Manufacturing equipment

Vitex Systems announced that their equipment licensees SNU Precision and Sunic Systems have received multiple orders for Barix thin-film OLED encapsulation equipment. SNU Precision got their first Barix TFE tool order in Taiwan, and Sunic Systems' order came from China. This is their 2nd chinese customer.

Vitex say that by the middle of 2010, there will be 16 Barix TFE tools operational at customers (some customers have multiple sets of equipment).

We know that Vitex customers/partners include Samsung, UDC and LG (In December 2008 Vitex has shown a video of several products and prototypes using their encapsulation technology.

Via OLEDNet

Samsung Mobile Display's president of engineering Brian Berkeley said yesterday that Samsung is accelerating its development of OLED displays, including increasing  the size and volume to enable rollout of OLED TVs. Samsung has been critical of OLED TVs in the past years, but things are changing: there's high volume AMOLED production, with millions of OLED displays for mobile devices shipping each month.

Samsung 30-inch 3D OLED TV prototype

Samsung are now making huge investments in OLEDs, including development of medium to large sized panels. They are actually working on how to scale a Gen 4 sized plants (like they have today) to a Gen 7 or even a Gen 8, which will be able to make TV panels economically. This will require either much more powerful lasers working much more quickly than today's process for creating the backplane on which they deposit the OLEDs, or some alternative technology. There are also issues in color patterning, for which Samsung thinks it has a new unique solution, and OLED printing.

Berkeley predicts that a 40" OLED TV will use only 10 watts in about five years (compared to 40 watts today for a 40" LCD). He also said that the technology will be great for 3D TVs (image switching is quicker and so left and right images are completely separated).

3D-Micromac AG has developed and introduced a new laser structuring process for OLED thin film layers. Based on the microSTRUCT workstations a laser system was developed in the mayor field for selective structuring application of anode layers. Hereby the nearly transparent semiconductor tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) is used as anode material.

3D-Micromac says that the integration of an ultra short pulsed laser in microSTRUCT guarantees a gentle structuring of anode without material damage at substrate level. Special highlight is the processing of variable and scalable substrate sizes. It is realized by an innovative software controlled scanner machining concept achieving a structuring speed of up to 1 meter per second. In addition further layers of OLED can be machined with the same laser system. For instance there is a possibility to repair short circuits and remove other defects in the layer system of the OLED. The laser system can also be used engrave the glass substrate. Marking can be done at the surface of the substrate and also as intra glass marking. The nearly athermal laser machining allows a micro marking of glass without micro cracks in the substrate.

Yesterday we reported on the DOE's Recover Act Rewards, and today we have more details on two of the projects. UDC got $4 million (out of a $8.3 million project) to create a US phosphorescent OLED Lighting panel manufacturing Facility. UDC will design and setup two pilot lines, and will provide prototype lighting panels to U.S. luminaire manufacturers to incorporate into products, to facilitate testing of design, and to gauge customer acceptance.

Moser Baer Technologies will supply equipment for these lines. The first might become operation already in 2011 (the specific location isn't public yet). The second line is geared towards commercial volumes of panels. This could mean that UDC will become an OLED panel production company - and not just an IP one. This is an interesting move by UDC that is quite risky as they will compete with their licensees.

UDC will also work with PPG Industries on another project titled "Low-Cost Integrated Substrate for OLED Lighting". PPG plans to develop the OLED lighting integrated substrate using low-cost soda lime float glass plus transparent anode materials and light extraction layers.

Via Plus Plastic Electronics

Update: It seems that there's no company in Taiwan called Yu Precision. It's not clear whether this story is actually true or not... we'll have to wait for official word from AUO I guess.

AUO has signed a deal with Taiwan's Yu Precision for the supply of AMOLED manufacturing equipment. The equipment will cost 33 billion won ($29 million). AUO has re-opened their AMOLED program back in 2008, and have shown 14" AMOLED prototypes a couple of months ago, saying they are "ready for production".

It's not clear whether AUO wants to make large OLED TV panels, or smaller panels for mobile displays mentioned in earlier reports.

Via FNNews

In an interesting article by the Financial Times, both Idemitsu Kotsan and Sumitomo executives estimate that "2012 will be the year when OLEDs hits the big times".

Idemitsu Kotsan also says that they are working on a new way to 'spray' small-molecule OLED materials. The new method should be ready by 2015. Spraying OLEDs (instead of using vapor-deposition) will mean less material loss, and thus cheaper displays. It will also make it easier to fabricate large panels.

Sumitomo is focusing on blue lifetime, and say that they will reach 50,000-60,000 hours by March 2010. 

The Fraunhofer IPMS announced plans to set up roll-to-roll OLED equipment for 30cm-wide metal foil substrate in December. The new equipment will allow films to be formed continuously. The institute does not have any encapsulation equipment yet.

Via OLEDNet