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.
Reports from Korea suggest that Samsung Display is starting to install production equipment in its new 6-Gen AMOLED fab in Asan. The A4-2 line (previously called the A4-E line) is a converted old LCD fab(L7-2) that was closed in early 2021.
It is estimated that the A4-2 line will cost around $800 million USD. Samsung hopes to start production in the new production line by Q3 2022, and monthly capacity will be 12,500 substrates.
According to reports from Korea, Unijet has supplied China-based Sidtek with inkjet printing systems, used for thin-film encapsulation (TFE) deposition of OLED microdisplays. This is Unijet's first sell of a commercial TFE printing system.
Sidtek, established in 2016, is now producing 0.39" XGA OLED microdisplays, which are available on the OLED marketplace. Sidtek's 0.39" display is available in a color version (1,000 nits) or a monochrome one.
OLED makers are using gold crystals to monitor and control the deposition of organic materials. Many OLED producers choose INFICON's crystals for this demanding task.
INFICON recently launched a new high-precision sensor crystal line that features improved activity stability, which leads to less activity dips and improved deposition rate stability.
DSCC says that it expects OLED investments (new production capacity) to increase in the IT space, as demand for laptops, tablets and monitors increases and OLED penetration increases. There is much room for growth in this market - DSCC estimates that the current OLED penetration into the IT display market is just 1.4% in 2021. DSCC expects to see fabs focused on the IT markets accounting for 37% of 2022-2025 OLED equipment spending.
Helped by spending in IT markets, 2024 is expected to be the largest year for OLED equipment spending since 2017. Interestingly, DSCC says that OLED spending in China is has slowed due to a lack of penetration, but OLED spending in Korea continues to increase. Korea’s OLED spending is expected to grow by 637% in 2022 and another 50% in 2023 to $4.4B.
Notion Systems is a leading supplier of industrial ink jet printing systems. The n.jet inkjet platform from Notion Systems is used to produce printed circuit boards, OLED & QLED displays, sensors and high-quality 3D parts.
We present the following interview with the Company's CEO and founder, Dr. Michael Doran.
Q: Hello Michael. Can you detail notion systems' offering for the OLED industry? We understand you offer R&D and production systems, for both RBG printing and TFE printing.
Notion Systems offers a system platform called n.jet display series that prints functional layers at various steps of display production and for a range of display technologies. These include rigid, flexible, OLED, QLED and micro displays. The platform meets the most stringent requirements for process environment and process stability.
As demand for larger mobile OLED displays, for laptops, tablets and monitors is on the rise, there are reports that Samsung Display is considering building a 8.5-Gen AMOLED fab dedicated for laptop and IT displays.
This new fab will be the first 8.5-Gen RGB OLED deposition fab, and Samsung is looking into new technologies to enable OLED deposition on larger substrates. It is reported today that SDC is developing, in collaboration with ULVAC, vertical deposition technology.
Korea-based OLUM Material announced that it is starting to develop fine metal masks (FMM) for 8.5-Gen (2200x2500 mm) OLED production. Current FMM technologies are limited to 6-Gen substrates (1500x1850 mm).
As demand for larger mobile OLED displays, for laptops, tablets and monitors is on the rise, OLED makers aim to start making these panels on larger substrates. Samsung Display is considering, according to reports, a 8.5-Gen AMOLED fab dedicated for laptop and IT displays.
DSCC has lowered its OLED equipment spending estimate and forecast. DSCC is saying this is due to low OLED utilization rates in China's lower-tiered producers, delays in OLED TV production plans in China as companies are focusing on LCDs due to increase demand - and also new technologies such as mini-LEDs.
DSCC sees OLED equipment spending falling in 2021, 2022 and 2023, and surging back in 2025. Total 2020-2025 OLED equipment spending on an install basis is expected to to be $49 billion.
Inkjet printing system developer Notion Systems announced a global strategic partnership with Scrona, a developer of ultra-high resolution EHD (electrohydrodynamic) print heads. Using the new print heads, Notion Systems will be able to offer OLED material printing with dramatically improved resolution and throughout - at the micron and sub-micron scale.
Notion Systems says that the new technology has the potential to replace many conventional production steps in microfabrication of display devices. Indeed one of the major hurdles for inkjet printing adoption is the relatively low display density limitation of current printing technologies.
