AU Optronics - Page 13

Last week we reported that AUO is showing a new Oxide-TFT based 32" OLED TV, and today we have some new details. Unsurprisingly, the Oxide-TFT is IGZO based and the TV uses a bottom-emission type OLED. AUO is using vapor deposition using a metal mask.

The OLED TV features Full-HD (1920x1080) resolution, 100,000:1 contrast ration, 0.01ms response time and brightness of 200cd/m².

Last week we reported that AUO plans to unveil a new 4" flexible OLED prototype, and today we have a photo and some details of this new panel. It turns out that this bottom-emitting panel is only 0.3mm thick, and it offers a resolution of 240x320. It can be bent with a curvature radius of 10mm.

To create this display, AUO formed a resin substrate on a glass substrate and formed the driver elements and OLED elements on it. Then, the glass substrate and the resin substrate were separated. The driver is based on amorphous IGZO (InGaZnO) TFTs, formed in a vacuum process.

A few days ago we reported that AUO will show a 6" transparent OLED panel, and today we have some more details and nice photo of this display. The display features 400x300 resolution, 36% transmittance and 400 cd/m² brightness. Both the cathode and anode are transparent - and so light is emitted in both sides.

During AUO's conference call, the company gave some interesting updates on their OLED program. As was suggested before, the company is already sampling panels - these are 4" displays for smartphones that use RGB matrix and sport 247 PPI. AUO says that these displays will offer superior quality compared to Samsung's PenTile based displays, especially on fine text (of course samsung is also offering the RGB-matrix Super AMOLED Plus displays). The products will ship in Q2 2012, and the company is seeing interest from several device makers.

AUO's current capacity is 7000-8000 monthly substrates in their Gen-3.5 fab. In 2H 2012 the company plans to bring their Gen-4.5 fab online with a monthly capacity of 15,000 substrates.

AUO announced it will show several OLED prototypes at the FPD International 2011 exhibition later this week. The company will show a new 32" Full-HD OLED TV prototype. This TV uses a Metal Oxide TFT as backplane and is only 3mm thick. AUO says that the TV has a quick response time and high contrast ratio. Hopefully the company will unveil the specifications and commercialization plans during the conference.

AUO will also show a 4" Flexible AMOLED panel (which is based on Low Temperature Processed Metal Oxide TFT as backplane driver). This panel is only 0.3mm thick.

AUO unveiled a new 4.3" AMOLED panel offering 257ppi. The company actually said they "launched" the new product, but it seems that they aren't mass producing it yet (this will probably happen in early 2012). But the company is reportedly shipping samples already.

The company has also demonstrated a 6" transparent OLED display (with a transparency rate of over 35%), and a 4" Touch AMOLED display that features 30% less energy consumption compared to other AMOLED. We assume that this display includes an in-cell touch panel - similar to Samsung's Super AMOLED displays. AUO unveiled their AMOLED in-cell touch technology back in June 2010.

There are reports that AUO has started to ship AMOLED panel samples to smartphone makers - and the company plans to start mass production in 2012. We're not sure what kind of panels these are, but back in March 2011 they added a 3.5" AMOLED 360x640 panel to their product line, so these may be the same panels samples being shipped now.

AUO actually planned to start mass production back in Q2 2011, but the company faced technology issues and had to delay to Q3/Q4 2011, and now we hear of further delays to 2012. AUO will use their Taiwanese Gen-3.5 fab for these panels, most likely (the company is also working towards converting its 4.5-Gen LTPS line in Singapore to AMOLED production).

Taiwan's government wants to establish an AMOLED R&D alliance, to help local companies compete with AMOLED leader Samsung. Currently it is reported that AU Optronics (AUO) has volunteered for the plan and are in talks with smartphone and PC makers HTC, Acer and Asustek to form the alliance. It's not clear whether other Taiwanese OLED makers (such as Chimei Innolux) will join too.

AUO 14-inch OLED prototype

The Taiwanese goverment will offer financial incentives as they hope this alliance will improve AMOLED yield rate and so help local companies secure customers for the AMOLED panels. AUO is facing technical issues which forced them to delay OLED production. CMI is facing both technical and financial problems and their OLED plans aren't clear.

Paul Peng, AUO's executive VP says that OLED TV panels won't be price competitive until 2014 - the high production costs will remain due to low yield rates. This is a 'response' to LG claiming that they will start producing 55 OLED TV panels next year.

AUO 14-inch OLED prototype

Of course we have to remember that AUO is still lagging behind LG Display and Samsung in AMOLED production. Both Samsung and LG are already producing AMOLEDs while AUO is still struggling with the production process.

AUO filed a lawsuit against Samsung and three of its customers over LCD and OLED patents. AUO claims that Samsung's various LCD and OLED products, including LCD devices used in TV, monitors, notebooks and OLED devices used in mobile phones, infringe AUO's patented technologies. This lawsuit is a retaliatory action against Samsung's own lawsuit against AUO over LCD patents filed earlier this month.

Interestingly, in January 2006 the two companies signed a broad patent cross-license agreement - that covers patents in the area of TFT-LCD and OLED.