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Logo of Xian Smart Materials, a key supplier of TFE ink for BOE, Visionox, and CSOT.

Xian Smart Materials Expands TFE Ink Supply to BOE and Visionox… Secures 100% Share at CSOT

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Official logo of Xian Smart Materials (Source: Xian Smart Materials)

Official logo of Xian Smart Materials (Source: Xian Smart Materials)

Chinese display materials supplier Xian Smart Material (思摩威) is rapidly increasing its supply share to major panel makers, centered on TFE (Thin Film Encapsulation) ink. Founded in 2017, the company has developed and manufactured TFE ink, low-temperature Over Coat (OC), organic insulating layers, and binders, and is understood to have invested RMB 350 million to build a new manufacturing plant.

Its flagship TFE ink is supplying approximately 70% of the volume for BOE’s B12 line, and pilot production is reportedly underway for BOE’s B7 line. In addition, Xian Smart Material supplies 100% of the volume for Visionox’s V2 and V3 lines, and is also estimated to have secured a 100% share for TCL CSOT starting in December 2025. As panel makers place greater emphasis on encapsulation-process stability and supply-chain optimization, the company’s strengthening line-level supply dominance has become a notable differentiator.

Meanwhile, the company is also expanding its customer base in low-temperature OC (Over Coat). Qualification evaluations are underway with BOE B7 and Tianma, increasing the likelihood of adoption in product categories where reliability under low-temperature operating conditions is critical. Given the narrow process window and stringent reliability requirements for low-temperature OC, the scope of adoption and supply volume will depend on the evaluation outcomes.

On the financial side, 2025 revenue is expected to reach approximately RMB 110 million. With capacity expansion investment and rising share among key customers, near-term growth is likely to be driven by increased shipments of TFE ink, while mid-term growth could be supported by portfolio expansion into low-temperature OC, organic insulating layers, and binders.

Additional SCM-related insights on the Chinese display industry can be found in UBI Research’s China trends report.

Junho Kim, Analyst at UBI Research (alertriot@ubiresearch.com)

▶ China Trends Report Inquiry

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Merck Has Completed the Development of Organic Material Samples for Low Dielectric Constant TFE Below 2.5 [2022 Second Half OLED Seminar]

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Touch of flexible OLED for smartphones is divided into add-on and on-cell. Add-on is a method in which a touch electrode is formed on the top of the film and the touch film is adhered to the top of the encapsulation layer through OCA.

On-cell is a method in which touch electrodes are created directly on the encapsulation layer, and is a mainstream technology applied to Samsung Electronics’ “Galaxy” series and Apple’s “iPhone” series.

The on-cell method reduces material costs because it creates electrodes directly without using films and OCA, while the absence of films and OCA shortens the distance between touch electrodes and TFT, increasing signal-to-noise (SNR).

Merck, Low-K Organic Materials for TFE(Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

Merck, Low-K Organic Materials for TFE(Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

At the “2022 Second Half OLED Seminar” held at the FKI Hall in Yeouido on November 9, 2022, Merck announced that it is developing a low dielectric constant organic material for TFE to reduce SNR and is currently developing a 3.1 dielectric constant value for TFE to below 2.5.

Merck noted that blocking noise from TFTs is ultimately the role of organic matter, which occupies the thickest part of TFE, and revealed that it has developed a sample material available in the N2 environment.

Lastly, Merck concluded its presentation on organic materials for TFE, saying that the lower dielectric constant of organic materials can affect reliability due to lower membrane density, but that reliability has been secured in the Lab environment, and that they will secure reliability in mass production through cooperation with panel companies.

Merck, Low-K Organic Materials for TFE(Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

Merck, Low-K Organic Materials for TFE(Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

▶ 2022 OLED Emitting Material Report Sample Download

[GLOBAL TECH KOREA 2021] Solus Advanced Materials ‘Expansion of new businesses other than light emitting materials such as high refractive filler and TFE’

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At ‘GLOBAL TECH KOREA 2021’ held in September 2021, Taehyung Kim, Head of Electronic Materials Business Division, Solus Advanced Materials made a presentation under the theme of ‘Solus’ Giant Step To Lead OLED Materials Technology’.

Solus Advanced Materials has monopolized the HBL market for over 8 years as a domestic display material specialist. Director Kim of Solus Advanced Materials said, “During the development of HBL, we also developed ETL with similar chemical structure and important compatibility with HBL. The performance is evaluated as equal to or higher than that of other companies’ top performance, and it will be able to enter the market soon.”

Director Kim said, “Originally, we mainly developed ETL or HBL related to electronics, but it was difficult to develop from the perspective of the overall device, so we developed HTL related to hall.” In addition “The development of HTL was completed about two years ago through joint development with LG Display, and it was approved for large panel use in May” he said. He also said, “The panel supply is gradually increasing and will be expanded to the Guangzhou line by next year.”, “HTL is structurally related to g-prime for mobile, so it is expected that it can be expanded to g-prime on the mobile side,” he said.

                                                 

Solus Advanced Materials is developing not only light-emitting materials, but also high-refractive fillers and TFEs. Director Kim said, “The mass production of fillers will be visible from this year. There are various materials such as epoxy, urethane, and acrylic type, and we plan to mass-produce the refractive index and viscosity control according to customer specifications.”

In the TFE sector, General Manager Kim said, “The permittivity of TFE currently used in the market is 3.0 or higher, and we received a request to lower the permittivity of the monomer by 30% or more to increase touch sensitivity two years ago and have been developing it. “The permittivity of the TFE monomer being developed by Solus is down to 20%, and the UV CUT function has achieved a specification of less than 5% at around 400 nanometers, and it is being promoted and tested by customers.”

Solus Advanced Materials is currently expanding its OLED-related businesses to various OLED-related luminescent materials such as HBL, ETL, and HTL, as well as high-refractive materials and TFE monomers. It is noteworthy in which areas these various business groups can shine in the future.

AUO unveils round OLED and foldable OLED for the smart watch in Touch Taiwan 2017

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AUO showed the OLED that can be collapsible and three kinds of round OLEDs (1.2-inch, 1.3-inch, 1.4-inch) for the smart watch in Touch Taiwan 2017 held on 20th.

The round OLEDs in 1.2-inch and 1.4-inch of AUO are 326ppi, and it lowers an electric consumption at 30% versus former production goods. AUO also improves the visibility capacity in outdoor by embedding the brightness increase mode to make a display screen of two kinds of round OLEDs be clear even under bright sunlight.

The 1.3-inch OLED aimed at the smart watch for kids is light in weight, and strengthens the usability with a power saving mode and an intuitive touch interface function.

AUO displays two types of 5-inch flexible OLEDs that can be rolled or folded. Such two types of 5-inch flexible OLEDs apply the plastic board and AUO self-developed structure (special structural layer).

<AUO, 5 inch foldable OLED touch panel>

The 5-inch foldable OLED combines a flexible touch screen sensor that is developed by AUO itself.  The company said “it would provide excellent image quality, even if the curvature radius of the folded part is 4mm and less”.

For 5-inch rollable OLED, they explained “The thickness of the panel is just 0.1mm and only 5g. This model with the rolling radius of 4mm will provide wide color gamut”.

In last SID 2017, AUO has announced about that they applied the structure locating the TFT (Thin Film Transistor) and TFE (Thin Film Encapsulation) at the neutral axis to stand the compression stress or tensions during being folded.

OLED Encapsulation, TFE is the Top Trend

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  • Expected application of TFE to all edge type and full screen use flexible OLED
  • PECVD manufacturing equipment, 62% of total encapsulation manufacturing equipment market

According to 2017 OLED Encapsulation Annual Report published by UBI Research, of OLED encapsulation technology, TFE (thin film encapsulation) will be applied to approximately 70% of total OLED panel in 2021, and become the key encapsulation technology.

OLED display trend is heading toward minimizing bezel for full screen actualization from edge type, and flexible OLED is being considered as the most optimal display for full screen. As such, Chinese panel companies, as well as Samsung Display and LG Display, are concentrating on flexible OLED mass production line investment rather than rigid.

Flexible OLED must be thin and bendable; glass using frit encapsulation Is not suitable and TFE (thin film encapsulation) or hybrid encapsulation must be applied. TFE is a structure that is formed via laminating thin inorganic and organic materials. In the early stages of development, it had 11 layers of complex organic and inorganic material deposition with low yield. However, it now has been reduced to 3 layers and greatly improved productivity, yield, and cost and it is being applied to most of flexible OLED.

<Thin film encapsulation development history, 2017 OLED Encapsulation Annual Report>

Hybrid encapsulation, which uses barrier film, is being applied to some flexible OLED. However, due to the high cost of barrier film and relatively thick thickness, recent investment is focused on TFE application.

According to UBI Research analyst Jang Hyunjun, TFE encapsulation is expected to continue to be applied to edge type and full screen type flexible OLED panel, and related manufacturing equipment and material market will carry on their growth.

The report explains that TFE’s key manufacturing equipment are inorganic material forming PECVD and organic material forming ink-jet printer. In particular, PECVD is used in inorganic material film formation of hybrid encapsulation as well as TFE. Therefore, PECVD market is estimated to record US$ 6,820 million in 2017-2021, and occupy approximately 62% of the total encapsulation manufacturing equipment market.

<PECVD manufacturing equipment market volume, 2017, 2017 OLED Encapsulation Annual Report>

The report includes encapsulation related key manufacturing equipment and material market in addition to encapsulation development history and trend, and key panel companies’ trend.