Asian companies stride ahead to mass-produce larger OLED displays

Whilst OLED displays are steadily being found in mobile phones and other small electronic devices, the high costs of mass-producing them has kept the technology from being a serious contender for TVs and PCs in a market dominated by cheaper LCD panels.

 

But companies like Toppan Printing, Casio Computer, Samsung Mobile Display and LG Displays clearly see opportunities in larger OLED Displays and are looking at long term investments in the technology even though there are still technical barriers to overcome.

Japanese companies Casio Computer and Toppan Printing have agreed the terms to form a new company for the mass production of OLED displays using technology from the parent companies.

 

For the small and medium-size display business, Casio will establish a new company and transfer a portion of the new company's shares to Toppan Printing. The new company will add the manufacture and sale of OLED displays to Casio's current line-up of small and medium-size thin-film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal displays (LCDs), in order to strengthen competitiveness in the small and medium-size display markets and to foster new growth.

 

Casio intends to establish a new 100% wholly owned subsidiary by the end of February 2010. Facilities and personnel involved in Casio's small and medium-size TFT LCD business and OLED development, will be transferred to the new spin-off company on April 1, 2010. In addition, all shares in Casio's 100% wholly owned subsidiary Kochi Casio will be transferred to the new company. Following that, 80% of the shares in the new company will be transferred from Casio to Toppan Printing on April 1, 2010.

 

With the combined technologies and expertise from the two companies, the new site will mass-produce OLED and TFT LCD displays. Ichiro Ohno, who is currently Corporate Officer and Senior General Manager of the Electronic Device Division at Casio, will become the first CEO of the new venture that still has not been named. The latest statement does not give details about the location of the facilities although it is expected that 600 employees will be based at the site.

 

The sales target for the first fiscal year is predicted to be approximately 35 billion yen.

The Korea Times reported on Monday that Samsung Mobile Display is reviewing the possibility of building an OLED line in Tangjeong, South Chungcheong Province, by using 5.5th-generation technology for organic panels to be used on larger TVs over 30-inches. According to an official, "The initial investment would be 1.5 trillion won. The 5.5-generation technology is optimized to produce organic panels with a measurement of 1320 millimeters X 1500 millimeters. Investment size is subject to panel demand from our bigger clients such as Samsung Electronics, Sony and Sharp."

The article also stated that LG Display is engaged in deep internal talks to build a 5.5-generation OLED line in its LCD complex in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, with the launch timing being set for the first half of 2011.

 

LG have already unveiled their 15" and 20.7" AMOLED panels - the smaller version is likely to be available by the end of the year but it wont be cheap.

 

It is understood that both SMD and LG Display signed a MOU with other Korean display and equipment manufacturers for the joint development of large sized AMOLED vapour deposition equipment. The project is expected to help Korea reduce its reliance on imports for key equipment of next generation displays.

 

Printed Electronics World reported last year plans by Japan's Matsushita Electric Industrial Company  to mass-produce 37-inch OLED displays in 2011.

 

For more read Displays and Lighting: OLED, e-paper, electroluminescent and beyond .

 

Also attend Printed Electronics USA .