RiTdisplay is a PMOLED producer based in Taiwan that has several production lines making PMOLED panels. A few years ago it was considered the world's largest PMOLED maker, although I now hear that due to financial problems the company shut down some of their PMOLED lines (this isn't confirmed though).

At SID 2012, RiTdisplay showed several PMOLED panels, and some 3.5" AMOLED panels. RiTdisplay is Ignis' production partner for its a-Si compensation technology, which basically enables a-Si to be used as a backplane for AMOLED panels (instead of LTPS or Oxide-TFT). This should enable cheaper AMOLEDs. You can read more about this technology at my Ignis-at-SID post.

Update: Here's the complete list of OLED related posts and notes from SID 2012

So, SID 2012 is now over. Personally it was a very good show, even though I hear from many exhibitors that it was slow compared to past years. There were a lot of companies showing OLED displays, lighting panels and related products, and it seems that OLEDs are starting to become mainstream. I do plan to post in-depth posts with interesting details of my talks with various OLED companies, but in the meantime, here's my own "best of SID" list.

Canada's Ignis Innovation posted new job openings for their OLED TV development group, and in the job description they mention that the group is "currently working on two AMOLED television designs, targeted for mass production in 2012".

3.5-inch a-Si AMOLED prototype

IGNIS developed a-Si based AMOLEDs and reportedly RiTdisplay is starting to mass produce AMOLEDs based on this design - but these are 3.5" (320x480) panels - it seems unlikely that they'll be able to scale up to OLED TV size in such a short time frame. But it's also unlikely that either Samsung or LG Display are using Ignis technology in their upcoming OLED TVs (which use LTPS and Oxide-TFT, not a-Si).

There are reports that RiTdisplay started to mass produce 3.5" 320x480 AMOLEDs on a-Si backplanes, and the company was already contracted to provide the displays to several smartphone makers. a-Si backplane AMOLEDs will be cheaper and easier to produce than LTPS ones (which is the most common technology for AMOLEDs and next-gen LCDs such as Apple's Retina displays) as they can use existing a-Si equipment used to fabricate LCD displays.

Canada's Ignis Innovation provided the compensation technology and driver IC (which is made by Himax). These are the same panels unveiled at SID last month. The actual backplane was developed with an undisclosed display-panel maker partner in Taiwan.

Update: we learned that RiTDisplay have started to mass produce those AMOLEDs and have already found some smartphone clients.

IGNIS Innovation, unveiled a new 3.47" 320x480 AMOLED made on an amorphous silicon backplane (a-Si). The new display uses INGIS' new AdMo compensation technology and is made by RiTdisplay.

Today all AMOLEDs are made on LTPS backplanes. Ignis' solution uses a-Si which is cheaper but has stability issues. Ignis says that their new AdMo technology eliminates those issues - and makes the a-Si made AMOLED equivalent in performance to LTPS AMOLEDs. Ignis says that "This opens the door for RiTdisplay and other manufacturers to make state-of-the-art AMOLED displays using existing amorphous silicon equipment" - but they haven't announced when and if RiTDisplay (or other companies) plan to start using the technology.

A few days ago we reported that RiTDisplay consider a withdrawal from OLED production. We just got word from RiTDisplay themselves saying that they still make OLEDs, and do not plan to stop.

RiTDisplay are the world's largest PMOLED maker, with over $100 million in revenue from PMOLEDs in 2009. So that's good news!

Update: We just got word from RiTDisplay saying that they are still producing OLEDs and do not plan to stop. Good news!

ResearchInChina has released a new report (Global and China Small and Medium-sized Display Device Industry Report, 2009-2010). From the display Abstract, we learn that RiTdisplay (makers of PMOLED displays) are currently focusing on touch displays, and might withdraw from OLED production completely.

DisplaySearch released a new Quarterly OLED Shipment and Forecast Report in which they say that OLED revenue was $826 million in 2009 - a record year. AMOLED revenue was $537 million, and PMOLED revenue was $291 (lower than 2008, mostly because mobile phone design is moving away from clamshell phones).

Samsung Mobile Display is still the biggest OLED maker, with $566 million in revenues. Samsung is followed by RiTdisplay ($106 million), Pioneer ($60 million), TDK and Visionox ($15 million).

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DisplaySerach has released their latest Quarterly OLED Shipment and Forecast Report. They say that OLED revenues have reached $252 million in Q3 2009, up 31% Q/Q. OLED shipments were 21.7 million (up 19% Q/Q). Demand was driven by high-end mobile phones.

Quarterly shipments and revenue

Samsung Mobile Displays continues to be the market leader - in face they have a 73% market share (in revenues). RiTdisplay is second with a 12% share. 

PMOLED shipments did not grow from 2008 to 2009. In face, mobile-phones shipments decreased (there is a shift from clam-shell style phones with external PMOLEDs to smart-phones), but PMOLED for automotive applications is increasing, with Mercedes Benz and Lexus adopting PMOLEDs. PMOLED shipments in Q3 2009 has reached 427,000.

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DisplaySearch has released a new version of their quarterly 'OLED Shipment and Forecast report'. They say that world-wide OLED revenue has reached 192M$ in Q2 2009, which is a new record (up 32% from last quarter, and 22% from the same quarter last year).

Other findings and forecasts:

• Samsung Mobile Displays has a 38% market share. Second is RiTDisplay.
• PMOLED shipments were the same as last quarter.
• There will be about 20 new (or upgraded) AMOLED production lines installed (or upgraded) within the next 3 years.
• AMOLED will enter medium and large-size applications soon. Notebooks will start in mid-2010 and netbooks will follow. 20"-29" OLED TVs will enter the market by the end of 2010. 30" TVs are expected in the end of 2011.

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