Chi Mei EL (CMEL) - Page 3

CNet has posted a video interview of Kodak's OLED Wireless Digital Photo Frame, saying that the OLED display offers brilliant color and a sharp image. Update: The video is no longer available.

The 7.6" AMOLED panel offers 800x480 resolution, white to black contrast ratio of 30,000:1. It is made by CMEL.

We've got some new info on CMEL's 7.6" AMOLED. And we also have photo...

The panel is 7.6 800 x 480 Active Matrix OLED. It boasts a temperature independent response time of less than 50us across its entire operating temperature range. The module’s contrast ratio is better than 10000:1 and is not affected by viewing angle limitations. The emissive nature of the AMOLED panel does not suffer from gray scale inversion as TFT-LCD technology often does.

The module has a LVDS display data interface and a SPI control interface. It has overall dimensions 177.30mm (W) x 118.32mm (H) x 5.6mm (D) with an. active area of 165.60mm (W) x 99.36mm (H).

If you're interested in this module, contact us for details and costs

CMEL introduces a New OLED manufacturing technique called Metal encapsulated module (MEM). MEM displays are thinner (0.7mm instead of 1.7mm), lighter, and stronger.

CMEL showed a 25" AMOLED 'MEM' TV, and they say that it can be used on displays of any size. They plan to start offering such displays in Q2 2009. In fact they will offer the option of MEM on all their displays, so customers can choose (so we assume MEM displays will cost more than traditional OLEDs).

Attached below is a short datasheet on MEMs.

CMEL is adjusting its AMOLED focus to medium- and
large-size panels as result of pricing pressure from TFT LCD in the
small- to medium-size segment, according to company chairman Jau-Yang
Ho.

They say that while AMOLEDs have better quality and colors, it's hard to compete on price against TFT LCDs. It will take time for lower the prices of AMOLEDs. 

Apart from developing 7.6-inch AMOLED panel fro Kodak, CMEL will head
for the 10-inch and larger segment. CMEL expects to volume produce
AMOLED TV panels in 2010 or 2011.

Read more here (digitimes)

DisplaySearch says that SamsungSDI's AMOLED second quarter shipments are down 22% from previous quarter (the forecase was an increase of 12%) due to low demand from phone makers, including Nokia. The slowdown is expected to continue in the next quarter.

Total AMOLED revenue was 54M$, down 27% quarter to quater.

PMOLED shipments are up 17% from previous quarter (20M$), after 3 quarters of slowing down. PMOLEDs are now 60% of the MP3 players market.

RiTdisplay had a record quarter with revenues of US$33.8 million. Pioneer maintained its shipment volume of 4.4 million units, most of which were monochrome displays. Chi Mei EL (CMEL) also reported AMOLED revenues of only US$7.6 million, down from US$12.8 million last quarter.

Read more here (digitimes)

CMEL released a product-specificationfor the 7.6" AMOLED (part number P0760WVLB).  There is some interesting information there -

• Size 7.6"
• Resolution 800x480
• Pixel pitch 207x207 um
• Active area size 165.60x99.36mm, Outline area 177.3x118.32mm
• Thickness - maximum 5.3m

The weight is still not given. The product spec PDF is attached below.

In other news, CMEL, Grand View Technology and Maction Technologies announced the world's first OLED-using DVD GPS system for car navigation. The OLED is a 4.3" display.

Digitimes reports that CMEL has landed 7.6" AMOLD panel orders from Kodak. The panels will be used in digital photo frames.

CMEL will start shipping those in September - just in time for Kodak to sell the photo frames in the holiday season. 

CMEL has a capacity of 100,000 monthly panels, and is installing a 2nd line (will come online in early 2009)

Read more here (Digitimes) 

In July 2008, I had the chance of interviewing Elijah Ebo, manager of product division at Densitron. Densitron has been in the displays industry for over 30 years and is well known for offering custom display and complete product design. The company sold the other 2 division it had, gaming and Digital signage, a couple of years ago and the management decided to re-focus on displays.

Elijah got his degree in Surrey University, and worked at Vertu (Nokia's luxury mobile phone brand) and at Philips before joining Densitron, to be the Product Division manager - managing a team of technical display experts at Densitron and supporting design activities with their customers.

Global AMOLED Panel Shipment Trend

• Shipments of 4.34 million units in 2Q, 2008 which portray rapid growth from the starting point of 4Q, 2007
• Samsung SDI to dominate shipments, about 90% of the entire 2Q, 2008 shipments
• 2H, 2008 shipments expected to be minimum 10 million units, possibly more than 12 million units

AMOLED, so called "Dream Display" panel global shipments recorded 7.1 million units during the first half of 2008 and forecasted to be more than 10 million units during the latter half of 2008.

Samsung SDI is known for dominating the AMOLED shipment area and analyzed to have 90% share of the entire 2Q, 2008 shipments. Taiwan's CMEL, LG Display and Sony are known to gradually increase their shipments.

Displaybank forecasted rather smooth AMOLED market entry situation as many mobile phone manufacturers are either applied or plan to apply AMOLED in their mobile phone models and many AMOLED demands appear in Digital Camera, Digital Photo Frame, PMP and Indicating Devices.

Displaybank expects 3 million units per month in shipments will be possible in early 2009.

I recently had the chance to interview Mr. Corey Hewitt and Dr. James Buntaine from Kodak OLED Systems. Kodak is where OLEDs were first discovered, and they are still in the fore-front of the technology. This is going to be a long article - these guys have given me a lot of background info, even before answering my questions. But first let's introduce Corey and James:

Mr. Corey Hewitt, Operations Manager & Vice President, Kodak OLED Systems
Mr. Hewitt's responsibilities include worldwide operations, finance, marketing and business development. Corey has traveled and worked closely on a worldwide basis with Dr. Buntaine in determining the future strategy for OLED technology and how it relates to Eastman Kodak Company. Corey received his Business Administration/Finance degree from the University at Buffalo and subsequently completed his Masters of Business Administration from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Corey has joined Kodak in 1999, and held several positions before becoming the Operations Manager and VP of Kodak OLED Systems.