price by $700, the 85A by $800, and the 80A by $500 from the launch prices, forming an average price of $300 lower than LG Electronics’ comparable models.

LG Electronics’ TVs had also began marketing in June when they were affected by the Tokyo Olympics and averaged a $300 price cut on all their OLED products. In anticipation for Black Friday,  in October they lowered their prices by another $200 on average when compared to their launch prices.

Meanwhile, LG Electronics’ 8K QNED TV 65QNED99UP model was priced at $2,500, the lowest price among 8K models.

Finally, Sony’s XR65A80J model dropped to $1,800 in November, which was a $1,000 price cut from the launch price, but recovered its price to $2,000 in December. No price changes for the high-end model, the X65A90J other than one $200 price cut a month after its launch.

 

Samsung Display’s QD-OLED Applied to Sony’s TV and DELL’s Monitor

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QD-OLED panels, which are being mass-produced from the second half of 2021 at Samsung Display, will be applied to new products for Sony and DELL.

First, Sony announced ‘A95K’, the first TV with QD-OLED in its 2022 TV lineup. A95K is available in 55-inch and 65-inch models, featuring 4K resolution and a refresh rate of 120 Hz.

    <Sony’s QD-OLED TV ‘A95K’, Source: electronics.cony.com>

Meanwhile, Samsung Display’s QD-OLED is also applied to DELL’s 34-inch gaming monitor. DELL’s ‘Alienware AW3423DW’ monitor has a 34-inch size, 3440 x 1440 resolution, a refresh rate of 175 Hz, and a response speed of 0.1 ms. In addition, the monitor supports ‘DisplayHDR 400 True Black’. DELL said it will start selling around March 2022.

As Samsung Display’s QD-OLED enters the TV and IT markets, it is expected to compete fiercely with LG Display’s WRGB OLED and JOLED’s RGB inkjet printing technology in the existing mid-to-large market. Many have a huge interest as to which company’s technology will become the main technology in the mid- to large-sized market in the future.

Chinese OLED smartphones released in 2021, 62% increase compared to 2020

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Of the total 226 OLED smartphones released in 2021, China released 175. This is an overwhelming 77.4% share in the market. Korea released 20, which is half of the 39 in 2020. The United States released 16 and other countries released 15.

By size, there were 218 products in the 6-inch range, accounting for 96.5% of the market share, indicating that 6-inch products have established themselves as mainstream. In addition, 3 products in the 8-inch range, 2 products in the 5-inch range and 7-inch range, and 1 product in the 4-inch range were released. All 7-inch and larger products were foldable.

By display design, the punch hole model was released at an overwhelming 173, followed by the notch model at 31, the narrow-bezel model at 15, the under display camera (UDC) and pop-up camera at 3 models each, and 1 product with a home button was released.

Finally, in the display area (D.A), which is the display area to the size of the smartphone, 194 products belonging to 80-90% accounted for 85.8% of the product, 29 products above 90% and 1 product under 80% were released. The home button is now gone, the notch design is reduced, and the average D.A. has increased due to the continuous launch of full-screen smartphones. The product with the highest D.A was 94.9%, which occupies the Honor’s Magic3 series.

[2021 Visionox Technology Innovation Conference] Chief Executive Officer Zhu Xiujian, “We will provide the ultimate experience through form innovation, basic performance enhancement, and function integration”

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At the Visionox Technology Innovation Conference in 2021, Zhu Xiujian, Chief Executive Officer of Visionox Technology Product Engineering Center, gave a presentation on OLED industry trends and Visionox’s advanced technology exploration.

In the OLED industry trend, Chief Executive Officer Zhu emphasized, “Flexible OLED is expected to occupy more than 30% of the panels for mobile devices after 2023, and cost reduction is the only way to expand the market.”

In the OLED technology change for mobile devices that followed, “From 2011 to 2018, a full screen with a notch or a narrow bezel became a trend, from 2019 to 2020, we pursued morphological differentiation such as camera pop-up, punch hole, U-notch, and under panel camera,” he said. He also announced, “After 2021, basic performance such as high refresh rate and low power consumption has been strengthened, and more differentiated technologies such as foldable and advanced UPC are being developed.”

Finally, the Chief Executive Officer mentions form innovation, basic performance improvement, function integration and advanced technology innovation for Visionox’s product innovation solution, full screen and various folding technologies for shape innovation, visual experience and low power consumption with improved pixel structure and color performance for basic performance improvement, cost reduction through layer integration, fingerprint recognition or touch pressure sensing technology for functional integration, and advanced technology In Innovation, he finished the presentation by mentioning micro LED and saying that it will provide optimal solutions to users.

[UBI Research China Trend Report] BOE Dominates OLED Shipments for Smartphones in October

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According to the ‘China Trend Report for the 1st week of December’ published by UBI Research recently, Among Chinese companies, BOE maintained the No. 1 position with an overwhelming share in OLED panel shipments for smartphones in October.

According to the report, in the flexible OLED shipments by Chinese companies in October, BOE had the most with 5.2 million units, followed by CSOT with 1.6 million units, Tianma with 1 million units, and Visionox with 940,000 units. In terms of market share, BOE was 59%, followed by CSOT, Tianma, and Visionox with 18%, 12%, and 11%, respectively.

As for Rigid OLED shipments, EverDisplay Optronics had the most with 1.7 million units and Visionox mass-produced 950,000 units. In terms of market share, EverDisplay Optronics accounted for 65% and Visionox 35%. Tianma, which previously mass-produced a small amount of rigid OLED, did not mass-produce rigid OLED panels in October.

As autonomous driving technology advances, the adoption rate of OLED will increase

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At UBI Research’s ‘OLED Settlement Seminar in the second half of 2021’ held on the 19th, Park Seon-hong, head of the Korea Automobile Research Institute, gave a presentation on ‘the status and outlook of future automotive display development’.

Responsible Park said, “If the autonomous driving technology is advanced, the number or time of driving will decrease, and the change of the interior space is essential because the driver pays attention to the interior environment of the vehicle. Through the change of the vehicle display, the change of the steering wheel to secure space, and the change of the seat, the efficiency of the space that can utilize the interior space can be increased.”

Among the changes resulting from the development of autonomous driving technology, Responsible Park said, “With the change of the display inside and outside the vehicle, the degree of freedom of space within the vehicle can be improved as buttons, switches, and gear knobs inside the vehicle are applied to the display.” In keeping with, the display mounted on the vehicle is also changing to a large-screen, large-area curved display.”

Responsible Park said, “Displays that secure the reliability of autonomous driving by communicating with the outside such as pedestrians and two-wheeled vehicles through external communication as well as the inside of the vehicle are gaining prominence. By displaying information about the vehicle’s condition (acceleration or deceleration, whether it is stopped, etc.), safety issues can be controlled.”

Currently, automotive displays have a high adoption rate of LCD, but OLED can realize flexible displays, and its thin thickness, high contrast ratio, fast response speed, and wide viewing angles make it possible to apply it in complex and diverse spaces inside automobiles in line with the era of autonomous driving. expected to increase. LG Display is already mass-producing POLED for automobiles, and Samsung Display and Chinese panel makers are also preparing for mass-production of OLED for automobiles.

As autonomous driving technology develops, automobiles are emerging as a new concept of ‘rest and comfort’ out of a means of transportation. While the evolution of in-vehicle displays is essential in such a leisure space, expectations are being raised on how much influence OLED will have on the market as a display for automobiles in the future.

Smartphone and foldable OLED shipments expected to exceed 700 million units in 2025

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At UBI Research’s ‘2021 OLED settlement seminar for the second half of the year’ held on the 19th, UBI Research CEO Choong-Hoon Yi gave a presentation on the settlement of small/mid-large OLED industry and future market prospects.

CEO Yi said, “The total sales of OLED for mobile devices in the third quarter was $10.3 billion, up 23.6% from the second quarter and 64.1% from the same period last year. OLED for phones grew to a meaningful number for the first time to $540 million in the third quarter.”

According to the announcement by CEO Yi, the total shipment of smartphones and foldable phones in the third quarter was 167 million, up 22.7% from the previous quarter and 55.3% from the same period of the previous year. “The smartphone market contracted in 2020 due to the spread of Corona 19 and sanctions by Huawei, but the market is growing out of this situation in 2021 thanks to the popularity of Apple’s iPhone 12,” said CEO Yi.

Comparing OLED shipments for smartphones in the third quarter by panel maker, Samsung Display took 72.9%, followed by BOE and LG Display with 9.4% and 5.8%, respectively. CEO Yi mentioned, “Samsung Display maintained 80% level just a year ago, but BOE is gradually gaining strength as BOE’s production lines are being prepared step by step.” and “In terms of sales, Samsung Display accounted for 79.0%, which is higher than the shipment share, and BOE, 8.8%, which is lower than the shipment share. This result appears because the panels of Samsung Display and LG Display are sold to Apple at the highest price.”

Next, CEO Yi predicted, “In terms of OLED shipments by country, Korea dominates the market with 78.7%, but the Chinese market, which currently accounts for 21.3%, will gradually grow and the shipments of the two countries will become similar in about five years.” He also predicted, “In order for the industry to grow, the top-level set makers in the supply chain are important, and based on China’s numerous set makers and the large domestic market, it is highly likely that the leadership will be transferred to China in about five years.”

In the smartphone market forecast analysis, CEO Yi said, “In 2021, OLED shipments for smartphones and foldable phones are expected to reach 580 million units, and the market will grow by 100 million units in the next two years, reaching 600 million units in 2023 and 700 million units in 2025. We will overcome it,” he predicted.

LG Display Wins Presidential Award for its Automotive P-OLED at the Korea Technology Awards

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SEOUL, Korea (Nov. 17, 2021) – LG Display, the world’s leading innovator of display technologies, announced today that its Automotive P-OLED display won the Presidential Award, the highest honor for the most revolutionary technology of the year, at the 2021 Korea Technology Awards in Seoul, Korea. This is LG Display’s second Presidential Award after first winning the coveted honor for its outstanding 65-inch Rollable OLED panel at the 2019 Korea Technology Awards.

Hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the nation’s most prestigious technology awards ceremony recognizes companies, research institutes, and universities that have developed groundbreaking technologies and products boasting excellence in performance and domestic industry impact.

Thanks to the self-emissive nature of OLED technology, LG Display’s award-winning Automotive P-OLED display provides incredible picture quality with real black to give drivers high clarity and outdoor visibility during both day and night. In addition to being more eco-friendly than its LCD counterpart, P-OLED has no need for a backlight which gives it a lighter, sleeker, more premium and flexible design.

Notably, it has received the High Visibility Automotive OLED and Eye Comfort Display certifications from TÜV Rheinland, a global independent inspection service. To leverage the diverse benefits of such an innovative and next-generation technology, leading automakers around the world are incorporating this display into their latest vehicles’ infotainment systems.

LG Display’s Automotive P-OLED display is touted by major global automakers, especially when it comes to high reliability even in the harshest environments. The company’s Automotive P-OLED is already globally recognized for its innovative technology, earlier this year picking up the Best New Display Component award at Display Week 2021 which was hosted by the Society for Information Display (SID).

In tandem with the rapidly growing market that is turning out more and more cars with larger multiple displays, LG Display aims to continue leading the market with its unique, differentiated P-OLED technology.

“We are grateful to have been recognized for the Automotive P-OLED technology we developed to bring enhanced safety, design innovation, and ESG values to our consumers,” said Kim Myoung-Kyu, Executive Vice President and Head of the Mobile Business Unit at LG Display. “We will continue to create new and innovative OLED technologies that provide unique and differentiated values to customers, thereby leading the market.”

Merck’s Blue Ink Material Lifetime Announced 65% Improvement Year-over-Year.

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At ‘Display Insight 2021’ held online on November 4th, ‘Joachim Kaiser’, global application manager of Merck, presented ‘Our OLED solutions – livilux®’. When presenting the ink portion of livilux’s OLED materials, Kaiser noted that “Inkjet printing is the only technology that combines RGB parallel pixel layout with scalability for large display sizes”.

Kaiser announced “Maximizing the performance of IJP devices requires a thorough understanding and optimization of state-of-the-art OLED materials, ink formulations optimized for each application, and the entire device stack” and “Merck can get a lot of benefits from IJP performance improvement from its experience in developing materials for deposition”.

Comparing the performance announced by Merck last year and this year, the luminous efficiency (cd/A) of red increased by 46% compared to the previous year, green by 10%, and blue did not change. External quantum efficiency (EQE) was 34.1%, increased by 20% for red, and 28%, increased by 5% for green, and there was no change in blue like the luminous efficiency. In terms of lifespan, 20% for green and 65% for blue were greatly improved. The lifespan of the red is 4,000 hours based on LT95 (last year’s red’s lifespan was 8,300 hours based on LT95), and it is being optimized to increase the lifetime reduced by improving efficiency.

Kaiser emphasized, “At Merck, we are constantly working to provide solutions to the problems of OLED panel design, such as improving the efficiency of Blue OLED, a new kind of emitter, and RGB side-by-side printing technology.”

BOE will start mass production of iPhone 13 panels from October.

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BOE will supply OLED panels for Apple’s iPhone 13 in the US. Samsung Display and LG Display were supplying two 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch 60Hz panels with LTPS(Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon) TFT for the existing iPhone 13 panels. And Samsung Display was exclusively supplying 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch 120Hz products to which LTPO(Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxid) TFT was applied. The panel that BOE is supplying with approval to Apple this time is a 6.1-inch LTPS TFT panel. BOE’s panel is expected to start mass production at the end of October if Apple approves it soon.

As for the panels that BOE supplied to the iPhone 12, EVEN process was carried out on the B7 (Chengdu) line, and the module process was carried out on the B11 (Myeonyang) line. The process was carried out separately due to the yield issue of the B7 module line, but from the iPhone 13, the deposition yield of the B11 line has improved and both the EVEN process and the module process are carried out on the B11 line. The total amount of panels that BOE will supply for iPhone 13 is estimated to be 15 million units, and although BOE has a target of producing more than 5 million units within this year, it is expected to be in the range of 2 to 3 million units in reality.

Meanwhile, it is known that BOE is also rapidly developing the LTPO line. The LTPO development speed of BOE’s B11 line is faster than that of the B7 line, and it is known that it already has mass production. At BOE, LTPO development is at a significant level, and attention is being paid to whether it will be able to supply LTPO panels to Apple’s next iPhone 14 (working title).

BOE has recently expanded its supply of flexible OLEDs to Samsung Electronics as well as Apple, and its influence in the flexible OLED market is growing. As BOE supplies new panels to Apple for the first time, attention is focused on how domestic panel makers will respond.

[GLOBAL TECH KOREA 2021] Samsung Display ‘Display Innovation: Form Factor, Energy Saving, Color’

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At ‘GLOBAL TECH KOREA 2021’ held in September 2021, Changhee Lee, Head of Samsung Display’s Next Generation Research Department (Vice President) delivered a keynote speech on the topic of ‘Display Innovation: Form Factor, Energy Conservation, and Color’.

For the first time in the form factor sector, Vice President Lee said, “The screen-to-body ratio, which was only 50% in the early days, has recently reached over 85%” and “We are in the process of introducing UPC (Under Panel Camera) technology to use full screens in various product groups he said. UPC technology can be applied to laptops as well as smartphones, and he said that advanced technology is needed to gradually increase the resolution of the camera and create the same luminance and color as the surrounding screen.

Vice President Lee said, “In 2010, flat screens evolved into various form factors such as foldables and rollables, and most inconveniences in durability, convenience, and usability disappeared”. In addition, Vice President Lee said, “Active devices such as OLEDs and transistors are placed on a neutral plane and designed to be protected by multiple layers, and a foldable display can be made with UTG with reduced thickness and increased durability”. Vice President Lee continued, “If not only folding but also rollable are made, the volume will be much smaller, and the technology is high enough to be commercialized now”, He said, “Materials with excellent properties that can be repeatedly deformed and restored will be developed and will be employed in various products through technology that can make them mechanically strong”. He said, “Materials with excellent properties that can be repeatedly deformed and restored will be developed and will be employed in various products through technology that can make them mechanically strong.”

In terms of energy saving, Vice President Lee explained that Samsung Display’s ‘Eco Square OLED’ is “a technology that reduces power consumption by removing the polarizer” and “We are further developing this technology to further reduce power consumption” He said. In addition, in terms of software, he said, “When ‘Windows 11 Dark Mode’, which can use OLED display more efficiently than before, is released, it is possible to reduce OLED light-emitting power consumption by more than 25%”.

In the color gamut sector, Vice President Lee said, “The higher the saturation and the wider the color gamut, the brighter the human body perceives it.”, and he said, “We are developing a new index called XCR (experienced color range) and evaluating the picture quality of the display through it”. In addition, he said, “We are developing a display with lower power consumption and higher saturation using quantum dots” and “It has already been applied to LCD and applied to Samsung Electronics’ QLED, and QD-OLED products will be released soon, and QD-LED will also be developed” he announced.

Lastly, Vice President Lee said, “Various sensors are being combined and applied to displays, and they have developed innovatively in various form factors, sizes, picture quality and the application changes have also expanded. Companies in the sector must work together to achieve technological innovation” he emphasized.

[GLOBAL TECH KOREA 2021] Solus Advanced Materials ‘Expansion of new businesses other than light emitting materials such as high refractive filler and TFE’

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At ‘GLOBAL TECH KOREA 2021’ held in September 2021, Taehyung Kim, Head of Electronic Materials Business Division, Solus Advanced Materials made a presentation under the theme of ‘Solus’ Giant Step To Lead OLED Materials Technology’.

Solus Advanced Materials has monopolized the HBL market for over 8 years as a domestic display material specialist. Director Kim of Solus Advanced Materials said, “During the development of HBL, we also developed ETL with similar chemical structure and important compatibility with HBL. The performance is evaluated as equal to or higher than that of other companies’ top performance, and it will be able to enter the market soon.”

Director Kim said, “Originally, we mainly developed ETL or HBL related to electronics, but it was difficult to develop from the perspective of the overall device, so we developed HTL related to hall.” In addition “The development of HTL was completed about two years ago through joint development with LG Display, and it was approved for large panel use in May” he said. He also said, “The panel supply is gradually increasing and will be expanded to the Guangzhou line by next year.”, “HTL is structurally related to g-prime for mobile, so it is expected that it can be expanded to g-prime on the mobile side,” he said.

                                                 

Solus Advanced Materials is developing not only light-emitting materials, but also high-refractive fillers and TFEs. Director Kim said, “The mass production of fillers will be visible from this year. There are various materials such as epoxy, urethane, and acrylic type, and we plan to mass-produce the refractive index and viscosity control according to customer specifications.”

In the TFE sector, General Manager Kim said, “The permittivity of TFE currently used in the market is 3.0 or higher, and we received a request to lower the permittivity of the monomer by 30% or more to increase touch sensitivity two years ago and have been developing it. “The permittivity of the TFE monomer being developed by Solus is down to 20%, and the UV CUT function has achieved a specification of less than 5% at around 400 nanometers, and it is being promoted and tested by customers.”

Solus Advanced Materials is currently expanding its OLED-related businesses to various OLED-related luminescent materials such as HBL, ETL, and HTL, as well as high-refractive materials and TFE monomers. It is noteworthy in which areas these various business groups can shine in the future.