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[2022 Vehicle Displays] AUO (22 inch AmLED, 9.4 inch Flexible Micro LED)

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22 inch Passenger Display : Active Privacy
– Specifications –

LCD Tech : AHVA / LTPS / VAC
Resolution (pixel) 4K 1K
Active Area : 539mm (H) x 95mm (V)
Privacy Performance : Brightness 1.65% at H = 25⁰
Color Depth : 24 bits
Color Gamut 72% NTSC
Curvature : R3000 -Concave
Brightness : 600 cd/m²

9.4 inch Flexible Micro LED Display
– Specifications –

Resolution (pixel) : 1920 x 960
Refresh Rate : 60 Hz
Brightness : ＞ 2000 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio : 1,000,000 :1
Color Gamut : 120% NTSC
Pixel Configuration : Real RGB Stripe
Display L/R border : 3mm
ViewingAngle (U/D/L/R) : 179° / 179° / 179° / 179°
LED Size : ＞ 30um

[SID 2022] AUO 14 6” Rollable Micro LED Display Display Week 2022

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Resolution (pixel) : QHD (2560 x RGB x 1440)
Pixel Density : 202PPI
Brightness :1,000 cm/m²
Contrast Ratio : 1,000,000 : 1
Color Gamut : 100% NTSC
Pixel Configuration : Color Conversion
Viewing Angle : 179° / 179° / 179° / 179°
LED Size : 30um

[SID 2017] Premium TV market, LCD vs OLED war re-ignition

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In the premium TV market in 2017 OLEDs seemed to catch up early with LG Electronics’ OLED TV sales volume growth and Sony’s OLED TV market gains. However, with the announcement of AUO, Taiwan’s leading LCD maker, that LCDs are more advantageous in the premium TV market than OLEDs, once again, competition between OLED TVs and LCD TVs is expected to intensify.

In the keynote session of SID 2017 held in Los Angeles, USA from May 22, AUO CEO Paul Peng made a presentation with the theme of “The warring states of display technologies” that LCDs would continue to outperform OLEDs in the premium TV market.

Paul Peng has three major claims that LCD is more dominant.

First is the performance that LCD is superior to OLED in terms of maximum size, peak brightness, ambient contrast ratio, color gamut, image sticking, and lifetime.

Second is the cost. In the black Friday in 2016, 65-inch HDR 4K narrow bezel LCD TV was US $ 1,099, while OLED was more than double with US $ 2,800.

Lastly, eco friendly. The industrial water used in the manufacturing process is used more for OLED manufacturing than LCD, and the power consumption of OLED is about twice that of LCD. The replacement cycle is 2 to 4 years for OLED, but LCD is 5 to 8 years which is more than twice as high as LCD, so is more environmentally friendly than OLED.

Since the launch of OLED TVs, there has been intense competition between LCD and OLED camps, but OLED market share continues to rise in the premium mobile market, and even in the premium TV market OLED seemed to be ahead of LCD. However, with AUO’s announcement in the keynote of SID 2017, the world’s largest display society, it is expected to intensify the fierce battle between OLED and LCD in the display industry.

 

AUO introduced bi-directional foldable AMOLED display which both internal and external displays can be bent 180 degrees.

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Taiwanese company, AU Optronics(AUO) introduced bi-directional foldable AMOLED display at IDW(International Display Workshoops) 2016 opened in Japan Fukuoka from last December 7th through 9th, which both internal and external displays can be bent 180 degrees.

<Changes in luminance ratio according to the folding time in inward and outward folding condition, IDW 2016>

The existing flexible AMOLED display is formed in the order of plastic board / OLED device / circular polarizer / touch film, and this structure had limits in flexibly bend both internally and externally because the upper and lower properties of main material become asymmetric. Regarding this, AUO located approximately 10um thickness of color filter array in the middle which replaces the circular polarizer, and located TFT and TFE layer in neutral axis, and by forming a structure to endure the tensile strength and compressive strength, they made it possible to endure folding cycle of more than 1.2 million in 4mm radius of curvature. The entire thickness is approximately 100um, and color filter array excluded the polarizer and used as a purpose of suppressing the reflection light.

Also, AUO introduced 5” foldable AMOLED panel function which applied the color filter array. When color filter array is applied, the power consumption decreased about 50% from 1603mW to 824mW compared to circular polarizer, and showed that the operating life was improved 3 times in 300 nits of same brightness.

<AUO’s 5” foldable AMOLED display function, IDW 2016>

BY HYUNJUN JANG, HANA OH

Display for automobiles, newly expected revenue sources of OLED

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Display market for global automobiles has continued stable growth of approximately 10% yearly recently, and LG Display and Samsung Display do not save investments by paying attention to it as new application. In this regard, Senior Researcher Yang Seong-jin of LG Economic Research Institute lighted up the entry reason of display for automobiles such like creating effects of new revenue are anticipated.

Senior Researcher Yang said “Display market for automobiles has 10% volume of the whole display market and belongs to 2% levels of total cost, but automotive industry has been developed steadily through smart-car and connected-car etc. In contrast, display market has been withered gradually, and panel prices are being lowered continuously, and thus it is directly connecting to survival matters actually.” While stating display market for automobiles as an alternative for this problem, he revealed the reason by saying “The number of participating companies is a few, and average price of display panels for automobiles to which thorough commercialization is required is higher than mobile phone or tablet pc two or three times.”

In display market for automobiles, Innolux and AUO, CPT, Japan display, Sharp occupied about 70% of total market based on 2015 sales of Taiwan, and LG Display recorded 10% share uniquely in domestic, but Samsung Display, second mover, failed in entering ranks. However, LG Display announced a plan that they were planning to enter the market with POLED to which flexible function was available after having designated display for automobiles as a promotion business, and Samsung Display was known to set up a policy of progressing differentiation strategies on display for automobiles based on small& medium OLED technology, so market share is expected to be increased little by little.

<LG Display/Flexible Automotive Display, SID 2015>

In the display market having been stagnated currently, concentration on display market for automobiles would be resultantly necessary for high profits, and OLED panel could get opportunities of creating new revenue sources by overpassing mobile and tablet pc market, if OLED panel solves demanding requirements of display for automobiles.

Mass production of AMOLED panel for AUO and VR begins in earnest

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It is expected that AUO will begin mass-producing AMOLED panel for VR.

AUO displayed AMOLED panels for 1.2-1.6 inch smart watch, 12.3 inch vehicles, and 3.8 inch VR in Touch Taiwan 2016.

In particular, the AMOLED panel for VR is composed of 2 sets of 3.8 inch, and each AMOLED panel’s resolution is 423 ppi of 1080×1200. Using 2 AMOLED panels, 2K (2160×1200) resolution has been realized.

According to a staff from AUO, “there are plans to intensively mass-produce AMOLED panels for wearables and VRs; and in particular AMOLED panel for VR are being produced and supplied to Razer and OSV. From Q4 2016, mass-production will be initiated in earnest to ship over 100,000 units.”

AUO’s AMOLED panels for VR are being sold as modules to a company called Vitrolight technology. According to Vitrolight technology’s website AUO’s AMOLED panel module for VR is US$240-350 for 1 piece and 2,000 pieces can be supplied per month.

<AMOLED panel of AUO for VR, Vitrolight technology>

Taiwan’s Q2 2016 LCD Shipment, Small to Medium Size ↓, Large Size ↑…Business Profit of AUO, Innolux, etc. Reduced

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Taiwanese panel industry recorded decreased small to medium size LCD panel shipment and increased shipment of 9 inch or bigger large size LCD panel. (Picture Source = AUO)

Taiwanese panel industry in recorded decreased small to medium size LCD panel shipment and increased shipment of 9 inch or bigger large size LCD panel. (Picture Source = AUO)

 

Hyunjoo Kang / jjoo@olednet.com

In Q2 2016, Taiwanese panel industry recorded decreased small to medium size LCD panel shipment and increased shipment of 9 inch or bigger large size panel.

According to DigiTimes, Taiwanese TFT-LCD panel companies shipped 58.38 million units of ≥ 9 inch panels in Q2 2016, an increase of 18.1% QoQ, and 0.8% increase YoY. The small to medium size panel shipment was 269.249 million units, a decrease of 0.5% QoQ, and 6.3% decrease YoY.

In terms of small to medium size, ≤ 9 inch, Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT) led the shipment volume with 100.56 million units, and HannStar Display followed with 67.892 million units in Q2. For LCD panels ≥ 9 inch, AUO led the Taiwanese market with Q2 shipment of 27.11 million units. Of these 7.176 million units are for TV, and the rest are for notebook, monitor, and tablet. Following AUO, Innolux recorded 27.09 million units of shipment. Of these 10.72 million units are for TV, and the rest are for notebook, monitor, and tablet.

According to companies’ recent Q2 performance announcement, key Taiwanese LCD companies, including AUO and Innolux, reported decreased business profit. AUO reported TWD 80,000 million in Q2 sales, a 13% fall YoY, and TWD 116 million in business profit, approximately 98% decrease YoY. Innolux showed TWD 66,800 million in Q2 sales, decrease of approximately 29%, and business loss of TWD 3,039 million.

AUO , Q2 Sells More LCD Earns Less…Taiwanese LCD Industry Still Affected by Price Fall

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출처 = AUO

Source = AUO

Hyunjoo Kang / jjoo@olednet.com

LCD shipment of AU Optronics (AUO) in Q2 2016 increased but revenue decreased.

AUO recently announced that they recorded revenue of NTD 80.09 billion (approx. USD 2,478 million) in Q2 2016. This is an increase of 12.6% from the previous quarter but down 13.2% from Q2 2015.

AUO’s panel shipment in Q2 was 70.96 million units with 28.46 million units of 10-inch and above panels, and 42.5 million units of 10-inch and below panels. The large size panels increased by 16.5% QoQ, and by 14.3% YoY. The small to medium size panels increased by 12.6% QoQ, and by 11.5% YoY.

Basically, this company sold more and earned less demonstrating that LCD price fall aftermath continued into Q2.

The H1 2016 revenue of Novatek, Taiwan’s LCD driver IC company, fell by 10.9% compared to H1 2015. LCD surface mount company TSMT’s Q2 revenue fell by 10.1 compared to Q2 2015.

Not Only Samsung and LG, but Also BOE and AUO…Panel Profit Plunges due to LCD

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Source = BOE

Source = BOE

 Hyunjoo Kang / Reporter / jjoo@olednet.com

Although Samsung and LG both had smooth Q1 2016 for set businesses including TV, display sectors were different. The majority of the industry believes that global oversupply of LCD’s effects was great. Key LCD players in China, who could be seen as responsible for the LCD oversupply, also showed bleak performance. Key global LCD panel companies, including BOE and AUO, also revealed much reduced Q1 2016 profit.

On 28 April, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics announced that the business profit in Q1 2016 improved. Samsung Electronics recorded KRW 6.68 trillion business profit, a 12% increase compared to Q1 2015. LG Electronics also announced operating profit of KRW 505.2 billion, up 65.5% from last year. Both companies emphasized favorable TV business.

On the other hand, Samsung and LG both received significant damages in display sector. In Q1 2016, Samsung Display recorded operating loss of KRW 270 billion. Samsung Display recorded a profit against expectations. However, the business profit of KRW 39,500 million in Q1 2016 is a 94.7% fall from last year.

Not only Samsung and LG, but display leaders in Greater China region also showed much diminished performance. BOE, which has been aggressively investing in large area LCD mass production, showed a 6.7% increase from previous year with approximately CNY 12,300 million for Q1 2016 revenue. In Q1, BOE showed business profit of CNY 108 million, but profit ratio plummeted compared to the same period in 2015. The profit ratio in Q1 2016 fell to 0.8% from 8% in Q1 2015. On 28 April, Taiwan’s AUO also revealed TWD 5.58 trillion business loss in Q1 2016.

BOE and AUO are both key players within the global LCD TV panel industry, and within the top 5 in the Greater China region. BOE, in particular, is chasing the leader LG Display with aggressive product supply. The fact that BOE recorded dismal results despite this is analyzed to be due to price fall due to the oversupply of LCD and spread of OLED among others.

For global OLED leader for mobile device, Samsung Display, was known to have recorded deficit of approximately KRW 900 billion in LCD despite Samsung Electronics’ strength in OLED smartphone. Essentially, LCD eroded the profit that OLED brought. For LG Display, experts believe that as a leader of OLED for TV market, the company could avoid deficit by making up for the damages from the LCD price fall.

An expert of the display industry explained that LCD leaders such as BOE might have expanded market share with the product supply, but would have received significant damage in profit ratio. However, he explained that compared to 30 inch LCD panel, 50 inch and 60 inch level large area LCD panel received less fallout from the price fall. He then estimated that as the large size TV demand is increasing, the LCD industry could be improved in Q2.

 

Foxconn’s Large Size Panel Yield, Equal to Samsung·LG within 2016

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Foxconn is expected to occupy approximately 22% of 2016 Q4 global large size panel yield(Source : Foxconn)

Hyunjoo Kang / Reporter / jjoo@olednet.com

Foxconn is expected to occupy approximately 22% of 2016 Q4 global large size panel yield, similar to the levels of Samsung Display and LG Display.

Foxconn, recently confirmed to buy 66% of Sharp’s stake for $ 3.5 billion, is estimated to actively invest in improving Sharp’s panel competitiveness against Samsung Display and LG Display.

DigiTimes recently reported their research indicates Sharp’s large size panel yield will occupy 5.3% of global market in Q4 2016. This places the company on the 7th place after Samsung Display, LG Display, Innolux, AUO, BOE, and CSOT.

However, Sharp and Innolux are under Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn Technology). If the Q4 2016 large size panel yield of Sharp and Innolux are combined, the global occupancy is added to 21.9%. This is approximately the same level as Samsung Display (23.7%) and LG Display (22.7%).

Foxconn is analyzed to be investing in Sharp mainly with focus on OLED. According to a recent DigiTimes article, Foxconn is planning to invest approximately US$ 1.8 billion in OLED development.

DigiTimes estimates that Foxconn will actively begin mass production of OLED for smartphone from 2018, and expand the production to large and medium-sized OLED panel for TV, notebook, etc. Foxconn is forecast to begin shipment of OLED for TV from 2021, and annually ship 7,200,000 units of OLED panel for TV in 2025.

[CES 2016] OLED Smartphone Territory Slowly Expands

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OLED panel, mostly used for Samsung Electronics, is expanding its market and slowly entering China. In CES and IFA until now, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics only exhibited OLED panel equipped smartphone. However, this time, China’s dark horse Huawei exhibited Samsung Display’s OLED onto new smartphone model Nexus 6P.

 

화웨이1

화웨이2

 

The panel used is 5.7 inch 518 ppi FHD OLED.

 

According to Huawei, although until now LCD has been used as OLED can produce profound black it is estimated OLED will be highly popular in Chinese market.

 

Huawei is already using OLED on smartwatch. Huawei Watch Active that began to be exhibited starting with CES 2015 uses 1.4 inch 286 ppi OLED panel with 400 x 400 resolution supplied by AUO. The thickness of the watch is 4.2 mm and rather thick, but the external design is highly detailed and beautiful much like luxury analog watch.

 

화웨이3

 

As Huawei, which has the highest market share out of Chinese set companies, started to actively push for OLED panel use in smartphone following smartwatch, other Chinese companies, including Xiaomi, are expected to rapidly join the OLED sector.

[Analyst Column] LCD Industry Administration to Worsen after 3 Years

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Choong Hoon Yi, Chief Analyst, UBI Research

 

 

BOE is intending to carry out a large amount of investment in order to operate Gen10.5 LCD line from 2018. Meanwhile, key set makers including Apple, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Panasonic are devising strategy to move from LCD to OLED for smartphone and premium TV displays. As such, it is becoming more likely for the LCD industry to be in slump from 2018.

 

At present, the area where LCD industry can create profit is LTPS-LCD for smartphone. The forecast smartphone market for this year is approximately 15 billion units. Of this, Samsung Electronics and Apple are occupying 20% and 15% of the market respectively. OLED equipped units are less than 2 billion.

 

However, from 2018 the conditions change greatly. Firstly, Apple, which has been using LCD panel only, is estimated to change approximately 40% of the display to OLED from 2017 earliest and 2018 latest. Apple is testing flexible OLED panels of JDI, LG Display, and Samsung Display, and recommending them to invest so flexible OLED can be applied to iPhone from 2017. The total capa. Is 60K at Gen6. As new investments for Gen6 line of Samsung Display and LG Display are expected to be carried out from 2016, supply is theoretically possible from 2017.

 

Source: UBI Research Database

Source: UBI Research Database

 

If 5inch flexible OLED is produced from Gen6 line, under the assumption of 50% yield at 60K capa. 65 million units can be produced annually, and approximately 1 billion units if the yield is 80%. If Apple’s iPhone shipment in 2017 is estimated to be around 2.7 billion units, within the 50-60% yield range approximately 25% of the display is changed to OLED from LCD, and if yield reaches 80% around 40% will change. The companies that are supplying Apple with LCD for smartphone, LG Display, JDI, and Sharp, are expected to show considerable fall in sales and business. These 3 companies could be reduced to deficit financial structure just from Apple’s display change

 

Furthermore, as Apple is not producing low-priced phones, under the assumption that future iPhone could all have OLED display, Apple could cause the mobile device LCD industry to stumble after 3 years.

 

Samsung Electronics also is gradually changing Galaxy series display to OLED from LCD. Of the forecast 2015 shipment of 3 billion units, 50%, 1.5 billion units, has OLED display, but Samsung Electronics is expected to increase flexible OLED and rigid OLED equipped products in future. Particularly, as Apple is pushing for flexible OLED application from 2017, Samsung Electronics, whose utilizing OLED as the main force, is estimated to increase flexible OLED usage more than Apple. It is estimated that all Galaxy series product displays will be changed to OLED from 2019.

 

 

Under these assumptions, of the estimated smartphone market in 2020 of approximately 20 billion units, Samsung Electronics and Apple’s forecast markets’ 7 billion could be considered to use OLED.

 

Samsung Display is strengthening supply chain of set companies using their OLED panels. Samsung Display is supplying OLED panels to diverse companies such as Motorola and Huawei as well as Samsung Electronics, and also expected to supply rapidly rising Xiaomi from 2016. If smartphone display is swiftly changed to OLED from LCD from 2017, Chinese display companies that are currently expanding TFT-LCD lines are to be adversely affected.

 

Additionally, in the premium TV market, LG Electronics mentioned that they will focus on OLED TV industry at this year’s IFA2015. As a part of this, LG Display is planning to expand the current Gen8 34K to 60K by the end of next year. Furthermore, in order to respond to the 65inch market, Gen9.5 line investment is in consideration. In the early 2015, Panasonic commented that they were to withdraw from TV business but changed strategy with new plans of placing OLED TV on the market in Japan and Europe from next year.

 

As Samsung can no longer be disconnected from the OLED TV business, there are reports of investment for Gen8 OLED for TV line in 2016. Although OLED TV market is estimated to be approximately 350 thousand units this year, in 2016, when Panasonic joins in, it is expected to expand to 1.2 million units. The OLED TV’s market share in ≥55inch TV market is estimated to be only 4% but in premium TV market it is estimated to be significant value of ≥10%.

 

 

 

 

If Samsung Display invests in Gen8 OLED for TV line in 2016, from H2 2017 supply to Samsung Electronics is possible. As OLED Gen8 line’s minimum investment has to be over 60K to break even, it can be estimated that Samsung Display will invest at least 60K continuously in future.

 

Under these conditions, LCD industry can only be in crisis. Firstly, it becomes difficult for Sharp to last. Sharp, which is supplying TFT-LCD for Apple’s iPhones and LCD for Samsung Electronics’ TV, will lose key customers. Secondly, BOE, AUO, and JDI, the companies selling LCD panels to these companies, are not ready to produce OLED and therefore damage is inevitable.

 

BOE is carrying out aggressive investment with plans to lead the display industry in future with operation of Gen10.5 LCD line. Therefore, from 2018, as the main cash cow items disappear, administration pressure could increase.

[2015 OLED Evaluation Seminar] Can LG Display and Samsung Display Become OLED Market’s Rule Maker?

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By Hyun Jun Jang

 

At 2015 OLED Evaluation Seminar (December 4) hosted by UBI Research, UBI Research’s president Choong Hoon Yi gave a talk titled AMOLED Panel Industry Trend and Market Forecast discussing OLED industry until 2015 and forecasting 2016 OLED market.

 

Yi presented 2 issues related to flexible OLED. The first issues he discussed was regarding foldable types in foldable display. Yi explained that in-folding is where display is placed inside and out-folding has display on the outside, and revealed that in-folding type is mainly being developed. He also added that these technologies will be useful in FinTech (financial technology: new form of financial technology using mobile, social network, big data, etc.).

 

According to Yi, another issue for flexible display is film application. In order to increase the yield of flexible display, film has to replace cover glass. However, this could lead to unpleasant touch sensation and Yi emphasized technology such as polishing has to be applied to improve this to convince the consumers.

 

Regarding the market, Yi estimated that the total global smartphone market will grow to record approximately 2,000 million units until 2020, with Samsung Electronics’ 400 million units. He also estimated that the OLED display proportion of Samsung’s Galaxy series will continue to increase and that most of Galaxy products will have AMOLED panel in 2019. Of this, Yi announced that flexible OLED and rigid OLED are to record approximately 280 million units and 120 million units respectively. He also forecast that the OLED TV market will grow into approximately 11 million units and that materials and equipment companies will rapidly grow.

 

At present, the display market is entering low growth state, and companies are focusing on strengthening the market competitiveness through new technology development and production potential increase. Samsung Display is actively striving to increase OLED panel’s supply for external companies. LG Display announced 1.84 billion KRW investment for world’s largest OLED focused P10 factory and other areas.

 

Yi reported that as flexible OLED evolves, the mobile display resolution competition of the present will disappear, and he estimated that as LTPS-LCD market decreases, the sales of related panel companies, such as BOE, Sharp, JDI, and LGD, will diminish.

 

Yi also told the audience that he is expecting Samsung Electronics to put OLED TV on the market from 2018 and the sales of the companies, Sharp, AUO, and CSOT, that were supplying them with LCD panels will fall. Essentially, he explained that as the OLED market grows, LCD dealing companies’ position will weaken which will lead to the strengthening of OLED panel production and related companies’ position.

 

When asked about the future of Korean display panel companies, Yi replied that when LCD and OLED are competing, set companies decides the market. However, if OLED can unite the market, Yi emphasized that the display panel will be rebranded as Rule Maker and LG Display and Samsung Display will be in its center.

 

 

[IWFPE 2015] AUO’s Bendable AMOLED

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During the IWFPE 2015 (November 4-6) held in Jeonju, South Korea, AUO gave a presentation on bendable AMOLED’s concept and technology first revealed in August.

 

AUO’s R&D manager Terence Lai reported that the bendable AMOELD can actualize new user interface through applying display’s bending characteristics and this can be the innovation that could change the existing touch interface.

 

AUO’s bendable AMOLED is 5inch with 295 PPI using the LTPS TFT and hybrid encapsulation with top emission structure. It has 02.mm thickness and through bending sensor of file type, it can process diverse functions by detecting different bending directions.

 

Current flexible AMOLED trend is moving from curved to foldable, jumping past bendable. Key panel companies and research laboratories are focusing on developing foldable.

 

It is anticipated that the AUO’s bendable AMOLED panel will provide new direction for the flexible AMOLED development that is heading toward foldable. Development of applications suitable to bendable and functions that utilizes bending characteristics are expected to be key issues.

 

AUO's 5" Bendable AMOLED Prototype

AUO’s 5″ Bendable AMOLED Prototype

Solution Process Panel, Cheaper To Produce than LCD

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According to 2015 Solution Process OLED Report, published by UBI Research on October 14, solution process technology could produce 55inch OLED panel at approximately 43% cheaper cost compared to WRGB method.

 

The report added that this value is the result of analysis of 2015 Q2 55inch UHD OLED panel price and yield, which is slightly higher than current production price of 55inch UHD LCD panel. However, considering that the solution process OLED structure will become simplified and that yield of backplane and encapsulation can be improved, the OLED panels will be able to be produced at lower cost than LCD panel. The report also revealed that solution process OLED can be an alternative solution for large area OLED panel in achieving price competitiveness.

 

Solution process is a technology that can produce large area RGB pixel OLED panel using Gen8, or higher, equipment without cutting the mother glass. Key AMOLED panel companies are active in developing this technology.

 

However, as solvent is used in order to turn the existing evaporation material into ink, its purity is decreased leading to lower emitting efficiency and therefore lower lifetime. Despite these factors, key panel companies’ enthusiasm for solution process technology is due to the high emitting material usage efficiency without using color filter, and simple structure compared to WRGB OLED panel which leads to production cost decrease.

 

Panasonic has been most active in developing solution process applied OLED panel, and has presented several times in CES and IFA. BOE and AUO also have revealed solution process OLED panel produced via ink-jet manufacturing equipment, and CSOT is considering solution process development. Samsung Display and LG Display, leaders of AMOLED industry, are also actively developing the technology. LG Display has adopted Gen8 ink-jet manufacturing equipment, and Samsung Display has started solution process OLED panel development with a focus on ink-jet manufacturing equipment companies.

 

Material and manufacturing equipment companies as well as panel companies are leading the solution process technology development and commercialization. Kateeva agreed on technology collaboration with Sumitomo Chem. while Merck did the same with Seiko Epson. DuPont recently revealed that they enlarged solution process OLED material production facilities and began operation.

 

Following these participation by key panel, material, and manufacturing equipment companies in solution process technology development and commercialization, it is anticipated that the solution process OLED panel market will record rapid growth.

 

UBI Research’s 2015 Solution Process OLED Report forecast that solution process OLED panel market will actively begin mass production from 2018 and show approximately US$ 2,329 million in 2020.

 

Solution process OLED panel수정2

General Class AMOLED Panel Estimated to be Extensively Supplied. How Will it Affect OLED Industry?

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Only 2 models of smartphone with the general class AMOLED panel were released in the first 2 quarters of 2015. However, as 5 more models were revealed until August in the third quarter, it is expected that demand for general class AMOLED panel will gradually increase.

 

Currently 7 companies, including Samsung Display, are mass producing or aiming to mass produce small to medium-sized AMOLED panel of rigid type. China’s EDO or Taiwan’s AUO are believed to be producing in small quantity for samples. Other Chinese companies are also aiming to mass produce AMOLED panel but satisfying the current demand is analyzed to be difficult. At present, Samsung Display is the only panel company that can meet the demand for general class AMOLED panel by set companies. There is much interest in whether AMOLED industry can rebound with the Samsung Display’s movement in the second half.

 

It is expected that Samsung Display will increase operation rate of A1 and A2 rigid lines in the second half in order to meet the demand for general class AMOLED panel. Following this, emitting material companies’ sales increase is also anticipated and positively affect management of AMOLED industry’s ecosystem.

 

If the demand for general class AMOLED panel is higher than expected, there are some who believe that additional investment for A3 line could be for hybrid structure that can switch between rigid and flexible rather than flexible exclusive line.

 

There is much focus on how Samsung Display’s mass production and supply plans for general class AMOLED panel will affect the AMOLED industry growth.

 

General Class AMOLED Panel Applied Smartphone Released Until August 2015

AUO Unveils New AMOLED Panels in Touch Taiwan 2015

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On August 24, AUO announced a lineup of mobile device displays and technologies for Touch Taiwan 2015 (August 26-28).

 

According to AUO, the lineup includes slim, light and power-saving displays for wearable devices, UHD 4K displays for smartphone and notebook PC, oTP-Lite (on-cell touch panel) supporting professional graphic stylus, in-cell touch panels, and a complete series of ultra-high resolution car displays.

 

Out of AUO’s releases for Touch Taiwan 2015, two are of interest for OLED experts. AUO’s ultra-thin AMOLED display panels are one. These 1.5 and 1.6inch square AMOLED displays reduced the panel thickness to 0.45mm using the glass thinning method. AUO’s 1.4inch full circle AMOLED display which was unveiled earlier this year in SID 2015 will also be presented.

 

A 5inch bendable AMOLED prototype that will be shown at the exhibition is another. This plastic substrate applied display integrates a sensor. AUO explains that this sensor allows users to bend the panel intuitively to manipulate the size and direction of the display active area. Until now, other panel companies presented flexible or foldable AMOLED displays only in exhibitions. There is much interest in how AUO’s bendable AMOLED prototype works and differentiated.

 

 

How Can Small and Medium-Sized OLED Panel Companies Survive?

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With the great increase of interest in flexible OLED from China and Taiwan’s small and medium-sized panel companies, diverse issues related to this are emerging.

 

Recent smartphone trend is moving from high resolution and specs toward diverse designs such as curved or bendable/foldable and flexible display that can differentiate applications. AMOLED flexible display is currently being applied to smartphone and smartwatch. However, only 2 companies, Samsung Display and LG Display, are supplying these high spec flexible AMOLED panel.

 

Small and medium-sized panel companies do not have the technology to mass produce high performance flexible AMOLED panel and cannot invest in mass production. For these reasons, Chinese and Taiwanese small and medium-sized companies are aiming for finding new applications where flexible PMOLED or low resolution flexible AMOLED can be applied and make mass production investment. Accordingly, set companies’ interest in flexible OLED applied application is also increasing.

 

Additionally, companies are in agreement that yield of flexible PMOLED that is applied to some smartbands does not meet demand. Taiwan’s wisechip and RiTdisplay, key PMOLED companies, are concentrating on developing flexible PMOLED and flexible OLED lighting. Taiwan’s AUO and Innolux, and China’s Visionox and EDO are also among those that are developing wearable flexible AMOLED.

 

Diverse application development where lower resolution flexible AMOLED, flexible PMOLED, or flexible OLED lighting, instead of expensive high-end smartphone and smartwatch, can be applied is essential. The outcome of this is forecast to greatly affect the growth of small and medium-sized OLED panel companies.

[SID 2014] Latecomers catching up aggressively

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AMOLED latecomers; BOE, AUO and Tianma are rapidly catching up the AMOLED development of Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD) at SID 2014.

BOE expressed possibility of investing in TV following mobiles by displaying 55” FHD AMOLED panel. In terms of technology readiness level, it is incompatibly lower than panels of LGD and SDC though, it is considerably fast that it was developed in six months and produced in a pilot line in Hefei.

AUO showed that its AMOLED technology had reached at certain level by unveiling 5.7” WQHD (513ppi) ultra-high resolution AMOLED panel. More attention drew towards AUO’s panel because its production method is RGB+FMM as SDC uses and the high resolution is realized with real RGB strip type rather pentile. AUO also expressed its will on AMOLED business by showing 5” HD flexible AMOLED panel and 1.6” AMOLED panel for a smart watch.

Tianma also unveiled 5.5” HD AMOLED panel. Its performance lags behind the current AMOLED panel, but it ai    ms to supply middle-end and low-end panel targeting mass-production of 5.5” FHD AMOLED through continuous R&D.

Challenges of Chinese and Taiwanese makers become serious in the AMOLED market, where Korean makers, SDC and LGD, are dominant, and the latecomers are about to invest in the sector. Thus, it is expected that the AMOLED industry will constantly grow.

<BOE’s55ich FHD OLED panel>

 <AUO’s 5.7inch FHD AMOLED panel>

<AUO’s 5inch HD flexible AMOLED panel>

<Tianma’s 5.5inch HD AMOLED panel>