LG Display “OLED TV will account for more than 20% in total TV sales revenue.”

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LG Display OLED TV maintained sales revenue, it through conference call, stated it recorded annual sales revenue of 24.3 trillion won and 92.9 billion won operating profit in year of 2018.

LG Display despite of heightened global competition and downward panel price made an operating profit thanks to OLED TV, super large size TV and high resolution products.

Especially large size OLED TV maintained stable productivity and enlarged consumer bracket which enabled 2.9 million shipment on a yearly basis. It recorded gross profit within 5 years of product introduction which resulted in more than 20% in total sales revenue.

4th quarter 2018 revenue of LG display marked 6.95 trillion won TV panels accounts for 36%, mobile panels 28%, notebook and tablet panels 22% and 14% for monitor panels.

Operating profit recorded 279 billion won, 528% increase compared to the same quarter last year, 99% hike compared to last quarter thanks to high priced IT products, new introductions of small and medium size products and high added value products. LG Display aims to focus on OLED business reconstruction Seo Donghee CFO of the company said, “the ratio of OLED revenue was almost nothing 5years ago, now it is 30% this year and we estimate it is going to reach 50% of the total business.”

He also said “we will put in all assets to create new values focusing on OLED business.”

He replied to the question of large size QD-OLED of competitor, it will strengthen ecosystem and overall OLED industry. To the question of 8K and over 70inch large size OLED mass production, he replied that 8K technology is already secured as exhibited at CES2019 and said that large size OLED mass production will utilize the existing know-how of LCD production. In 2019, LG Display’s OLED demand outlook question suggests that demand for more than 14% of all flexible OLED smartphones is expected.

Regarding the large-area OLED and p OLED capacity in 2019, LGD said that the large-area OLED capacity will be completed at 70K per month in Paju and 60K in Q3 in Guangzhou, China and the pOLED capacity is expected to add 30K to the domestic 45K in 2020.

He announced that capex is estimated 8trillion won in 2019 and 4trillion won in 2020, a half of this year. 60% will be for large size OLED and 40% for pOLED. And he said pOLED mass production is currently concentrated on smart phone and cars. He expects good news from car pOLED by end of this year. He also targets over 3.8 million units large size OLED production this year.

 

LG Display Vice Chairman Han Sang-Bum, “50% of sales of OLED and upbringing business in 2020”

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Growing into the mainstream of OLED growth by expanding large OLED, differentiated products and supply

■ Small and Medium-sized POLED, strengthening fundamental business capacity and preparing future products such as Foldable

■ Develop commercial and automotive products, new technologies / new markets and develop into first-class business

LG Display is one of the world’s largest electronics exhibitors, and will hold a press conference at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) in Las Vegas on June 7, the day before the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with Han vice chairman, executive vice president Kang In-Byoung, Strategy and Marketing Group Director Song Young-kwon, and other executives.

At the meeting, Han Sang-bum said, “Although there were many difficulties due to excessive supply and enormous investment due to intensified global competition last year, large-sized OLED business turned to surplus and stable profit was generated mainly in high value-added products. “This year, LG Display will focus on OLED investments, accelerating OLED growth, and focus on commercial and automotive businesses. By 2020, LGD will account for more than 50% of total OLED and growth businesses. “He said.

To this end, LG Display plans to expand its large-size OLED market, strengthen its fundamental business capabilities in small- and mid-sized P-OLED (plastic OLED) businesses, and develop new markets with differentiated commercial and automotive products.

■ Large OLED, differentiated products and supply expansion

Since LG Display first supplied OLED TV panels in 2013, LG Display has continued to develop its technology. And last year, it sold nearly 3 million units and developed into a strong player in the premium TV market. This year, the company plans to expand its TV product lineup from the existing 4K resolution to 8K, and to further enhance its competitiveness by further enhancing performance such as luminance and response time. In addition, the company will expand its market by expanding differentiated products such as wall paper, CSO (Crystal Sound OLED), rollable and transparent display. LG Display will complete the G8.5 OLED panel factory in Guangzhou, China in the first half of this year, and mass-produce OLED from the third quarter. Through this, the company plans to expand its sales volume from 2.9 million units in 2018 to 4 million units this year, and to achieve more than 10 million units in 2021.

In addition, LGD will expand sales areas for existing customers, strengthen collaboration with strategic customers, and increase sales of premium products such as ultra-large size panel.

■ Small and mid-sized P-OLED, strengthening fundamental business capacity and preparing future products.

LG Display is targeting the small- and mid-sized OLED market through P-OLED.

This year, it is a great challenge to develop core technologies and products for strategic customers in a timely to raise market share of small- and medium-sized panel.

In addition, LGD plans to increase the production capacity of the Gen 6 Gumi factory, which has a capacity of 15,000 sheets per month, and to expand the P-OLED production capacity by early stabilizing the Gen 6 factory in Paju.

In addition, LGD plans to steadily prepare related technologies and infrastructure so that future products such as Foldable can be released on time.

■ Commercial and automotive displays, Fostering first-class business

LG Display nurtures the rapidly growing commercial and automotive businesses to first-class business.

In the commercial market, LGD plans to pursue differentiated products such as 98 and 86 inches, ultra-slim products such as in-touch, bezel of 0.44 mm, transparent and gaming.

For automobiles, LTPS-based high-resolution LCDs and P-OLEDs are expected to focus on 8-inch and larger screens and high-resolution products. In addition, LGD will prepare its production infrastructure to expand its business in a timely manner and further strengthen its cost competitiveness, thereby achieving the first place in the fast growing auto market.

This year LGD plans to complete investment in preparation for the future, which began in 2017. LGD Han Sang-Bum, vice chairman of LG Display, said, “LG Display will be able to lead the global display market once again with OLED.

[28TH FINETECH JAPAN] Denso, Automotive displays that are directly connected to safety are OLED

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Reporter : Daejeong Yoon

At the 28th FINETECH JAPAN held in Makuhari Messe, Japan during December 5-7, 2018, Hiroyuki Hara, manager of Denso said that OLED will be used as future automotive displays due to their various advantages.

Hara refers to the large screen including the touch panel as the latest trend of automobile display, and now LCD is mainly used. However, OLED is expected to be used more and more in automobiles as the automotive electronics makers and drivers demand high-quality displays.

Saying that key elements in automotive displays are high contrast ratio, wide viewing angle, design autonomy, light weight, low reflection and reliability, Hara emphasized that the display that can satisfy all of these key elements is OLED. In addition, the factors related to image quality such as contrast ratio and viewing angle are directly related to safety for the driver. Thus, OLED is to be adopted more. Referring to the requirements of automotive OLED, he finally commented that improving reliability, such as lowering the luminance drop due to temperature changes and preventing damage to OLED due to high humidity, will be key to OLED for its entry into the automotive display market.

The automotive display is likely to lead the market for next-generation displays following mobile devices and TVs. Various OLED panel makers such as BOE and Visionox, as well as LG Display and Samsung Display, are showing automotive displays at domestic and international exhibitions. Denso also invested Japanese yen 30 billion in JOLED early 2018 to compete with Korean panel makers. Meanwhile, the market for OLED displays for automobiles led by Samsung Display and LG Display is expected to grow to US$ 540 million in 2023 according to UBI Research’s recently published “Automotive OLED Display Report”.

[28TH FINETECH JAPAN] JDI and JOLED, announced Strengthening Cooperation for Mid-sized OLED Market

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At the 28th FINETECH JAPAN held in Tokyo, Japan from December 5 to 7, 2018, JDI and JOLED announced that they would intensify their cooperation in order to target the middle-sized OLED market.

JDI announced that it will actively promote JOLED’s solution process OLED to medium-sized OLED markets such as industrial display markets or automotive display markets through its own design know-how, production infrastructure, and sales channels,.

In particular, JDI announced that it will provide new value to next-generation automotive fields along with JOLED such as support for safety such as electronic mirrors and displays for A/B pillars, new interface functions, movie appreciation using 4-8K displays, and the displays that are harmonized with interior design such as curved surfaces and big screens.

JDI and JOLED also shared booths for exhibition. JOLED introduced 21.6-inch FHD OLED monitors for e-sports and medical applications. In addition, it introduced a number of medium-sized OLEDs such as 12.3-inch HD OLED for automobiles, 12.2-inch FHD flexible OLED, 27-inch 4K OLED for home interior, and 21.6-inch 4K flexible OLED with cylindrical form. It also showcased large OLEDs such as 54.6 inch 4K OLED.

On the other hand, JOLED announced in July, 2018 that it would open its Nomi office for mass production of solution process OLED. Based on 5.5 generation glass substrates, Nomi has production capacity of 20,000 glass substrates per month and plans to mass-produce in 2020.

[Press Release] Foldable OLED Market Grows Fast to US$ 24.6 Billion by 2023

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Reporter & Analyst : Daejeong Yoon

5G communication technology introduced from next year can process higher image quality and large-capacity contents such as VR more rapidly, besides real-time streaming service. As the communication speed increases, the relevant contents, are expected to be released, which require high resolution and large screen with graphics detailed.

The current smart phone is getting bigger up to 6 inches, but it is not enough for 4K resolution of 5G communication age. Since 4K resolution is to be possible at 7-inch and larger displays, they might be the most suitable product for the 5G communication era. Foldable smart phones are digital convergence products that can function as smart phones and tablet PCs as the next generation mobile devices that use 7 inch or more displays but maximize portability.

Owing to foldable OLED, foldable smart phones are likely to be available. Several companies have rushed to produce various prototype foldable OLED displays at exhibitions and conferences. A few panel makers even pledged to mass-produce foldable OLED displays competitively. OLED display companies worldwide including Samsung Display have invested enormous development costs in order to preempt the next generation product market, and now foldable OLEDs are starting to appear.

Samsung Electronics, which is leading the OLED smart phone market, is planned to launch the in-folding type foldable phone for the first time in the world next year. Accordingly, Samsung Display has prepared 1.5R foldable OLED. For Samsung Electronics, which has suffered sluggish sales of the Galaxy S series, Foldable Phone is a super premium product that needs to be succeeded.

<Expected structure of Samsung Electronics’ in-folding type foldable phone>

Source: Foldable OLED Report, UBI research

 

UBI Research (CEO: Yi, Choong-hoon), an OLED research institute, has published Foldable OLED Report. According to the report, the market for foldable OLED in 2019 is only US$ 480 million, but it is expected to grow to US $ 24.6 billion in 2023.

Yi said, “The rapid growth of the foldable OLED market is due to the fact that 7-inch and larger smartphones, which can support 4K resolution, become required products in the 5G communication era. Accordingly, the value of OLED panel makers will be determined by the success of foldable OLED production.”

 

<Foldable OLED Market Forecast>
Source: Foldable OLED Report, UBI Research

However, foldable OLED is not a product that anyone can produce. Since foldable OLED has a more complex module structure than conventional flexible OLED, it is necessary to overcome the changes in various panel characteristics caused by folding. Especially in in-folding type foldable OLED, compensation circuit technology to overcome TFT resistance change and resilience required when folding and unfolding screen are typical technical difficulties. In order to realize this technology, the key challenges of reducing stress at the area of folding, selecting a proper substrate, determining the ideal stack structure, and optimizing the liftoff process, need to be overcome. Even when folding over 200,000 times, it is required to have reliability that there will be no abnormality on display image quality and surface.

“Foldable OLED Report” published by UBI Research analyzes the development trends of panel makers together with the development issues of major films that determine the reliability of foldable OLED.

JOLED, introduced many inkjet OLED technologies

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This was the first time for JOLED to demonstrate its products and technologies at FINETECH Japan 2018.

JOLED, which received the inkjet OLED technology from Panasonic and is doing OLED panel business, has been selling medical monitors since early this year. Next year, Asus is also scheduled to sell inkjet OLED TVs made by JOLED.

Its exhibited products include medical OLED monitor, OLED monitor for games, automotive OLED and 3 kinds of OLED TVs.

 

JOLED’s Inkjet OLEDs have a peak intensity of 350 nit. In case of full white, it is 140 nits, but has sufficient brightness for monitor applications.

JOLED will build mass production lines next year to produce OLEDs for 20-inch monitors and TVs as a full-scale. It also plans to start OLED business for automobiles after 2020.

JOLED is the only company producing OLED panels manufactured by inkjet technology. JOLED is also promoting the license business by providing this technology to Chinese, Japanese and Taiwanese panel makers.

[28TH FINETECH JAPAN] Sharp, announced Future Strategy Combining IGZO and OLED

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Mr. Atsushi Ban, Vice President of Sharp presented a future strategy that combines IGZO and OLED through a keynote session at the 28th FINETECH JAPAN, held in Makuhari Messe, Japan from December 5, 2018.

Ban emphasized “The proportion of OLED in the entire display market is expected to grow even higher, and the new value of OLED is no different than flexibility.”

He said, “Sharp is also planning a variety of applications using the thin, light-weight and flexible characteristics of OLED. From the third quarter of 2018, its Taki plant has produced 4.5G backplanes and the Sakai plant is under injecting glass for OLED and module processing for 4.5G 15K quantity.”

 

 

Ban also pointed out the possibility of expanding the OLED industry through flexible OLED, commenting that Sharp’s next goal is to develop foldable OLED that combines IGZO. Sharp has pioneered a new display technology, called IGZO, which has been known for its semiconductor properties for years, but Sharp has developed a crystalline form that maximizes its benefits for greater display performance, and IGZO improves the performance of display panels in three significant ways: lower power consumption, higher resolution and special benefits for touch-sensitive displays. Ban expected that it could create new value if IGZO is combined with medium to large sized foldable OLED or rollable OLED.

 

Finally, Ban introduced Sharp’s IGZO development roadmap and announced that it will develop much improved IGZO.

Fingerprint full-screen smart phones begin to compete

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Reporter : Daejeong Yoon

<Vivo’s full screen smart phone with in-display fingerprint scanner, Android authority>

The competition for front fingerprint recognition of smart phones is expected to become hot.

In the smart phone with the existing home button, the front fingerprint sensor was installed on the home button. Fingerprint security enhances security, but recently, full screen Smartphone without home button has been released and fingerprint sensor has been moved to the back of Smartphone. This has caused disadvantages such as an uncomfortable hand shape when touching a finger to the fingerprint sensor and fingerprints on the camera lens.

In order to improve these points and to implement a complete full-screen Smartphone, the development of integrating full-screen fingerprint recognition with display is continuing.

The method of full-screen fingerprint recognition is largely examined by both optical and ultrasonic methods. The optics are inexpensive and easy to mass-produce, but the OLED substrate must be transparent because the sensor is to be located below the OLED panel. Therefore, it is applicable to rigid OLED using glass as a substrate, but it is difficult to apply to flexible OLED using colored PI as a substrate. The ultrasonic method is most stable in accuracy and durability, but it has a disadvantage of high manufacturing cost.

Currently, Chinese set makers have begun to launch smart phones with optical front fingerprint recognition. The Galaxy S10, which will be released next year by Samsung Electronics, is being watched for the adoption of ultrasonic full-screen fingerprint recognition. LG Display is also developing a display with front fingerprint recognition.

As such, the sales for full-screen smart phones with front fingerprint recognition are expected to be started in earnest. Competition in the smartphone market is expected to become more intense in the second half.

Japan’s first flexible OLED, finally made its debut

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Reporter & Analyst : Daejeong Yoon

Japan, which used to be the strongest country in display industry in the past, gradually declined through the era of CRT, PDP and LCD, and has fallen to the third-largest producer in OLED industry after China.
Currently, Japanese companies that produce AMOLEDs are Sony and JOLED. Both companies are producing OLED for special monitors at 500 ~ 1,000 units per month. Although JDI has developed flexile OLED, it has not commercialized yet.

Sharp has challenged the OLED market for smartphones in the current Japanese manufacturing environment, which was passive in production. The production of flexible OLED is to be started at the 4.5 generation production equipment of Sakai plant. The flexible OLED is scheduled to be adopted on AQUOS zero model for Soft Bank.

The product was exhibited at the Sharp booth of CEATEC 2018, which is a QHD+ 6.2-inch dual edge type. Sharp
Officials said that the sales have not started yet.

 

 

In addition, Sharp also exhibited two types of flexible OLEDs which are under development.

 

Quarterly OLED sales was increased significantly

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According to the 3Q AMOLED Market Track issued by UBI Research, the second quarter OLED market was sluggish, affected by the lower utilization rate of Samsung Display. However, in the third quarter, the market rebounded rapidly, forming a market of US$ 8.3 billion.
The performance of the third quarter is up 43.9% from the US$ 5.77 billion in the second quarter, and up 16.6% from the same period of last year.

 

Samsung Display, which drove sales growth, posted sales of US$ 7 billion, while OLED sales for Smartphone accounted for US $ 7.2 billion as its major application.
By country, Korea achieved sales of US$ 7.9 billion, accounting for 95.5% of the total market. China occupied 4.3% of total sales with US $ 360 million.
Yi Choong-hoon, CEO of UBI Research, explained that 3Q sales growth was attributable to Samsung Display’s production of Galaxy Note and Flexible OLED for Apple’s iPhone XS.

[IMID 2018] Samsung Display, The display that will lead 5G is OLED

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At the IMID 2018 exhibition held in COEX, Seoul from Oct. 24 to 26, Samsung Display presented various OLED products under the theme of ‘optimized OLED for 5G era’.
First, Samsung Display emphasized the advantages of OLED by introducing the transition process of full screen OLED and HDR & true black under the theme of ‘realistic multimedia’. Currently, the smartphone market is dominated by full-screen smartphones applied with OLED, and OLEDs are able to display a completely black color compared to LCDs, resulting in a clearer picture quality.

 

The company also introduced the next generation touch technology such as HoD (Haptic on Display; when you touch the screen, you can feel the physical vibration by hand. Thus, you can enjoy the contents realistically.), FoD (Fingerprint on Display) and SoD (Sound on Display) together with full screen technology.

In addition, the front of the booth is equipped with a space to experience the durability of the flexible OLED with a plastic cover window, so that visitors can try to hit the panel with a hammer or drop the ball. Various advantages of flexible OLED have been shown.

 

Moreover, OLED for VR, which implemented 1200ppi ultra-high resolution, automotive rollable display (CID) and 5.9 type transparent HUD were displayed, raising expectations for future development of display technologies.

LG Display unveiled its 8K OLED TV for the first time in Korea, which had been showcased at CES 2018 in Las Vegas earlier this year. This product is the biggest OLED TV that is currently in existence and provides 4 times clearer picture quality than UHD resolution.

Furthermore, LG Display showed the possibility of various OLED applications while the company showcased its 65-inch CSO (Crystal Sound OLED), a sound system built into the panel, and 77-inch UHD wallpaper OLED product that can be closely adhered to the wall to enhance interior effects in the living room.

 

Room mirror and side mirrors of Smart Car will be replaced by OLED

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Japan Electronics Show, CEATEC2018, was held at Makuhari Messe last week. CEATEC JAPAN 2018 is a global showcase for Japan’s growth strategies and vision of the future. Various Japanese companies exhibited products centered on IoT robots and AI. It is recognized that the electronics industry in Japan is gradually shifting from large hardware to small advanced parts and software industries.

In the exhibition, the core technology of smart car was introduced for self driving. Kyocera introduced cockpit technology that can anticipate and prevent various accidents that may occur in blind spots as advanced sensing technology and image processing technology to enhance the safety of automobiles.

 

For automotive display business, the company also exhibited advanced concept cars with clusters, CIDs, room mirror displays and side view displays.

 

According to Kyocera officials, room-mirror and side-view displays that show the external environment might have limitations and need to be converted into OLED displays since all of the concept car’s displays use LCDs.
When LCDs are used for room mirror display and side view display that show rapid changes while driving at high speed, the location of surrounding cars is to be expressed as being behind the actual location, which can result in an accident. In particular, LCDs with low contrast ratio are not able to accurately represent external objects at night.
OLEDs with high-speed response and high contrast ratio are expected to dominate the future automotive room mirror and side view mirror market.

The golden market for Automotive OLED Displays is approaching.

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The display of connected cars is getting bigger and bigger to for the convenience of providing various information. The displays used in general vehicles include the cluster, CID (center information display), RSE (rear seat entertainment), and RMD (room mirror display). In connected cars, various buttons of the center fascia are displayed, and a display is attached to the door using a camera instead of a side mirror. The Audi e-tron®, all-new electric Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) feature a small side-view OLED display instead of the existing side mirrors. According to Choong-Hoon Yi, CEO of UBI Research, the reason why automobile manufacturers are actively trying to use OLED displays is because OLED can be a good resolution in various aspects such as design, visibility and thickness. Since the side view camera is attached to the door, the viewing angle should be very good for the driver’s eyes. Especially in nighttime driving, black should be accurately represented on the display to make things clearer. In addition, OLEDs with fast response must be used for the mirror of car because the screen needs to be changed rapidly depending on speed of the car (if it is running at a high speed). In winter season when temperatures are low, LCDs with slow response times are not recommendable to be used.

Flexible OLEDs should also be used to mount the cockpit display on the dashboard that maximizes driver’s convenience.

<BenzのF015 cockpit displayとAudiのe-tron side view display>

In contrast, LG Display, the strongest player in the market for OLED TVs, is looking for the display market for clusters and CIDs as flexible OLED with two layers of RGB OLED. Visteon, the second-largest supplier of automotive displays, is preparing for the cluster market with LG Display’s pOLED. Since 12.3-inch p OLED is made of LTPS substrate and its OLED process is more complicated than that of OLED for smartphone, panel prices including module are expected to be equal to 55-inch WRGB OLED, which can create a premium market even if the quantity is small.

<Visteon, 12.3 inches pOLED>

According to “Automotive OLED Display Report” published by UBI Research, the market for automotive OLED displays led by Samsung Display and LG Display is expected to grow to US$ 540million in 2023.

Samsung Display, supplies 7-inch OLED for Virtual Exterior Mirror to Audi

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Samsung Display announced on October 3 that the company will be supplying a 7-inch OLED display for Audi’s all-new electric Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), the Audi e-tron®. The Audi e-tron has attracted attention throughout the automotive industry. One of its highlights are optional* ‘virtual exterior mirrors’ – a ‘first’ for a volume-production car.

Audi’s virtual exterior mirrors feature a small side-view camera instead of the existing side mirrors. The driver can view the images captured by the camera in real time through the OLED display installed between the vehicle’s A pillar (the column next to the front glass) and the door

<Virtual exterior mirror applied to e-Tron, Audi, Source: news.samsungdisplay.com>

The OLED display supplied by Samsung Display is equipped with one camera on each side of the vehicle dashboard, replacing the existing side mirror function, and the built-in touch sensor allows people to zoom in or out on the screen as if to manipulate a smartphone. Audi said the Virtual Exterior Mirror offers a wider field of view without blind spots, compared to a typical side mirror. It provides better visibility even on cloudy days and in dark places, and it provides a ‘view mode’ suitable for each driving situation such as highway driving, rotation, parking, etc for more convenient and safe driving. By eliminating the side mirrors that protrude out of the vehicle, it reduces air resistance and wind noise. Also, slim and beautiful design is possible, reducing the body width by 5.9 inches.

The images seen on the Samsung display that covers each virtual exterior mirror appear natural and distinct with none of the drag effects typically triggered by a slow response rate at low temperatures, while exhibiting outstanding color reproducibility. The Samsung 7-inch OLED display provides Audi e-tron drivers with an ideal visual solution, thanks to its low power consumption and innovatively thin, lightweight design, in addition to its superior imaging.

Jeeho Baek, Senior Vice President of Samsung Display, said “It is inspiring to many that our OLED display is used in Audi’s virtual exterior mirror, demonstrating that Samsung OLED technology is being optimized for cutting-edge automobile systems around the world. We will continue to actively support leading automotive manufacturers in helping them to advance the future automotive market through the use of our OLED display technology with its high resolution, advanced designs and low power consumption.”

[IMID 2018] LG Display, showcased 2-stack RGB OLED for automobile OLED with improved life span.

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At IMID 2018 held in BEXCO, Busan on August 29, Kim Kwan-Soo, research fellow of LG Display presented about a new OLED technology for automotive displays.

Kim said that RGB OLEDs applied to mobile devices and WRGB OLEDs applied to TVs do not satisfy customers’ needs in terms of life span. To solve this issue, he introduced 2 stack RGB OLED in which RGB OLED has the same tandem structure as WRGB.

Because 2 stack RGB OLED can be thick due to adding a layer of CCL (charge generation layer) to the multi-layer structure, HTL is made thinner than before and the charge balance of the emitting layer is optimized.

As a result, the 2-stack RGB OLED shows 1.5 ~ 2 times higher emitting efficiency than the 1-stack RGB OLED. Its lifetime is increased by 4 times on T80 basis.

However, the 2-stack structure has a disadvantage in that it has higher power consumption than the general structure. Thus, it is necessary to make efforts to solve this disadvantage.

[IMID 2018] LG Display and Samsung Display exhibited a large number of large, and small & medium sized OLED applications.

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LG Display and Samsung Display introduced a number of applications using OLED at IMID 2018 held in BEXCO, Busan, drawing attention from many visitors. In particular, LG Display displayed its strategies mostly for large OLED applications such as 77-inch transparent OLED and 55-inch video wall OLED, while Samsung Display introduced the small and medium sized OLED applications mainly for automotive and virtual reality devices.

First, the panel thickness of the 77 inch transparent flexible OLED introduced by LG Display is 400 μm, the bending radius is 80 mm, and the luminance is 200 nit based on full white.

LG Display explained that it would improve the required transmittance and durability. Also, it commented that the goal is to reduce bezel to 0.5 mm at its display of 4 FHD OLEDs with 3.8 mm bezel.

In addition, LG Display presented a 1200ppi 4.3-inch WRGB OLED for virtual reality devices. One official explained that WRGB OLED, which represents the resolution by etching the color filter, would be advantageous for higher resolution than RGB using the deposition method.

Meanwhile, Samsung Display exhibited a number of automotive OLEDs, including unbreakable OLED for 6.22 inch steering wheel, 1000R curved OLED for passenger monitor, transparent OLED for HUD, S-curved OLED for CIO and rollable OLED. The concerned official expects the OLED to be widely applied to inside automobiles because it has excellent design autonomy, compared to LCD.

He added “Although there are many things to be improved, such as brightness and reliability, it is continuously improving the required performance through the feedback from European customers”.

Furthermore, Samsung Display showcased light field display and 2,000ppi resolution RGB OLED for virtual reality devices.

Samsung Electronics, Display Business division’s operating profit in the second quarter of 2018 was KRW 140 billion.

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Samsung Electronics announced its sales of KRW 58.48 trillion and operating profit of KRW 14.87 trillion through the earnings conference call of the second quarter, 2018 on July 31. Its sales decreased by 4% YoY and the operating profit increased by KRW 800 billion. Sales decreased 3% QoQ and operating profit fell by KRW 800 billion QoQ.

According to Samsung Electronics, the display panel business recorded sales of KRW 5.67 trillion and operating profit of KRW 140 billion, due to slowing demand for flexible OLED panels and declining sales of LCD TV panels. Despite improved utilization of rigid OLED, OLED division’s earnings declined QoQ due to continued weak demand for flexible products.

Competition with LTPS LCD is expected to intensify at rigid OLED in the second half of 2019, but earnings are to improve on increased sales following the recovery of flexible product demand. Sales and operating profit are projected to improve in the second half on the back of production of flexible OLED for Apple’s new iPhone models from 2Q.

Samsung Electronics plans to expand its share of OLEDs for mobile devices by strengthening its differentiated technology and cost competitiveness, and to strengthen its capacity for new products such as foldable OLEDs. Samsung official said that foldable OLED will contribute to growth from next year rather than immediate performance in the second half of the year.

IT • Mobile (IM) division posted sales of KRW 24 trillion and operating profit of KRW 2.67 trillion. Operating profit fell 34.2 percent from KRW 4.06 trillion in the same period a year ago, and also fell sharply from the previous quarter (KRW 3.77 trillion). In 2Q, handset sales reached 78 million units, of which 90% are smart phones. 5 million units of tablet were sold. The average selling price (ASP) of the handsets is in the second half of US$ 220. The Consumer Electronics (CE) division posted sales of KRW 10.4 trillion and operating profit of KRW 510 billion in the second quarter of the year. Overall sales and operating profit of the first half of the year were KR W 20.14 trillion and KRW 0.79 trillion, respectively. TV profits improved thanks to robust sales of high value-added products such as QLED TVs amid the global sports events. On the other hand, SEC’s facility investment in the second quarter was KRW 8 trillion. By business, semiconductor area accounted for KRW 6.1 trillion and KRW 1.1 trillion was invested for display area. In the first half, a total of KRW 16.6 trillion was invested; including KRW 13.3 trillion in semiconductors and KRW 1.9 trillion in display.

LG Display “Strategic direction is OLED. Uncompetitive LCD lines are planned to be switched.”

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In the 2Q earnings release conference call hosted on the 25th July, Kim Sang-don, LG Display CFO, said, “Looking back at the first half of 2018, the market was in a difficult situation due to the slump in prices, the traditional off-peak season and increased display supply from China. We expected the market conditions to be stabilized in the first half of this year from the bad market condition of the second half of last year, but it has continued to decline more rapidly and steeply. However, with starting the second half of 2018, it has been observing that the price is rising since July owing to upcoming favorable seasonality and customer restocking.”

“Although the market situation has changed favorably in the second half of the year, it is different from the past supply and demand cycle because of the uncertainty of forecasts. Moreover, the oversupply and asymmetric competition in the display market are unavoidable.” LG Display announced that it will maintain its conservative strategy in the second half of the year as the unpredictability is still high.

LG Display’s sales revenue in the second quarter of 2018 was KRW 5,611 billion, decreased by 15% compared to the second quarter of 2017. Operating loss in the second quarter of 2018 recorded KRW 228 billion. This compares with the operating loss of KRW 98 billion in the first quarter of 2018 and the operating profit of KRW 804 billion in the second quarter of 2017. The company suffered a large deficit due to a continued and steep decline in panel prices and lower demand in panels following the previous quarter. Although the shipment was increased by 2% QoQ, the selling price per area (m2) was decreased by 4%.

As a positive indicator, the TV panel price fell sharply, but the overall panel price decline was only 1% due to the competitive position of OLED panels. The market is anticipated to turn into positive situation in the third quarter, compared to the first half of the year, since panel shipments are expected to increase with the orders to restock the inventory.

LG Display, which is currently conducting both LCD and OLED business with small and medium sized panels and large area panels, mentioned clearly about its future strategic direction including the direction for the second half of the year as “concentrating on OLED business and focusing on high value of LCD business” in this conference call.

LG Display announced that it will focus more on differentiated LCD features and technologies in the IT sector such as narrow bezel, IPS borderless, and oxide technology, as well as high-value-added products such as larger-size TV panels and commercial displays, considering that a structural oversupply in panels and fierce competition among display makers are expected to continue down the road.

In addition, LG Display will achieve a turnaround to profit in the OLED TV sector in the third quarter of 2018. By making its final decision to invest in its Gen 10.5 OLED panel production line in Paju, Korea, and by starting mass production in the latter half of 2019 at its Gen 8.5 OLED production line now under construction in Guangzhou, China, LG Display will accelerate the expansion of the global large-size OLED market. Furthermore, additional production facilities for OLED 8.5 generation are known to be considered with the plan that the rationalization of LCDs during the year is also to be implemented although there was no direct mention of the timing and specific lines. For the plastic small and medium-sized OLED panel business, which is experiencing difficult times, compared to large area OLED, for which LG is expanding the production capacity in response to increasing demand, it said that they are preparing for future markets with the necessary strategic technologies with the emphasis of mobile and automotive markets. The E6-1 line, which has been mentioned as a production plant for Apple, is expected to begin mass production in the fourth quarter of this year, revealing the possibility of a possible supply of display to the iPhone OLED model in 2018. In addition, demand for OLED panels is increasing in the automobile market, and it is expected that full-scale business will start in the second half of next year. At the current order backlog, it is confirmed that OLED panels are in the late stage of about 10%. This means that much of the work has already been done. Finally, LG Display is well aware of the lack of funding and funding shortfalls over its competitors in relation to its future preparations. The company plans to reduce its capex by about 3trillion won by 2020, with a substantial portion of depreciation and amortization It is possible through internal working capital management and it plans to borrow the rest. LG Display confirmed that it has not reviewed the rights issue several times in the market, and LG Display has thoroughly prepared a variety of OLED portfolios, revealing its commitment to success by differentiating it from its competitors in the area of latecomers.

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8K OLED TV, Can we see it in the second half of the year?

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Competition in the premium TV market is expected to be cutthroat.

The market share of OLED TV is on the rise in the premium TV market due to Sony’s entry into the OLED TV market and LG Electronics’ aggressive price cuts. However, LCD camp is responding with 8K high-resolution strategy, and attention is focused on whether it can prevent the rise of OLED in the premium TV market.

Sharp has already started selling 8K LCD TVs for the first time in the world since last year. Samsung Electronics showcased 8K TV at CES earlier this year, and will launch 8 K QLED (QD-LCD) products in the second half of the year. In the OLED camp, LG Display exhibited 88inch 8K OLED TV at CES, but the launch of 8K OLED TV in the second half is still unknown.

OLED TVs, which are currently in mass production, are based on bottom emission type. Thus, the light is emitted from the remaining portion of the pixel except the TFT region since the light is emitted through the TFT. Therefore, in the same size TV, as the resolution increases, the pixel size becomes smaller, but the area where the size of the TFT is reduced is limited, so that the area where the light is emitted becomes narrower. Consequently, in order to realize a high resolution at the same size, it is necessary to broaden the aperture ratio as much as possible or improve the performance of the emitting materials.

 

As a way of increasing the aperture ratio, there is a method of applying a top emission structure. Since the top emission structure emits light in the encapsulation direction, not the TFT direction, it can secure a wider aperture ratio than the bottom emission. However, there are pending problems that the encapsulation using opaque metal sheet should be changed to a transparent material and the color filter should be formed above the encapsulation with the change of the process.

The development of TADF blue and new blue materials is actively underway in the emitting material side.

The 88inch 8K OLED TV released by LG Display is made with a bottom emission structure and its ppi is about 100, which is about 20% higher than 80 ppi of the 55inch 4K currently being sold. When the pixel size is compared with the whole display size, the 55 inch 4K pixel is calculated to be about 40% wider than the 88inch 8k pixel.

In order to achieve the same level of brightness and lifetime as 55inch 4K, it is necessary to optimize the TFT design and improve the performance of the emitting materials to make up for the 40% decrease in pixel size. The industry is paying attention to whether the 8K OLED TV will be launched, with resolving above-mentioned issues, against the 8K LCD TV, which is expected to be released in the second half of the year.

BLUE OLED, is rapidly emerging as a competitor of WRGB OLED

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In the premium TV market, the share of OLED TVs is steadily increasing, and the price gap with LCD is gradually decreasing. As a result, LCD TV (QD-LCD TV) companies using quantum dot technology are sluggish in the premium TV market.

OLED TV uses white OLED and OLED panel with color filter (hereafter referred to as WRGB OLED), which is mass-produced only by LG Display.

Samsung Display is known to actively develop blue OLED + QDCF (blue OLED), which is one of the technologies to compete with WRGB OLED in the premium TV market.

UBI Research predicted that Samsung Display would implement blue OLED + QDCF with top emission method and it would be more advantageous to implement 8K and BT 2020 than WRGB in its ‘2018 OLED Material Industry Report’ published on April 18.

<Expected stack structure for Blue OLED, 2stack (left), 3stack (right), 2018 AMOLED emitting materials Report, UBI Research>

8K and BT2020 are to be adopted for the premium TVs. Also, the development of blue materials is expected to be aggressively progressed according to Samsung Display’s development of blue OLED. The blue material currently used in OLED is a fluorescent material that is insufficient in the efficiency and lifetime than phosphorescent material used in red and green. Blue phosphorescent materials have been developed continuously but they have not been applied to mass production due to the scarcity of materials and technical barriers. Therefore, blue fluorescent materials are stacked two or more times to improve efficiency and lifetime for large area OLED, and blue OLED is expected to use more than 2 stack structure.

 

With this trend, the market for blue emitting materials is expected to continue to grow. In 2017, blue materials (host and dopant) formed market of US$ 70 million.  According to the 2018 AMOLED emitting material market track published by UBI Research, blue material is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 32% by 2022 and reach US $ 272 million sales.

<Blue material (host and dopant) market forecast, 2018 AMOLED emitting materials Market track>

Can BLUE OLED be used for OLED TV?

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Samsung Display selected blue OLED + QDCF (blue OLED) as next generation display technology following LCD TV, and started the necessary development.

Blue OLED is a technology, in which blue light emitted from blue OLED passes through a quantum dot color filter to represent red and green colors (b). The WRGB OLED used in OLED TV is a method in which white light passes through a color filter and implements RGB colors (a).

The ‘2018 OLED Materials Industry Report’ published by UBI Research on April 18 describes whether blue OLED, which Samsung Display has started to develop, can become TV OLED panels. The expected development direction and performance (efficiency and lifetime) of blue OLED + QDCF are analyzed. In particular, current status and development trends (fluorescence, phosphorescence, TADF) of blue emitting material, which is the core material of blue OLED, are covered.

Since blue OLED of Samsung Display is top emission type, the aperture ratio is increased by about 70% compared to the bottom emission, which emits light in the TFT direction, so that 8K resolution and high brightness are realized better than the conventional WRGB OLED. In addition, it is expected to reach BT. 2020, the UHD color standard, which was established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2012, using QD material with high color reproduction rate as color filter.

In the future premium TV market, 8K and BT. 2020 are necessary conditions for display. WRGB OLED is also being actively developed to implement 8K and BT2020. Attention is focused on the impact of the development of blue OLED in the premium TV market led by WRGB OLED.

In addition, the report analyzes the market status and development trends of the related companies, including overall technology development directions and key issues for new materials such as soluble OLED materials and near IR materials.

Changes in OLED panel market for smartphones

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According to the ‘2018 1Q AMOLED Display Market Track’ published by UBI Research, OLED panel shipments for smartphones are projected to grow at an annual average growth rate of 15.8%, from 450 million units in 2018 to 850 million units by 2022. This is a 9.6% decline from the CAGR 25.4% expected in the fourth quarter of 2017.

<Shipment forecast of OLED panel for smartphones >

The reason shipment forecast of OLED panels for smartphones is declined compared with 4Q,2017 is because smartphone trends have been reflected recently. The smartphone market is sluggish due to the prolonged replacement period of smartphones and the lack of new technology. In addition, the average size of smartphones has enlarged faster than expected, and the size of smartphones is expected to increase gradually with the anticipation for the launch of foldable OLEDs, leading to a slowdown in the shipment growth.

 

For flexible OLED, ASPs have risen due to the lack of supply, caused by mainly dependent on Samsung Display, and Chinese set makers are burdened by its high prices. As low-priced full-screen LCDs are emerging, it is forecasted that demand for rigid OLEDs will decline since Chinese set makers are adopting more LCDs than OLEDs in rigid smartphones.

Panel makers in Korea and China have aggressively invested in the Gen6 OLED line in 2016 and 2017. Starting this year, however, they are reviewing the investment and operation time frame of mass production lines, with looking into the smartphone demand. As OLED panels for smartphones account for more than 90% of the total OLED panel market, it is an important factor for the investment flow of panel makers.

 

Meanwhile, ‘2018 1Q AMOLED Display Market Track’ is based on the market performance data and projected system that UBI Research has accumulated over 15 years. It consists of 8 (eight) modules in total: Panel cost analysis, Market forecast, Supply and demand analysis, Market performance (sales), Competitiveness analysis of panel makers, ASP, Supply chain analysis and investment & Mass production line status.

Sensational Self-driving Cars and OLED Display in 2017

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Institute for Information & Communications Technology Promotion(IITP) has selected and announced the next-year top 10 issues of ICT(Information & Communication Technology) since 2008, and selected automotive issues including self-driving and connected cars among top 10 ICT issues in 2017.

A self-driving car is a vehicle that is capable of sensing its environment and surroundings and driving along a planned path, and a connected car is a car that is usually connected with a network due to its convergence with IT technology. Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto are representative.

An autonomous car currently under development puts more importance on the display that can provide necessary information in time because information is increasingly diversifying and complex. With the higher availability of interior space in the not partial but full self-driving age, the utilization of display that can support a driver’s various secondary activities is expected to increase.

In addition, as smart devices and network have advanced, a connected car is expected to use media contents streaming and various application services through display including in-vehicle CID(Center Information Display). And, it will be a connected device that connects a driver-car-house through display that provides wireless communication service and information.

Accordingly, many panel companies including LG Display are developing automotive displays, and automobile companies also try to apply different displays in order to differentiate from other companies and highlight merchantable quality. Especially, they are actively considering flexible displays because it is difficult to use the large area of flat displays with curved surface in cluster and CID, and therefore OLED display with good design availability is receiving attention.

AMOLED panel has the advantages of rapid response speed and high visibility based on wide viewing angle, high color reproduction rate and contrast range. And, its flexible design is so easy that it is applicable regardless of location, thereby attracting automobile companies. But, its short lifespan remains a current issue, and panel companies are carrying out development for performance improvement such as better lifespan, service temperature, and brightness.

<Market Share Forecast of Displays in the Automotive Display Market, 2017~2022>

Meanwhile, according to “Automotive Display Report – application & market trend analysis and the market forecast” published by UBI Research, OLED pane is expected to be applied to automotive cluster or CID beginning in 2018, and the automotive display market is likely to increase about 17% annually on average and will reach about US$ 25,000 million by 2022. Also, it forecasted that the AMOLED panel market will account for about 20% of the total sales.

LG Display Invests 5 Trillion Won in OLED Business, including Plastic OLED

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LG Display has decided to change its business portfolio to concentrate organic light-emitting diode (OLED) business. Through the conference call that reported operating profits in the fourth quarter of 2016, LG Display announced on January 24 that it plans to invest some 5 trillion won in facilities this year, and put investment in OLED including Gen6 Plastic OLED and large-size OLED manufacturing facilities. Especially, its investment in OLED is expected to rise to 70% by 20% in 2017, compared to last year with a plan to expand the OLED market.

LG Display Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Kim Sang-don said, “LG Display has reorganized its business structure by integrating previous 5 divisions into a total of 3 divisions such as TV, IT and mobile for its business efficiency.” “It will concentrate not only clear picture but also design and price in large-size LCD TV panels, while producing small and mid-size OLED panels focused on E-5 Gen6 POLED mobile and automotive business. Gen6 E-5 plants also plan to start producing POLED in the third quarter this year. Regarding new Capa, the sizes of new OLED will be 55”, 65” and 77”, and the Capa over 65″ is expected to rise more than 40% this year, a 10 % increase from 30% in 2016”.

Kim said, “the company has secured a total of 60,000 OLED TV capa in the second half of the year according to this year’s OLED TV forecast and yield improvement, and this is the capacity that can produce 1.5 million to 1.8 million televisions a year. Also, he emphasized “Our large-size OLED panel achieved the industry’s yield of 80 percent, which means OLED achieved its golden yield in just two years, compared to LCD’s golden yield of 10 years”.

Kim added “Regarding Chinese firms’ large-size LCD panel line extension that has become an issue recently, the production of Gen8.5 OLED and LCD is now available, but we still need to examine technology, production and productivity of over Gen10 panels. We will carefully consider the extension of the super large 60” 4K and 8K market. Also, LG Display’s middle and long-term strategy is to create a new OLED market so as to expand OLED.

With regard to the price comparison with LCD TV, “more than 60,000 capa is added this year through OLED line extension, and this is the capacity that can produce 1.5 million to 1.8 million televisions. It is a very small scale compared to the entire TV market size, and the price comparison with LCD is meaningless” according to him. LG Display announced that it plans to expand the OLED market for commercial purposes such as signage, broadcasting and medical use in 2007, while emphasizing the target of OLED TV is not the competition with LCD but only the high-end premium TV market.

Meanwhile, regarding the ownership of crystal sound that were unveiled at CES 2017 held in Las Vegas, USA, “In addition to LG DISPLAY’s crystal sound panel, its strategic partner Sony Entertainment Television (SET) improved sound through sound control and algorithm, and OLED panel’s quadrant sound control is LG DISPAY’s own technology” it said.

LG DISPLAY posted 7.9360 trillion won in sales and 904 billion won in operating profits in the fourth quarter last year, recording the black-ink balance for 19 consecutive quarters. Its net profits increased to 824.7 billion won, a whopping 335% increase from the previous quarter. 38 percent of sales in the fourth quarter came from displays for televisions; 31 percent from displays for mobile devices; 17 percent for laptops and tablets; and 14 percent for monitors. Due to the increase in panel prices and demands, its sales reached 26.5041 trillion won, and operating profit was 1.3114 trillion won, surpassing the 1 trillion won for a fourth straight year while keeping a positive trend in its profits.

In the meantime, UBI Research expected that LG Display will produce 1.5 million large-size OLED panels over 50-inch.

All about OLED in one place, UBI Research, ‘3rd OLED KOREA Conference’ will be held

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UBI Research plans to hold the 3rd OLED KOREA Conference with the theme of “Lessons from History and How OLED Can Evolve” at Novotel Ambassador Hotel on Mar. 8 (Wed) to 9 (Thu).

The OLED industry is expected to grow rapidly according to the adaption of full-driven OLED panels by Sony and Apple in 2017 and the competition among panels, equipment, and manufacturing companies can be intensified at the same time. It is necessary to understand and respond strategically to industry trends for successful business under such circumstances. The opportunities to share ideas and concerns each other and close exchanges between Industry-academic institute, panel, materials and equipment companies have been required. UBI Research has prepared a place to freely exchange various information and opinions through the 3rd OLED Korea Conference by reflecting such needs of the industry.

The Korea Conference will be an opportunity to analyze the past trends of OLED which the usage and application range is getting wider and to discuss the successful advancement and strategies to grow the OLED industry for the future. Therefore, it will be a valuable time to practically help the OLED industry.

The Presentation is planned by twenty-four (24) domestic/international experts related to OLED display such as set and panel makers, materials/equipment companies, university/research etc. including UBI Research, Samsung Display, Cynora and CEREBA about followings:

▲Exploring new opportunities with OLED and the preparation, ▲Possible directions and the reasoning for OLED, ▲Lessons from the history and how OLED can be evolved, ▲OLED and its collaboration, investigating the possibilities

We will establish the opportunity to contribute to the growth of the OLED industry based on the sharing of mutual opinions by preparing a networking space between the companies through luncheon during the conference period and breakfast with OLED reception.

Detail information can be found in www.oledkoreaconference.com

The image quality is enough, AMOLED for user’s eye health is general trend now.

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Modern people who are exposed to electronic devices such as smart phones, PCs, TVs, and monitors can cause fatigue and dry eye syndrome by blue light which might damage the retina or lens in severe case. It may especially disturb a restful sleep by affecting melatonin negatively which is the secretion of sleep-inducing hormone.

Samsung Display has introduced the strength points of self-emitting AMOLED on the blog that can block the harmful blue light by emitting nearby safe wavelength to keep the color and reduce the emission of 425-455mm area in harmful wavelength. They have acquisitioned the industry’s first “Safety for Eyes” certification regarding on the excellence of eye’s health in the photobiological stability test conducted by German certification institute, VDE (Verband Deutscher Elektrotrchniker e.v) in 2016.

They have also represented various advantages that offer excellent color reproduction ratio of 100% against LCD showing 74% level of DCI-P3 standard, thinner thickness than half and low power consumption compared to LCD. They promoted variety merits of eco-friendly AMOLED only for user’s eye health (e.g., ‘Vision Aid’ checks itself the degree of deficiency of cone cell for color blind people and adjusts intentionally the insufficient color stronger for them to look well) as well as the performance including image quality by using blog.

Meanwhile, Samsung Display showed a Bio blue panel applied pixel structure with deep blue sub-pixel and light blue sub-pixel in SID 2016 and IMID 2016. Deep blue and light blue are applied to prevent the degradation of color expressiveness of AMOLED panels that are replaced by light blue only and sharply reduced the gravity of blue light on AMOLED to 12.8%, half of the 25.1% of LCD.

<Bio Blue OLED Panel of Samsung Display, SID 2016>

LG Display Unveils Next-Generation Market Leading Technologies at CES 2017

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01-02

<Source :LG Display Unveils Next-Generation Market Leading Technologies at CES>

LG Display is actively participating in the ‘CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2017’ to be held in Las Vegas, the U.S., from January 5 to 8 to show more diverse products and next-level differentiated technologies.

LG Display plans to convey its purpose to achieve consumer innovation together with LG Display’s differentiated technologies under the slogan of ‘Our Technology, Your Innovation’, at its private showroom for clients in the Las Vegas Convention Center, from January 4 to 8.

Especially, LG Display will showcase new products that basically has superior picture quality and fulfill OLED’s next-level design and potential, as well as a variety of products that provide new future to customers with its own differentiated technologies.

 

■ Unveil the New OLED TV with Superior Picture Quality, and Extreme Design

LG Display will release its differentiated OLED TVs with unsurpassed picture quality and potential application and design.

During CES, it will also introduce a 55-inch transparent FHD display featuring the improved colors and more natural and transparent screen.
LG Display will showcase 65-inch and 77-inch UHD Wall Paper TV line-up with ultra thin and innovative design. It will also show off futuristic displays, including a 77-inch double-sided UHD display and 77-inch six rollable UHD commercial displays, which will open various possibilities of OLED with surpassed picture quality.

 

■ Constantly evolving IPS, Innovative LCD Technology

LG Display’s OLED(Organic Light-Emitting Diode) and a high-resolution technology IPS evolve further.
LG Display will show off IPS products with improved picture quality and price competitiveness by using WCG(Wide Color Gamut, a technology to provide a greater range of colors), HDR(High Dynamic Range, a technique to reproduce a greater dynamic range of luminosity), and high-resolution technical solutions.

Especially, IPS Nano Color at this show is LG Display’s own WCG technology that can express more accurate and vivid colors, using nano-sized wide color gamut.
It is increased with the addition of the strength of IPS OLED to offer high color accuracy. This show will apply it to a 65-inch UHD product.

 

■ User’s Expanded Touch Experience through in–TOUCH, Improved-quality Display

LG Display will expand in-TOUCH technology of touch sensor-embedded panel to 24-inch monitors, while showing off the key advantages of design to offer differentiated values to IT market through its high-resolution product strategy.

in-TOUCH technology offers a thinner and lighter product since there is no Touch Cover Glass.
In addition, Active Pen Solution is applied to a 13.3-inch in-TOUCH panel, so that it features higher touch accuracy outside the screen, faster touch response, and more precise calibration of the touch point, compared to conventional Add-on(touch sensor-added panel).

LG will also show not only the world’s largest 38-inch curve monitor suitable for such offices as stock trading, movie-watching, and immersive gaming but also 32-inch 8K monitor with ultra high resolution and HDR monitor panel for broadcasting and video editing experts.

 

■ Providing Future Vision through its P-OLED with Excellent Picture Quality and Design Freedom

LG Display will provide next-gen futuristic automotive display products through P-OLED(Plastic OLED) with superior picture quality and design freedom.

P-OLED featuring wide screen, perfect expression of black, and high design flexibility is an optimized technology to provide new vision to automotive interior in harmony with the curved surfaces of vehicles.
LG Display plans to have a showroom for visitors to experience futuristic concept products in a real situation, including Cluster that will provide better safety and convenience, Center Information Display, passenger seat display, large transparent OLED, and mirror-type OLED.

Besides, LG Display is aiming to enter the middle and small-sized OLED market through 5.5-inch QHD P-OLED. In addition, it will introduce the P-OLED for Smartwatches with diverse designs, including circular or square pattern.

LG Display Vice Chairman, Han Sang-beom announced “LG Display has offered leading products that can provide new values beyond the expectation of the market, with its differentiated technologies.” “It will proactively respond to the market through its next-generation display OECD and new innovative technologies, and consolidate its position as a leading company”.

 

BY HYUNJUN JANG, HANA OH

OLED Technology, extend the field from automobiles to airline industry.

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It is expected that we may be able to meet flights with OLED technology soon.

In existing OLED market, display is applied in mobile field and lighting is applied in indoor lighting field, and it was known several companies seem to be proceeding projects to apply it at either rear lamp or dash board area of the automobile.

However, in IFA 2016 held in Berlin Germany, LG vice president of HE Bongseok Kwon had reporter meeting where he said “we are currently in negotiation with two global airlines to install OLED display at front monitor and window, and the period of application must be discussed for not only seats but also including all parts such as windows.

Especially, several companies including Lumiotech, OSRAM, and LG Inotech already introduced technologies for applying OLED in indoor purposes as well as other fields, and third panel companies are known to be developing technologies for engrafting airline industry, so there is much attention of the outcome of new application.

OLED is designed with thin and light characteristics as well as flexibility where it is good at utilizing space without taking up large volume. Due to its characteristics, the installation is easy without location or space restrictions. So if OLED is applied in window then the flight crew can control the light penetration without having to check the window, and also people will be able to check the flight information they desire through display, and diversify the size and shape of the main display and dashboard.

Aside from these visual effect, it is expected to lower the fuel usage by decreasing the total weight of the flight. According to the contents presented in UK governmental emerging institution CPI (Centre for Process Innovation) in 2014, the fixed fuel usage is expected to decrease by applying OLED due to decreased weight of the flight fuselage and fuel, and the fuel consumed by air-conditioning can also be reduced due to low power consumption and heat, as well as the exhaustion of greenhouse gas is expected to be minimized.

<Concept picture of flight’s interior with CPI’s OLED display applied>

Along with this, OLED related application and its industry is expected to develop continuously. According to 2016 OLED Display Annual Report published by the market research company Ubi industry research, AMOLED market is expected to be worth 14,800 million USD in 2016, and approximately 71,705 million USD in 2020 where the average yearly growth of about 49%. Also, starting from 2019 where companies’ investments actually begin, the profit for OLED lighting will also largely increase which it is expected to reach above 7,500 million USD by 2025. Therefore, it is expected to see various types of applications with OLED display or lighting in the near future.

Europe’s Largest Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Appears in Russia

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Europe’s Largest Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Appears in Russia

Europe’s Largest Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Appears in Russia

Hyunjoo Kang / olednet.com

Samsung Electronics introduced the largest Galaxy S7 edge in Europe, mega-sized LED signage—80 meters high and 40 meters wide, in Sokol, Moscow, Russia

The Galaxy S7 edge LED signage can be spotted from as far as Moscow’s Gidroproekt building which is located 2.2 kilometers from the site. The LED signage is situated on the side of main road that connects downtown Moscow and Sheremetyevo International Airport, an area that sees approximately 800,000 people per day.

AUO Reports March 2016 Consolidated Revenue

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AUO announced its unaudited consolidated revenue for March 2016(Source=AUO)

AUO announced its unaudited consolidated revenue for March 2016(Source=AUO)

Hyunjoo Kang / jjoo@olednet.com

AU Optronics Corp. (AUO)announced its unaudited consolidated revenue of NT$26.27 billion for March 2016, up by 27.7% month-over-month and down by 24.5% year-over-year. Consolidated revenues in the first quarter of 2016 were NT$71.14 billion, down by 14.7% from the previous quarter and 25.4% year-over-year.

Shipments of large-sized panels for LCD TV, desktop monitor, notebook PC, and other applications totaled nearly 9.55 million units in March 2016, up by 35.0% from the previous month. As for small-and-medium-sized panels, the shipments were around 14.74 million units, an increase of 26.6% month-over-month.

In the first quarter of 2016, large-sized panel shipments totaled 24.43 million units, a decrease of 11.5% quarter-over-quarter and 8.8% year-over-year. Shipments of small-and-medium-sized panels in the same quarter exceeded 37.75 million units, up by 13.0% quarter-over-quarter and down by 11.5% year-over-year.

CPT`s Net Sales for March NT$3.24 Billion

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Source : CPT

Source : CPT

Hyunjoo Kang / Reporter / jjoo@olednet.com
Chunghwa Picture Tubes(CPT) today announced that CPT`s consolidated net sales for March 2016 approximated NT$3.24 billion , up 16.0% MoM and down 29.0% YoY. the company`s cumulative consolidated sales revenues from January to March 2016 is NT$9.5 billion, down 28.5% YoY.
March shipments of large-sized panels totaled 74 thousand, up 22% MoM and down 40.6% YoY. March shipments of S&M-sized panels totaled 33.88 million, up 6.4% MoM and down 9.8% YoY.

2016 AMOLED Market, Estimated to Record US$ 15,000 Million, an Increase of Approx. 40% from 2015

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According to 2016 OLED Display Annual Report, published by UBI Research, 2016 AMOLED panel market is estimated to show US$ 15,000 million, which is a growth of approximately 40% from 2015. The report also expects the shipment to record 16% increase compared to 2015 with 270 million units, and 2016 to be the year for the AMOLED industry could take off again.

 

UBI Research revealed that “Samsung Electronics is actively selecting AMOLED panel for mainstream models of Galaxy and the demand for AMOLED panel by Chinse set companies is also increasing. Additionally, Apple’s application of flexible AMOLED panel for iPhone is becoming more concrete, and OLED TV sales is gradually increasing. As such LCD will be slowly replaced”. Particularly, regarding AMOLED for mobile device market, UBI Research explained that “the flexible AMOLED panel equipped set market analysis shows approximately 500K (Gen 6) per month will be required until 2020, and it is anticipated that active flexible AMOLED investment will be continually carried out”.

 

The AMOLED market growth staggered momentarily in 2015, but due to the increase of demand for mainstream AMOLED panel and flexible AMOLED panel, it grew with a large margin in 2015. Accordingly, investment for flexible AMOLED panel application for Apple’s iPhone, which is leading the total smartphone market with Samsung Electronics, is in consideration. The panel companies in China, Japan, and Taiwan are also anticipated to invest in flexible AMOLED panel, and bring energy into stagnated OLED related display industry.

 

According to the 2016 OLED Display Annual Report, the AMOLED panel market exceeded US$ 10,000 million with approximately 230 million units in 2015, an increase of approximately 25% from the previous year. It is expected to record US$ 67,000 million until 2020 with CAGR of approximately 46%.

AMOLED Panel Market Forecast (2016-2020)

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

UBI Research Organizes ‘2015 Display Printed Electronics Seminar’

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The Opportunity to Understand Printed Electronics Technology

For That Competitive Edge in Global Display Industry

 

 

 

At present there is an intense competition within display industry between countries such as China with aggressive investment, and Japan that is looking for a comeback. For Korea to possess that competitive edge in display industry, a seminar is being prepared. This seminar will provide the opportunity to learn about printed electronics technology that is becoming a key technology and understand latest technology trend.

 

UBI Research (http://www.ubiresearch.co.kr, President: Dr. Choong Hoon Yi), an OLED specializing company, announced that the 2015 Display Printed Electronics Seminar will be held on October 7. This seminar will take place at The K Seoul Hotel in Seocho-gu in Seoul with a group of key experts who will discuss latest technology development trend in display based on printed electronics.

 

Printing process or solution process is a new production technology that is the center of much expectation around the world. Dr. Kyung-Tae Kang, the head of printed electronics center of Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, will examine the current printed electronics industry and propose its future. Dr. Kang is also a secretary for IEC TC119 which was established to respond to the printed electronics industrialization.

 

At this seminar, Professor Yongtaek Hong of Seoul National University will explain technological issues that need to be considered when producing ultra-thin transistor device using printed electronics technology. The printed electronics technology is receiving much attention as it can be applied to flexible elastic substrate, and low temperature process through large area is possible.

 

Dongguk University’s Professor Yong-Young Noh will give a presentation on printed electronics technology’s development trend and research content for flexible display development.

 

Also, Dankook University’s Professor Byung Doo Chin will discuss OLED RGB printing technology trend review for efficiency and stability improvement of small molecule and polymer OLED device by solution process, and high resolution OLED technology that can be actualized through inkjet printing. This OLED RGB printing technology based on printing process is a subject of active research as a replacement for the current vacuum thermal evaporation; pixel formation is difficult for large area through this evaporation technique.

 

Furthermore, essential topics on printed electronics are covered by industry’s top experts.

  • Technology Trend for Solution Process OLED Material (Dr. Jae-Min Lee, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology)
  • Technology Trend for Electrode Material and Process for Printing (Dr. chan-Jae Lee, Korea Electronics Technology Institute)
  • Blanket Application for Printed Electronics and Development Status (Dr. Noh-min Kwak, RPE Corporation)
  • Printed Electronics R2R Equipment Technology Status

 

UBI Research will bring together top quality industry experts as speakers toward Korea’s leadership in display industry and host a place of networking where industry-academic professionals can meet. UBI Research seminars, previously held twice a year, will become a monthly event.

 

Seminar attendance application can be made through the UBI Research homepage (www.ubiresearch.co.kr).

LG Display Targets Plastic OLED

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With the active release of Apple’s smartwatch within Korean market, the interest in LG Display’s plastic OLED business is suddenly increasing.

 

LG Display began OLED development at the similar time as Samsung Display, but misjudgments on OLED potential and marketability led to the late market entrance and folding of the rigid OLED business. With the plastic OLED business, LG Display is matching the progress of the competitor, Samsung Display, and speeding up the development and commercialization.

 

Already, LG Display supplied plastic OLED for LG Elec.’s G Flex that went on sale in November 2013. Although the panel was 6inch, as the resolution was only at HD level, there was criticism that compared to Samsung Elec.’s FHD OLED which was released in the same period, the resolution fell short.

 

This year, LG Display supplemented the resolution and succeeded in FHD plastic OLED production. The panel is applied to G Flex 2, and it is also supplied to LG Elec.’s G Watch and Urbane.

 

For Samsung Elec., they intensively applied flexible OLED to the flagship smartphone model Galaxy S6 and intensified marketing; in comparison to Samsung’s smartphone market control, smartwatch’s is weaker. Accordingly, Samsung Display is mainly producing 55inch flexible OLED.

 

However, in contrast to the competitor, LG Display is using different business strategy for plastic OLED business. Rather than plastic OLED for smartphone, which has weak market control, they are focusing on small plastic OLED for smartwatch that is already receiving positive response.

 

Following the uproar within the smartwatch market, created by Samsung Elec.’s greatest rival Apple, LG Display, Apple’s supplier of plastic panel, is making all effort in panel production. Additionally, as LG Display has already secured a position as Apple’s next smartwatch plastic OLED supplier, although the capa. is lower than Samsung Display’s, the line is actively operational.

 

It is also estimated that LG Display will decide soon on Gen6 plastic OLED line investment to promote closer relationship with Apple. Apple is already seriously considering flexible (plastic) OLED for next iPhone series, and it is analyzed that they requested LG Display for Gen6 line investment for stable product supply.

 

Although LG Display does not have as high volume of clientele as Samsung Display, it is anticipated that they will establish a bridgehead in OLED panel industry through forming mutually beneficial relationship with a giant company called Apple.

LG Display’s Flexible Automotive Display, SID 2015

LG Urbane, WIS 2015

Apple’s Next iPhone, Can Flexible OLED Be Applied?

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Smartphone’s hardware performance has improved as much as possible and can no longer be the differential point within the market. Following this, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 Edge and S6 Edge, and LG’s G-flex series are differentiating themselves from existing products through flexible (plastic) AMOLED panel applied new designs and functions. Particularly, Galaxy S6 Edge’s higher than anticipated demand means that the ratio between total Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge demand was expected to be approximately between 8:2 and 7:3, but at present it is estimated to be 5:5. To meet this demand, Samsung Display began actively operating A3 line, and carried out investment to convert A2 rigid line to flexible line.

As interest in flexible OLED is rising within the next generation smartphone market, there is much talk that Apple will also apply flexible OLED to the next product. UBI Research’s Flexible OLED Annual Report, published on 18 June, analyzed Apple’s flexible OLED application potential and forecast scenario.

According to the Flexible OLED Annual Report, other than Samsung Display, LG Display is the only company with the technology to mass produce flexible AMOLED. Japan Display and AUO also possess flexible AMOLED production technology and with investment, mass production is analyzed to be possible. Therefore, for the Apple to apply flexible OLED to the iPhone series to be released in 2017, the Gen 6 flexible AMOLED line investment of LG Display, Japan Display, or AUO has to be carried out within 2015. However, as Japan Display and AUO’s mass production technology has not been verified, depending on the currently mass producing LG Display’s Gen 6 line investment timing the flexible OLED applied iPhone release date will be decided.

As the results of analyzing future model’s shipment based on the analysis of iPhone series’ sales progress so far, to meet the demand for Apple’s flexible AMOLED applied model’s shipment in 2020, approximately 170K monthly capa. by Gen 6 (considering operation and yield rate) is needed. Considering the recent trend of 20K capa. per 1 line, 8 or 9 flexible AMOLED line are required, and Apple’s future flexible AMOLED line investment is estimated to be actively carried out.

On the other hand, flexible AMOLED market is forecast to grow at 57% CAGR from 2016, and show approximately US$ 35,000 million revenue in 2020.Flexible AMOLED Panel Market Forecast

[Finetech Japan 2015] The Third Display Revolution, to be Accomplished by OLED?

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Speaking in a keynote session in Finetech Japan 2015 which opened on April 8, LG Display’s Vice President Yoon Sooyoung reported that “the first revolution in TV market was transformation to color from black and white, the second revolution was from CRT to flat panel display such as PDP and LCD, and the third revolution will be accomplished by OLED”.

 

Yoon also spoke that “until now the market was formed centering on investment by display companies, but in future the market will be created by differentiation and new application” and added “the key focus will be freedom in design and color quality such as rich color scheme” and that “OLED is the most suitable display for this”.

 

The differentiation mentioned by Yoon is OLED’s advantage in flexible and transparent realization as substrate can be formed using diverse materials compared to other displays. OLED is also superior in color gamut control through achievement of perfect black. Yoon emphasized the OLED is better suited for next generation display compared to LCD equipped with new technology; “LCD also achieved color gamut exceeding OLED through technology such as QD, but this is during full white, and in mid-range grayscale, color control is difficult in BLU driven LCD. However, OLED can perfectly express black using infinite contrast range and perfect color control is possible even in lower grayscale”.

 

On the basis of these advantages, LG Display is aiming for shipment of 600 thousand units of OLED panel for TV this year, and 1.4 million units in 2016, leading the launch of large area OLED TV market. LG Display is striving to bring the next generation of display market toward OLED by active mass production of plastic OLED panel. Samsung Display is estimated to further vitalize OLED market with their bold A3 mass production, and Chinese companies’ mass production will also do their part in OLED’s leadership formation in next generation display market.

Vice President Yoon Sooyoung, Finetech Japan 2015

By Yu Jin Hong, reporter@olednet.co.kr