In April 2017 it was reported that TCL-subsidiary China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSoT) decided to construct a 6-Gen LTPS flexible AMOLED production line in Wuhan, China, in a $5.08 billion investment. Yesterday the company officially started the construction of the new display fab.
The new production fab is expected to begin production in Q2 2019, with full mass production achieved by Q1 2020. The fab's capacity will be 45,000 substrates per month, which will be used to make small and medium-sized flexible and foldable OLEDs.
In 2016 CSoT also announced an ambitious plan to construct a $6.96 billion LCD and OLED Gen-11 production fab in Shenzhen. The new fab, built by TCL and Shenzhen Huaxing Power with help from the Shenzhen Economic and Trade Commission, will have a monthly capacity of 90,000 Gen-11 substrates (3370x2940 mm) and use IGZO backplanes. CSoT also announced plans to increase investment in this future fab by a further $3.15 billion, and Samsung will hold a 9.76% stake in this new fab.
CSoT is involved with OLED printing R&D (and in 2016 established a joint venture with TianMa called Guangdong Juhua Printing Display Technology). CSoT aims to use printing technologies to produce large-area OLED TV panels. The small-sized flexible OLEDs in the Wuhan fab will be produced using an evaporation process.
