According to SNU Precision's web site, the company is set to release a new tool that will enable the deposition of direct-emission OLED materials on silicon wafers for microdisplay panels.
SNU Precision says that the new tool will support both R&D settings and mass production, with support for 200 mm and 300 wafers. The tool will launch "soon" but SNU does not give more details.
In the past eMagin reported of several leading companies that have licensed the technology and/or are working with the company towards the design of custom dPd OLED displays for future AR/VR products. In 2017 for example eMagin reported of a Tier-1 CE company that licensed its dPd tech, and in 2020 the company said it started a new consumer-related AR development project for a next-generation display for a Tier-1 customer.
These are customers for eMagin's microdisplays. eMagin also noted that it may be open to license the dPd technology (but it referred to TFT OLED designs). eMagin used to work with SNU Precision and the company's main deposition tool was delivered by SNU back in 2012. It could be that eMagin is working with SNU on this new machine, but this is just speculation.
A few months ago Facebook posted a new job opening that referred to OLED microdisplay direct-emission architecture.
A direct-emission OLED will enable much higher efficiency/brightness compared to current designs based on color filters.
Disclosure: the author of this post personally holds shares in eMagin.
