Back in April 2022 it was reported that BOE started planning a 8.5-Gen IT AMOLED Line, to target the laptop and tablet markets. Following some delays, the company has now officially announced it plans and is set to start constructing the new fab.
Asus ZenBook 17 Fold OLED (BOE panel)
BOE says that it will invest 63 billion Yuan (over $8.8 billion USD) to build the new fab in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China - where its first B7 6-Gen flexible AMOLED line is located as well. The new fab will use 2290x2620 glass substrates (which is usually referred to as 8.7-Gen) and will have a capacity of 32,000 monthly substrates. The fab will produce flexible and foldable AMOLEDs (on a polyimide substrate).
BOE did not commit yet to a production schedule, but it is likely it will enter production in 2 to 3 years. It is important to note that BOE’s board of directors approved the investment, it is not final yet and will need to get the approval of BOE's extraordinary general shareholders meeting that will take place on Dec. 14.
BOE is already producing laptop OLEDs, but the new fab will increase its capacity dramatically, and many analysts expect the demand for OLEDs in the IT market to soar in the near future. BOE recently announced its latest smartphone AMOLED Panels, and said it produced over 100 million flexible AMOLEDs in 2023 to date.
