Toshiba pins growth plans on OLED expansion and NAND memory
Toshiba Corp. revealed that its mid-term strategy includes bullish plans to expand sales, expansion of NAND flash memory development and a commitment to OLED displays for TV applications.
"We've been developing OLED technology for small to mid-sized displays at the joint venture and we had expected that it would 2015 or 2016 before large-sized OLED technology for TV application would become available," Nishida said. "Now we think that we can develop the technology much earlier. We will be able to offer OLED TVs in 2009."
TMDisplay to make OLED TVs in 3 years
After showing the 21" OLED prototype, TMDisplay (Toshiba Matsushita JV) has announced their plans to make OLED TVs within 3 years (2009).
Toshiba Matsushita showcase a 21" OLED TV prototype, making 3.5" OLED panels
Toshiba Matsushita shows a 21" (20.8", actually) OLED TV. The resolution is 1280x768 (WXGA).
TM also says they are making 3.5" OLED panels for some time.
Pioneer and TMDisplay aggressively expanding AMOLED capacity?
There are reports that Pioneer and TMDisplay are aggressively expanding their AMOLED capacity.
According to those reports, Pioneer plans to invest around $37 million to expand AMOLED capacity by 70% (to one million panels), while TMDisplay plans to start mass production of 3.5" P-LED panels in fiscal 2005 (April 2005-March 2006).
Taiwan AM OLED makers not competitive with Japan and Korea makers
Digitimes says that Japanese OLED makers (such as SK Displays, TM Display and Hitachi) have already begain mass production of AMOLED displays, while Taiwanese companies are postponing their schedules and will not start volume production until 2005.
There are 15 AMOLED production line planned in Taiwan, Japan and Korea for 2005 according to Digitimes. Nine of these lines belong to Japanese makers. In Taiwan, the leading player seems to be RiTDisplay. The company have been showing AMOLED samples in June 2004 but they will not start mass production in 2004 as originally planned - they postponed it to 1Q 2005 due to low yields.
Toshiba to start producing 3.5" AMOLEDs in September 2005
Toshiba Mobile Displays (TMDisplay) is planning to start mass producing 3.5" QVGA (320x240) AMOLED displays by the end of September 2005. The company will also produce 2" OLED displays by March 2006. In 207 or 2008 the company wants to start making 10" OLEDs.
Toshiba did not say how many displays they will produce, but they do see a market emerging for these kinds of displays in portable multimedia players, for example. The 2" displays will be used in digital cameras and camcorders, and maybe mobile phones as well.
