In February 2018 it was first reported that Samsung Display is developing TV panels based on hybrid quantum-dots and OLED architecture (QD-OLED). Samsung later confirmed it is developing such technology, but with no immediate plans to commercialize it.
ETNews now reports that Samsung is now working to establish a pilot 8-Gen line for QD-OLED production. ETNews says that Samsung is collaborating with both Canon Tokki and Kateeva to develop the production equipment - apparently the OLED layers will be evaporated using Canon's machines while the QD filters will be deposited using ink-jet printing equipment made by Kateeva. Samsung aims to finalize the production line by the second half of 2019.
The QD-OLEDs will use a blue OLED emitter layer (or several layers, according to UBI Research) and quantum dot layers on top which will convert the light to red and green, thus enabling full color. The displays will use Oxide-TFT backplanes.
Samsung apparently hopes that this technology will enable it to produce large area OLED panels that do not rely on LG's WRGB structure and IP - while providing a larger color gamut than LG's current TVs. There are still a lot of technology challenges towards that goal - such as a high efficiency and long-lasting blue OLED emitter, the ink-jet printing of QDs and more.
