LG Display to expand flexible OLED production in a $800 million investment

LG Display currently produces plastic-based OLEDs in its Gen-4.5 fab, with a monthly capacity of 14,000 substrates (more than double its capacity in the beginning of 2014). In the past, we heard reports that LGD is building a Gen-6 line (15,000 monthly substrates), but LGD themselves said that plans for expansion are still under review.

According to a new report in Korea, LG Display made the decision to invest 900 billion Won ($802 million USD) in a new production line for flexible OLEDs. The new fab will produce small/medium sized displays - used for mobile phone and wearable applications. LGD officially declined to comment on this, though.

LG Display uses flexible OLED displays in their mobile phones (the G Flex 2), wearable devices (such as the Watch Urbane) and also supplies them for Apple's Watch. Apple seem to be debating whether to retain LGD as the exclusive supplier for the upcoming Watch 2 or to contract Samsung Display to become a second supplier.

In fact, Samsung's own GS6 Edge success may be what's behind LGD's flexible OLED expansion. It may be that LG Electronics is planning their own curved-edge phone (they already shown a prototype device a few months ago) and they will need LGD's flexible OLED capacity to support this.

Posted: Jul 06,2015 by Ron Mertens