DSCC sees fast growth ahead for the use of inkjet printing technologies for the production of quantum dots color conversion layers in OLED displays.
As you can see in the chart, the gray area represents the capacity (in 1,000 sqm) at Samsung's QD-OLED Fabs.
Guest post by: Fraunhofer IAP & Fraunhofer CAN
"People push towards the light, not to see better, but to shine better" - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)
Quantum dots (QDs) represent the latest generation of hybrid inorganic-organic nanomaterials. They form a triad of inorganic nanotechnology, organic semiconductor technology and solution-based processability. The emission properties of inorganic, luminescent nanoparticles depend directly on the particle size. This size quantization effect makes it possible to control the band gap and thus the emission color of semiconductor materials. The target parameters are a high quantum yield of the luminescence as well as high stability and environmental compatibility.
Samsung Electronics reported its financial results for Q1 2021. The company's revenues was 65.4 trillion Won (around $58.7 billion USD). Operating profit increased 4% from the past quarter to $8.4 billion, as Samsung enjoyed strong sales of phones and consumer electronics, which offset slower sales of displays and semiconductors.
Samsung Display says that for large displays, it will "channel all its efforts towards preparing for the mass production of QD displays".
According to a new report from Korea, Samsung Display is set to begin producing full QD-OLED display prototypes in June this year. SDC will produce both TV and monitor prototypes, which it will send to potential customers (such as Samsung Electronics, Sony, and Chinese TV makers). When customers approve the prototypes, SDC will be ready for commercial production.
The new report also says that Samsung Electronics TV unit (Visual Display Business) is ready to start adoption these panels provided SDC secures the yields and production capacity required by SE. Even if yields are high, total production capacity at SDC's Q1 production line is 30,000 8.5-Gen substrates, which may not be enough for Samsung's TV business.
According to industry reports, Samsung Electronics (finally) committed to adopt Samsung Display's QD-OLED TV panels, and plans to release its first QD-OLED TV in 2022.
Samsung Display announced a $10.85 billion investment in QD-OLED TV R&D and production line in 2019, and has started to produce prototypes towards the end of 2020. The company's plan is to start mass production by the end of 2021, in the first line (15,000 monthly substrates). SDC is also planning a second line to follow the first, to arrive at a total of 30,000 monthly 8.5-Gen substrates.
Market research firm DSCC says that it expects Samsung's QD-OLED panels to carry a lower material cost compared to LG's current W-OLED display - by as much as 30-40%.
These are unyielded costs, note, and LG's years of experience likely means its yields will be much higher at least in the first years of QD-OLED and inkjet-printing production.