The OLED-Info newsletter (December 27, 2022)

Earlier in 2022, Samsung Display confirmed it is developing OLED microdisplays. Samsung admitted it is still at an early stage of development, and it said it will start building its first line (with likely limited capacity) in 2023. By 2024 it will mass produce displays, and in 2025 it will expand capacity so that by 2026 it will achieve full commercialization.

Today we hear new reports from Korea that shed some more light on Samsung's OLED microdisplay fab status. The company has started to order equipment (from SFA Engineering and AP Systems, it seems) for a 300 mm pilot line that will be located at Samsung's existing A2 fab in Asan, Korea.

In 2021 The Korean government launched a new project that aims to develop technologies for the production of OLED microdisplays for AR applications. The project is led by AP Systems (APS Holdings), and aims to produce a direct emission OLED microdisplay with a resolution of 4,000 PPI by 2024. Earlier this year APS developed FMM masks that reached 1,000 PPI.

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APS now announced that it has produced a 3,000 PPI direct-emission OLED microdisplay, based on its FMM technology. This is very impressive progress.

In the past year or so, much have been said about Samsung's plans to build a 8-Gen OLED IT production line, as the company wants to expand its capacity for monitors, laptops and tablet OLED displays.

Samsung plan for a full-cut 8-Gen line

As this is the first such production line, SDC had two ongoing R&D projects: one with Ulvac, that used full-cut vertical OLED deposition, and another with Canon Tokki, that used half-cut horizontal deposition. According to the latest reports from Korea, SDC decided to prioritize the Canon Tokki half-cut project, as the technology is more mature and is more likely to finish as per Apple's roadmap.

Reports from Korea suggest that China-based OLED makers have seen lower utilization rates, as demand for OLED displays is smaller than expected, which is leading the companies to slow down their capacity expansion plans.

The capacity of all China-based OLED makers have risen from 20% of the global OLED market in 2019, to around 40% in 2022. But growth ahead will be slower, and by 2027, the market share of China-based makers will reach 45% of the global market. This data is from DSCC.