Panasonic - Page 11

Update: Panasonic announced that they will start shipping OLED panels on September 1st, 2011.

Universal Display signed a technology license agreement with Panasonic Idemitsu OLED Lighting (PIOL). PIOL will use UDC's OLED materials and technologies in its lighting products, and will pay running royalties on its sales (some of it prepaid) and may also purchase OLED materials. The agreement runs through July 2014.

PEW OLED Lighting panels

Panasonic Idemitsu OLED Lighting was established by Panasonic Electric Works (PEW) and Idemitsu Kosan in March 2011, with the aim of developing, manufacturing and marketing OLED lighting panels. The company combines PEW's design and manufacturing technologies with Idemitsu OLED materials. PEW was already using UDC's materials, and it's interesting to hear that the joint-venture will now use UDC materials as well and not just Idemitsu' materials. This validates the claim that efficient OLED lighting (above 40 lm/W or so) requires phosphorescent materials.

Panasonic Corporation announced major restructuring, which includes laying off about 17,000 jobs (to reduce total employees to a level of 350,000) and reorganizing into three sectors (Consumer, Components & Devices and Solutions). The company identified four growth areas: Solar Business, water purification, devices for smartphones and OLED lighting.

PEW OLED Lighting panels

Here's Panasonic statement about OLEDs: "Panasonic recognizes OLED lighting as the next-generation lighting devices that may become equally popular as LED lighting in the market and formed a joint venture called Panasonic Idemitsu OLED Lighting with Idemitsu Kosan on April 12, 2011. Panasonic will speed up the commercialization and market development for its OLED lighting products."

Here's another nice OLED lighting installation from the Milano art show, this time from Panasonic Electric Works (PEW). Apparently PEW's OLED panels are transparent when not lit.

Just a couple of weeks ago we learned that PEW and Idemitsu Kosan will establish a new joint venture (called Panasonic Idemitsu OLED Lighting) for developing, manufacturing and marketing OLED lighting panels. The new company will combine PEW's design and manufacturing technologies with Idemitsu OLED materials.

Panasonic Electric Works (PEW) and Idemitsu Kosan announced that they will establish a new joint venture for developing, manufacturing and marketing OLED lighting panels. The new company will be called Panasonic Idemitsu OLED Lighting and it will combine PEW's design and manufacturing technologies with Idemitsu OLED materials.

PEW OLED Lighting panels

The new company will have 10 employees at the time of establishment. PEW will owe 51% and Idemitsu will own the rest (49%). The initial company capital will be JP¥ 15 billion ($182 million).

Japan's OLED lighting fair started in March 8th, and we got some interesting OLED Lighting news. NEC lighting is showing several OLED lighting lamps using their upcoming panels - which will be 10x10cm ones offering 60lm/W efficiency - which is actually very good. The company plans to commercialize them in fiscal 2011 (which ends of March 2012). NEC is using UDC's PHOLED materials, which explains the relativly high efficiency.

NEC OLED lighting

Panasonic Electric Works is another company that's developing OLED lighting panels based on UDC's materials, and now we hear that they too plan to commercialize their panels in 2011. We don't have any technical details on those panels yet.

Panasonic Electric Works has renovated the Rouault Gallery (Rouault was a twentieth century French painter), a permanent exhibition corner of its "Panasonic Electric Works Shiodome Museum" with next-generation lighting, including some OLED panels.

The OLEDs panels prototypes have been used to light a pedestal for sculpture of Rouault and also the "Hans Coper Retrospective," a special exhibition being held for a limited time.

Panasonic Electric Works has unveiled their OLED Lighting program in April 2010. We do not have any technical details (like efficiency, brightness, etc.) on these panels, nor do we know when Panasonic plans to start producing these commercially.

Universal Display reported their financial results. For the first quater of 2010, the net loss was $2.9 million, revenues were $4.2 million. The company reprots an increase in revenue (both in commercial OLED sales and development activities) and a decrease in operating costs.

LG Chem white OLED panels

UDC says they are devoting more and more resources into OLED Lighting. We know that they are working with Konika Minolta, and now UDC say that several more companies are using their materials in OLED Lighting prototypes: LG Chem, NEC Lighting, Panasonic (using UDC's red and green materials) and Showa Denko.

NEC Lighting OLED lamp prototype

UDC is currently shipping Red PHOLED materials for customers (mostly Samsung). They are also hoping that these customers will start using their Green materials, which will enable better efficiency on these displays.

The latest company that will soon be showing OLED Lighting panels is Panasonic Electric Works (PEW). They will show a square panel at the Light+Building 2010 exhibition in Germany next week, and also in the Milano Salone exhibition in Italy.

We don't have any technical information (efficiency, brightness, size) about the panels, hopefully they'll disclose more during the exhibitions.

Panasonic has announced that they are developing OLEDs together with Sumitomo. They aim to make 40" (or bigger) TVs by 2010. Back in 2008, Sumitomo announced plans for OLED TVs by 2009, and were seeking partners for doing it.

Sumitomo's technology is based on CDT's PLED materials (CDT were acquired by Sumitomo back in 2007).

According to Smarthouse, Panasonic has confirmed that they are working with Toshiba towards an HD OLED TV. It will be ready within 18 months to 2 years. Toshiba has confirmed this as well.

The last we heard about Panasonic is that they are still skeptical about OLED TVs. Also they have sold their stake in TMDisplay (who is focusing on OLEDs) to Toshiba. According to Smarthouse, Panasonic are concerned about the lifetime of OLEDs, but the technology has improved much in that respect

Smarthouse are also behind the Apple-LG-OLED rumors. Time will tell if they are right...