AU Optronics - Page 16

Today we learned that Visionox's AMOLED pilot production line was completed, and is able to produce OLED displays up to 17", although Visionox will start will 3" to 12" products, and will only start 17" products later. The line was developed in cooperation with the Kunshan Industrial Technology Research Institute (K-ITRI).

Visionox AMOLED production line

Visionox has been cooperating with AU Optronics on a 2.4" AMOLED display product.

AU Optronics is on track to start mass-producing small and medium AMOLED panels in 2011, and will start installing new production equipment in 3Q 2010. The OLED line will be remodeled from the company's idle 3.5G LTPS (low-temperature polysilicon) equipment. AUO has already announced plans to recuit new employees for the OLED production plant.

AUO 14-inch OLED prototype

Universal Display has announced their 4Q 2009 financial results: a net loss of $3.8 million with $4.8 in revenue. Commercial revenue (chemical sales and royalties) rose to $1.9 million from $1.4 million in 4Q 2008 (35%). This shows the fast growth of AMOLED production, mostly by Samsung, and also the fact that LG is gearing up towards a new 3.5G plant in a few month, and have bought more 'development chemicals'.

UDC also reports about AU Optronics efforts to build new production lines (they plan to start mass producing OLEDs again in 2011) - they say that AUO are using their PHOLED materials (which is not a big surprise since they used these back in 2006)

FPD China starts tomorrow, and AUO plans to exhibit small and medium-sized AMOLED displays. That's all we currently know.

AUO 14-inch OLED panel prototype

They also plan to show new 3D panels and e-paper displays.

AU Optronics announced plans to recruit 2,500 new employees in 2010: for its LCD panel production unit, PV unit and OLED business. AUO are planning to start (or resume, really) making OLED panels in 2011.

AUO 14-inch OLED prototype

OLEDNet has published an OLED market forecast for 2010-2016. Basically the say that during 2010, Samsung will introduce 5" and 7" AMOLEDs, and LG Display will produce 2.7" AMOLED for digital cameras, 3.5" WVGA for mobile phones and 4.3" OLEDs for portable TVS. Toshiba Mobile Displays (TMD) will begin AMOLED small panel production during 2010 as well.

Toshiba, Matsushita and Hitachi are all expected to introduce 20"-40" OLED TV panels as early as 2011. AUO will begin mass production in 2011, too.

AUO's CEO says that they they will start producing small to medium-size OLEDs again in 2011. They expect to complete equipment installation by the end of 2010 on their 3.5G LTPS line that will be used for OLEDs. 

AUO 14-inch OLED prototype

AUO were actually the first company to make AMOLEDs, back in 2006. Their AMOLEDs were used in BenQ-Siemens S88, the first phone to have an AMOLED display. They since decided to stop making OLEDs.  In January 2008, they resumed their OLED program, and now we hear that actual production will start next year.

AU Optronics announced today that they have purchased certain FED-displays-related assets and technologies from Field Emission Technologies (FET). In the transaction, AUO will acquire certain
assets that include patents, know-how, inventions, and relevant equipment related to FED technology and materials. AUO wants to become one of the few companies in the world that will be able to offer commercialized FED products.

FED displays feature fast response time and high efficiency, brightness, and contrast. AUO says that FED and OLED will both be used in future high-end displays. AUO has recently shown a new 14" OLED prototype.

AUO has signed a deal with Taiwan's Yu Precision for the supply of AMOLED manufacturing equipment. The equipment will cost 33 billion won ($29 million). AUO has re-opened their AMOLED program back in 2008, and have shown 14" AMOLED prototypes a couple of months ago, saying they are "ready for production".

 

It's not clear whether AUO wants to make large OLED TV panels, or smaller panels for mobile displays mentioned in earlier reports. 

AU Optronics are showing a new 14" OLED panel, with full HD resolution at 157 ppi. The brightness on an all-white image is 200cd/m2, the contrast is 100,000:1, the frequency is 120Hz and they say it's shows 72% NTSC color gamut. 

AUO claims that this panel are ready for mass production. They are using an evaporation method with a metal stencil mask.