US-based OLED inkjet printing developer Kateeva announced that Tianma has ordered an R&D 200mm YIELDJet Explore printing system to expand its OLED research and development programs.
Kateeva reveals that Tianma is already using its TFE system in its OLED mass production fabs. Kateeva also says that this tool will be the 60th Kateeva printer at customer sites.
In January 2019 Austria-based Sensor developer AMS announced a new RGB light and proximity sensor IC that can be placed behind an OLED screen, and still accurately measure the intensity of ambient light. Later in 2019, AMS said that the new sensor is a "resounding market success".
In its latest conference call, AMS management said that its behind-the-OLED light and proximity sensing is continuing their adoption in major Android platforms. The company is now shipping very high volumes of sensing solutions. The company is now developing more behind-the-OLED technologies with significant R&D activities.
Samsung reports a large increase in its profit in Q2 2020 - as the COVID 19 pandemic increases demand for memory chips, and also as a result of a one-time $950 million penalty payment from Apple following lower OLED orders.
Samsung's net profit in Q2 2020 totaled $4.67 billion (an increase of 7% from Q2 2019), while its revenues were $44.4 billion (down 6% from last year).
DSCC updated its OLED material market forecasts, seeing a lower growth ahead. DSCC says the AMOLED stack material market will grow from $928 million in 2019 to $2.06 billion in 2024 in a CAGR of 17%. Only a couple of months ago DSCC estimated that the market in 2024 will reach $2.69 billion - and even these were reduced from earlier estimates due to COVID-19.
DSCC says that the main reason behind the reduction in its forecast is lower OLED TV capacity. The company now expects a slower ramp up at the Guangzhou fab, and LG's P-10 10.5-Gen fab is now removed from the forecast period.
A consortium of researchers from three different Universities int he UK (Durham University, Newcastle University and Glasgow University) was awarded with £2 million ($2.6 million USD) towards a new project to develop new OLED emitters.
The new project aims to develop an "ultra-efficient" deep-blue OLED emitters. It is not clear whether this is a more efficient fluorescent-type emitter, or a next-generation material design.
In 2012, we first heard that eMagin is developing direct emission (or direct patterning, as the company calls it) OLED microdisplays. Fast forward into 2020, and the company is aiming to soon start producing such displays (it already launched its first such panel, see more below). In this article we'll look into the technology and the latest updates from eMagin.
All current OLED microdisplays on the market from all producers use a white OLED with color filter. This is a simple design, but it is wasteful in energy, as the filters block around 80% of the light, and in addition to achieve the white color one needs to use a blue OLED emitter (in addition to a yellow one, or red and green ones) - and blue is the least efficient color for OLED emission.
LG Display announced that it is aiming to strike strategic cooperations with companies from industries such as the construction, furniture, and interior design, with an aim to find new application for next-generation OLED displays.
LGD opened a new OLED showroom at LG's Science Park in Magok which allows people to experience different OLED products - including transparent and mirror displays, wallpaper displays and "variable TVs" (not sure what is meant by that, perhaps it is a reference to LG's rollable OLED technology). LGD also released the video you see above showing several "virtual" OLED display demonstrations
Researchers from Yonsei University in Korea developed a full-color wearable AMOLED display that can be placed directly on human skin. The device can be flexed and stretched as needed.
The researchers demonstrated a 18x18 AMOLED array, fabricated on a thin substrate with a 2D MoS2 (a graphene-like material) backplane.
OLED producers are looking at under-the-OLED cameras - this is a great technology that could enable complete bezel-less smartphone displays without any pop-up selfie cameras. Samsung, in 2018, announced it is working on several behind-the-OLED sensors, including a camera. But China's Visionox is the first company that actually launched such a technology commercially.
Microsoft recently published an interesting research project (led by Sehoon Lim) that discusses the potential use cases of under-the-OLED camera and its advantages, and also the challenges - with AI technologies that could assist in solving these issues.
LG Display reported its financial results for Q2 2020 - with revenues up 12% over last quarter, as the company enjoyed an increase in demand for IT panels (monitors, notebooks, tablets). But lower demand for TVs and lower utilization at its POLED fabs increased LGD's operating loss.
LG Display says it expects its Q3 revenues and operation profit to improve - as mass production of OLED TV panels in Guangzhou finally started, and the company will ship pOLED panels to Apple's iPhone 12 in the next quarter. LG maintains its 4.5-5 million OLED TV panel shipment forecast for the whole of 2020.
