April 2018

Researchers from the University of Michigan developed a new method to cost-effectively extra more light out of OLED displays. To achieve that, the researchers used a Sub-Electrode Micro-Lens Array (SEMLA) placed between the bottom transparent ITO electrode and the glass substrate. Testing on green and white PHOLEDs, the researchers say the SEMLA enhanced light output by a factor of 2.8 (green) and 3.1 (white) compared to a similar device without the lens array.

The researcher say that such an array can be fully transparent and has no impact on the sharpness of the display. The hexagonal array of 10 um lenses can be fabricated using conventional photolithography methods which are quite cost effective. Such a micro-lens array does not change the actual OLED production process.

Researchers from Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) and lighting expert Prof. George C. Brainard (one of the principle investigators of the SSL program for the International Space Station) have teamed up for a public call for the adoption of healthier lights.

The researchers aim to collaboration to accelerate the development of healthier lights, which are connected to a range of health problems, including breast and prostate cancers. NTHU's blue-light free candle-light OLEDs may prove to be a good solution to night time lighting.

In April 2017 Chinese display maker TianMa announced that it commenced production at its 6-Gen LTPS AMOLED fab in Wuhan. The fab produces both rigid and flexible OLEDs, and last month Tianma demonstrated several of its latest flexible and foldable panels.

Today ETNews posts that TianMa is thinking of selling its OLED business, to Chinese display maker CEC-Panda. According to ETNews, TianMa did manage to produce 1.3 million rigid OLEDs in 2017, however Tianma's OLED losses are higher than expected, and its LCD business is also suffering due to declining LCD prices.

The US Department of Energy (DoE) announced a new $15 million funding drive for innovative early solid-state-lighting (SSL) research. With this new funding round, the DoE aims to accelerate the development of high-quality LED and OLED products.

The new funding round includes four areas: core LED, OLED and cross-cutting lighting technology research, prototype and proof-of-concept development of LEDs and OLEDs, advanced fabrication R&D and innovative lighting in a limited mock field application. In total, the DoE will fund about 10-15 cost-sharing projects from industry, academia, and national laboratories.

IHS says that smartphone makers are expected to increase their adoption of under-the-display fingerprint sensors. In 2018, 9 million such smartphones will be sold, but the market will grow extremely quickly and will reach over 100 million unit in 2019. By 2022, over 300 million such phones will ship.

Under-the-display sensors are currently only applicable to OLED displays. Chinese phones makers (such as Vivo and Huawei) already started shipping the first phones to adopt this technology. IHS estimates that looking forward, the market will be led by Samsung and Chinese smartphone makers such as Vivo, Huawei and Xiaomi.

Taiwan's ITRI institute says that recent advances in OLED materials and production methods has enabled it to greatly reduce OLED lighting production costs. Recent technical achievements at ITRI include a new flexible substrate transfer, R2R production process integration, and soft light source system design.

In 2016 ITRI constructed a pilot roll-to-roll production line for flexible OLEDs. ITRI now says that these technical achievements will enable it to increase the production line capacity for 50,000 monthly panels. ITRI also developed a new flexible OLED that weighs only 10.7 grams and is less than 0.5 mm thick.

DSCC says that the OLED circular polarizer market is set to grow from $428 million in 2017 to $1.27 billion in 2022. The market is still dominated by mobile displays.

The OLED circular polarizer market is led by two companies, Sumitomo Chemical and Nitto Denko, with LG Chem increasing its market share in OLED TVs polarizers.

Samsung Electronics reported its financial results for Q1 2018. Net income increased to $10.7 billion - higher then analysts expected, as sales of memory chips surged. Samsung, however, warned of weaker demand of smartphones and flexible OLED displays.

Specifically regarding OLED displays, Samsung said that earnings were lower due to weak demand and rising competition between rigid OLEDs and LCDs. Looking forward to Q2, Samsung seeks to reduce costs and improving yields.

In October 2017 BOE started to produce flexible OLED displays at its first flexible OLED line, the Chengdu B7 6-Gen fab. According to CLSA, BOE managed to increase its yields at the new fab which are now at over 60%.

The annual capacity of the B7 line, when complete and at 100% yields, will be 45,000 monthly 6-Gen substrates, or about 90 million smartphone OLEDs. According to an earlier CLSA report, BOE will ship 19 million smartphone OLEDs in 2018 and 41 million panels in 2019.

In July 2017 LG Display announced that it has decided to build a 8.5-Gen (2200x2500) OLED line in Guangzhou, China, to make OLED TV panels. The Korean government hesitated whether to approve this plan, as it sees OLED as a strategic technology Korea' economy, but by the end of 2017 LGD got the approval for its new OLED TV fab.

LGD is apparently still waiting for an approval from the Chinese authorities, but according to a new report from Korea, LG Display is expected to place the orders for the new fab equipment next month. This report says that total investment in this new fab is estimated at $3.17 billion - although LGD itself estimated the whole fab at $2.3 billion USD. Perhaps LGD only counted its own stake, as the local government in Guangzhou will award LGD with 30% the funds.