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Photolithography-based OLED processes: Challenges and opportunities for next-generation display innovation

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MAX OLED™ from Applied Materials

Patterning process with MAX OLED™ from Applied Materials

OLED technology has become the centerpiece of smartphone displays due to its superior image quality and flexibility. The fine metal mask (FMM) process is currently the dominant technology for patterning RGB subpixels in small and medium-sized OLED displays, such as smartphones.

However, conventional FMM methods suffer from limited aperture (around 30%), uneven brightness due to increased electrical resistance, and high production costs. Due to the sensitivity of OLED materials, photolithographic patterning, which was considered as an alternative to FMM, has also been difficult to commercialize due to concerns about OLED damage during the process.

Applied Materials presented its MAX OLED™ process technology at the SID 2025 conference. MAX OLED™ utilizes a proprietary pixel architecture and a novel process to capitalize on the advantages of conventional photolithography while compensating for the sensitivity of OLED materials. In particular, the sensitive organic layer is protected by thin film encapsulation (TFE) immediately after OLED deposition, which enables multiple complex photolithography and etching processes.

The MAX OLED™ process doubles the aperture ratio compared to FMM, significantly improving pixel brightness, resolution, and display lifetime. In addition, the localized cathode contact structure solves the problem of increased electrical resistance and reduces power consumption by 33% for notebook PC displays and 47% for monitor displays. High resolutions of up to 2,000 ppi are possible, and individual optimization of each RGB color OLED stack is also possible.

From an economic perspective, MAX OLED™ also makes a positive difference. It shortens new product development cycles by significantly reducing photomask lead times and lowering costs compared to FMM. It also increases glass utilization through multi-product in a mother glass (MMG), which is widely applied in LCD processes, and contributes to material cost reduction by approximately doubling OLED material utilization with short source-to-substrate distances.

Visionox recently announced that it is investigating a maskless process (ViP, Visionox intelligent Pixelization) using its MAX OLED™ process to produce 8th generation OLEDs. While Visionox’s announcement is a positive sign for the commercial viability of photolithography-based OLED processes, the company is cautious about investing in mass production as it has not yet achieved sufficient yields. This shows that the complex photolithography process and yield stabilization of MAX OLED™ technology still needs to be validated. The TFE process after OLED deposition for each RGB color, followed by repeated photolithography and etching, requires high precision and process control, which is the main factor contributing to the difficulty in securing yields. The fact that Samsung Display is also conducting pilot evaluations of the MAX OLED™ process demonstrates that the technology is gaining traction with major industry players.

In conclusion, MAX OLED™ is a promising technology that will overcome the limitations of the existing FMM process and revolutionize the performance of next-generation OLED displays. Although the challenge of achieving yields due to the complexity of the process remains, the attention of leading companies in the display industry strongly suggests that MAX OLED™ has the potential to emerge as a key technology to drive the future display market. This will open up the possibility of new applications such as VR displays, transparent OLEDs, and under-panel camera (UPC) integration.

Changho Noh, Analyst at UBI Research  (chnoh@ubiresearch.com)

▶2025 Small OLED Display Annual Report Sample

▶2025 Mid-to-Large OLED Display Annual Report Sample

Visionox to Establish Kunshan Research Center to Lead Next-Generation OLED and Make Full-Scale Investment in Mask-less OLED

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Visionox Logo

Visionox is promoting the establishment of a national-level laboratory in Kunshan City, located in Jiangsu Province, China, to lead the next generation OLED technology, and the ViP (Visionox Intelligent Pixelization) project is also making investments to secure production lines. At the recent SID Display Week 2025, the world’s largest display event, Visionox reaffirmed its global technology leadership by showcasing AMOLED applications in various fields including automotive, smart home, healthcare, and metabus.

Visionox is preparing to establish a national-level research institute in Kunshan to secure the source technology, the core competitiveness of the display industry. The institute will concentrate on next-generation OLED technology, and the D2 pilot plant located on the existing V2 line will be relocated to the Kunshan institute site to organically integrate research and development (R&D) and prototyping. The Kunshan municipal government will provide financial support for the project, which is expected to serve as an exemplary case of cooperation between local government and business in fostering advanced technology.

The name of the ViP (Visionox intelligent Pixelization) technology will be changed to ML OLED, meaning Mask-less OLED.  The V5 line currently being promoted in Hefei, Anhui Province, is focusing on 7.5K OLED production using Mask-less OLED technology instead of FMM (Fine Metal Mask) method. The technical committee is currently discussing the project, and a final investment decision is expected by the end of June 2025.

Some equipment investments have already been finalized, with LOI (Letters of Intention to Purchase) issued for Nicon lithography equipment, Nissin ion implanter, and APSYSTEM ELA equipment, and AKT, a display equipment subsidiary of Applied Materials, is the likely supplier for deposition equipment. However, the possibility has been raised that investment in FMM-related equipment may be put on hold.

Visionox is also planning a 15K-scale addition to its V2 line, and equipment orders are expected this year. The company plans to secure the necessary funds through the sale of the existing D2 pilot line and patents, as well as policy funding from the Hebei provincial government. The expansion strategy being pursued in parallel with the V5 project is a preemptive response to increasing OLED demand and to improve production efficiency and cost competitiveness.

Visionox is pursuing technology-centered sustainable growth through the establishment of the Kunshan National Research Institute, the transformation of mask-less OLED-centric production lines, and a strategy to diversify AMOLED applications. Through cooperation with the government, asset efficiency, and strategic capital investment allocation, Visionox has simultaneously secured financial stability and technological competitiveness, strengthening its position as a technology leader in the global OLED market.

Changho Noh, Analyst at UBI Research  (chnoh@ubiresearch.com)

▶ China Trend Report Inquiry

Automotive OLED Display Trends Seen Through SID 2025

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As the development of intelligent and networked automobiles accelerates, the demand for various types of vehicle displays is rapidly increasing. In terms of display technology, the adoption rate of LTPS TFT LCD and OLED is increasing, and interest in Micro-LED is also growing.

In 2024, the shipment volume of OLED panels for vehicles is expected to increase by 126% year-on-year to approximately 2.48 million units. It is expected to increase to approximately 3 million units in 2025. This is because OLED is expanding its adoption, contributing to luxurious interiors and efficient space utilization, especially in premium vehicles.

LG Display, BOE, Visionox, Tianma, etc. recently presented various OLED vehicle display solutions at the SID 2025 and Shanghai Auto Show. As major automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, GAC, and Ideal are also installing OLED in their latest models, the market penetration is further expanding.

LG Display has organized an exhibition space dedicated to automobiles under the theme of ‘Driving the Future.’ The concept car on display featured a 57-inch pillar-to-pillar OLED that covers the entire dashboard and an 18-inch sliding OLED for the rear seats.

57-inch pillar to pillar OLED & 18-inch sliding OLED

LG-Display-57-inch-pillar-to-pillar-OLED-18-inch-sliding-OLED

BOE showcased a smart cockpit consisting of a total of eight OLED displays, including a 55-inch transparent OLED sunroof. Key specifications include a 12.3-inch instrument panel and CID (resolution 720×1920), a switchable privacy display with a relative brightness of less than 0.5% at a viewing angle of 48 degrees or more, a 1.5-inch circular OLED with a resolution of 466×466 and 310 PPI, and two CMS OLEDs.

55-inch OLED transparent sunroof

55-inch OLED transparent sunroof

BOE OLED smart cockpit

OLED smart cockpit

Visionox unveiled a smart C-type armrest flexible OLED, a dual-screen integrated flexible OLED, a UDIR flexible OLED for vehicles, and a switchable privacy display at SID 2025.

Visionox UDIR OLED

UDIR OLED

Visionox Dual screen

Dual screen

Visionox Privacy OLED

Privacy OLED

Tianma exhibited a 13-inch slider OLED and a dual 13-inch multi-curvature integrated black OLED display with a curvature range of R800~2000mm.

Tianma 13-inch slidable OLED

13-inch slidable OLED

Tianma 13-inch multi curvature OLED

13-inch multi curvature OLED

Changwook HAN, Executive Vice President/Analyst at UBI Research (cwhan@ubiresearch.com)

▶2025 Automotive Display Technology and Industry Trends Analysis Report

Visionox May Expand V2 Line, Aiming for Monthly Capacity of 60K Small-Size OLED Panels

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Visionox-OLED-Shipment

Visionox is reportedly reconsidering the expansion of its V2 line located in Guan, China. The expansion plan had been on hold due to delays in local government investment support, but recent renewed discussions with the Guan municipal government have reignited the possibility of investment. If the plan moves forward, an additional monthly deposition capacity of 15K is expected to be added to the V2 line. Combined with the existing V1 line in Kunshan (5.5-generation, 15K) and the V3 line in Hefei (6-generation, 30K), Visionox would establish a total monthly production capacity of 60K for small-size OLED panels.

Currently, Visionox produces rigid and flexible OLEDs for smartwatches and smartphones at the V1 line, while the V2 and V3 lines mainly manufacture LTPO OLEDs used in flagship smartphones. Major clients include leading Chinese smartphone brands such as Xiaomi, Oppo, Honor, Huawei, and Vivo.

Visionox’s OLED panel shipments have shown clear growth in recent years: 35 million units in 2021, 46 million in 2022, 73 million in 2023, and a sharp increase to 120 million in 2024, representing a year-on-year growth of approximately 64.4%. However, shipments in Q1 2025 stood at 26.1 million units, suggesting that the full-year figure may remain similar to that of 2024.

Meanwhile, Visionox is also building a new 8.6-generation OLED line (V5) in Hefei to enter the medium- to large-size OLED market. This line targets IT and automotive applications such as laptops, tablets, and vehicle displays, positioning itself as a strategic hub for Visionox’s portfolio diversification and future growth.

If the V2 line expansion is realized, Visionox is expected to significantly strengthen its small-size OLED production capabilities while simultaneously accelerating a multifaceted growth strategy that includes its entry into the medium- to large-size display market.

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

▶ China Trend Report Inquiry

Visionox Implements 4th-Generation OLED Technology Using pTSF Mechanism

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Visionox announced at SID 2025 International Display Week that it has successfully demonstrated the commercialization potential of pTSF (Phosphor-assisted Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Sensitized Fluorescence), a fourth-generation OLED technology. This technology is part of hyperfluorescence OLED technology, the fourth generation of OLED technology, and has been attracting attention as a key technology for the next-generation OLED display industry, as it simultaneously satisfies high color reproduction, high efficiency, and long life.

The research team developed green OLED devices with an ultra-wide color gamut that not only exceeds the DCI-P3 standard but also meets the requirements of AdobeRGB and BT.2020. In particular, the newly developed pTSF-based hyperfluorescence OLED device achieved high color purity with CIEx < 0.21 and FWHM (wavelength width) of 21-27 nm and reported up to 12% efficiency improvement and 20% lifetime improvement compared to existing commercial phosphorescence OLEDs.

The pTSF mechanism combines the excellent color purity of fluorescent emitters, the 100% exciton utilization of TADF hosts, and efficient energy transfer from phosphorescent assistant dopants, resulting in a more precise and stable emission system compared to traditional OLED structures. In addition, by optimizing the material deposition process for the G6 mass production line, material usage was reduced by over 10% without compromising quality.

Two prototype products—Product A and Product B—utilizing the pTSF technology were also developed. Compared to existing Visionox OLED products, Product A and B showed 12% and 6% lower power consumption, respectively, while achieving over 99.5% coverage of both DCI-P3 and AdobeRGB color gamuts. Furthermore, both maintained comparable reliability in high temperature and high humidity endurance tests.

A Visionox representative stated, “This milestone marks a pivotal step toward the commercialization of hyperfluorescence OLEDs. Starting with green, we aim to expand pTSF architecture to red and blue devices as well, ultimately achieving full BT.2020 color gamut coverage in next-generation OLED displays.”

The research was presented with sample demonstrations at SID 2025, and was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Chemistry at Tsinghua University, supported by China’s National Key R&D Program.

Wide color gamut Wide color gamut pTSF device flexible AMOLED solution pTSF High-efficiency pTSF device flexible AMOLED solution

Chang Ho NOH, UBI Research Analyst(chnoh@ubiresearch.com)

▶ China Trend Report Inquiry

[SID 2025] Visionox, Rollable AMOLED (R3)

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Visionox to Invest in Dual OLED Deposition Technologies at V5 Line – Supplier Conference Scheduled for May 22

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Visionox’s ViP(Visionox intelligent Pixelization)

Visionox’s ViP(Visionox intelligent Pixelization)

According to UBI Research’s China Trend Report, Chinese display company Visionox has finalized the technical direction for its V5 OLED production line. The company will invest in two separate 7.5K capacities using its proprietary ViP (Visionox intelligent Pixelization) deposition technology and the conventional FMM (Fine Metal Mask) method. The investment in the ViP-based 7.5K capacity will be carried out first, followed by the FMM investment approximately six months later.

ViP is a high-precision deposition technology based on photolithography, enabling high-resolution OLED production without the need for FMM. Visionox has been intensively developing this technology as a core strategy to enhance its future manufacturing competitiveness. However, challenges related to yield have made mass production using ViP alone difficult. As a result, the company has decided to adopt a dual-track strategy for the V5 line, incorporating both ViP and FMM processes.

To support this plan, Visionox will host a supplier conference in Hefei, China, on May 22. Local government officials are also expected to attend, and the event is anticipated to help resolve outstanding funding issues for the V5 investment.

Visionox’s recent move is drawing attention in the context of the global OLED industry’s ongoing investments in 8.6-generation OLED lines. Samsung Display is currently building an 8.6-generation OLED line for IT applications (30K capacity) in Asan, South Korea, aiming to begin mass production in the second half of next year to supply panels for Apple’s iPads and MacBooks. BOE is also investing in its Chengdu-based 8.6-generation OLED line in China, targeting the production of OLED panels for smartphones as well as IT OLED panels for the domestic market.

Junho Kim, an analyst at UBI Research, commented, “Although there is still a need for significant improvements in yield and technology, Visionox appears to be pursuing enhanced production efficiency and differentiated technological competitiveness through its ViP technology.”

UBI Research’s China Trend Report provides the latest information on Chinese display companies, including shipment data from Chinese OLED panel makers, investment trends, and equipment disclosures.

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

▶ China Trend Report Inquiry

Small OLED display shipments in 2024 are expected to increase by 200 million units compared to 2023 and exceed 1 billion units in 2025

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‘1Q25 Small OLED Display Market Track’

‘1Q25 Small OLED Display Market Track’

According to UBI Research’s ‘1Q25 Small OLED Display Market Track’, which includes application performance and outlook for smartphones, foldable phones, smartwatches, etc., small OLED shipments in 2024 are expected to reach 980 million units, an increase of approximately 200 million units from 773 million units in 2023. The small OLED market is expected to exceed 1 billion units in 2025.

Looking at the 2024 performance, most panel manufacturers in Korea and China saw an increase in shipments of 40 to 50 million units, and in particular, Chinese panel manufacturers TCL CSOT, Tianma, Visionox, and Everdisplay saw shipments increase by more than 50% compared to 2023. BOE, China’s largest panel manufacturer, saw its panel shipments increase by only about 8% due to temporary production suspensions caused by disruptions in iPhone supplies throughout the year.

Not only Chinese panel makers, but also Korean panel makers have seen a significant increase in shipments. As rigid OLED panels began to be applied to Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy A series, Samsung Display’s shipments are expected to surge from 320 million units in 2023 to 380 million units in 2024. LG Display’s smartphone OLED shipments also increased from 52 million units in 2023 to 68 million units in 2024 as its supply of panels for iPhones expanded.

With Chinese panel makers’ shipments steadily increasing, and Samsung Display’s rigid OLED shipments and LG Display’s iPhone panel shipments also increasing, small OLED shipments in 2025 are expected to easily exceed 1 billion units.

“OLEDs are being widely applied to lower-end models of Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy A series and low-cost models from Chinese set manufacturers, and BOE and Visionox’s new 8.6G lines are also designed to produce panels for smartphones, so small-sized OLED shipments are expected to continue to rise for the time being,” said Han Chang-wook, Vice President of UBI Research.

Chang Wook HAN, VP/Analyst, UBI Research(cwhan@ubiresearch.com)

▶Small OLED Display Quarterly Market Track Sample

Samsung Display advances mass production of 8.6G OLED line, Chinese panel companies are catching up

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Hefei Visionox V5 groundbreaking ceremony held last September

Hefei Visionox V5 groundbreaking ceremony held last September

Recently, there is news that Samsung Display is moving up the mass production of the A6 8.6G OLED line to the end of 2025. Following Samsung Display, Chinese panel companies are also rapidly investing.

The biggest reason why OLED panel companies are rushing to invest in the 8.6G OLED line is the chamfer rate. Initially, OLED began to be applied to small and medium-sized products first, and when producing small and medium-sized products of 10 inches or less, a sufficient chamfering rate could be achieved even with the size of a 6G substrate. However, as OLED began to be applied to IT products with large panel areas, unlike small and medium-sized products, the unusable and discarded area in the 6G line increased, and to solve this, a line using a larger substrate was needed.

Samsung Display, the leader in the 8.6G OLED line, began building a production line early this year and plans to begin mass production at the end of 2025. Samsung Display invested in the 8.6G line to mass-produce 2-stack tandem OLED for Apple’s MacBook Pro, but mass-produced it earlier than originally planned, gaining time before mass-producing panels for MacBook Pro. Before mass producing panels to be supplied to Apple, Samsung Display is expected to first mass produce tandem OLEDs to be supplied to laptop set makers such as Samsung Electronics, Dell, HP, and Lenovo.

BOE, a latecomer, also began investing in the 8.6G line. BOE is expected to bring in two deposition machines from Sunic Systems in 2025 and begin mass production in the third quarter of 2026. BOE’s 8.6G line mass production period is from the third quarter of 2026, but like the iPhone, it is expected to be difficult to supply IT OLED panels to Apple in the early stages. Like other 6G lines, it is expected to initially mass produce panels for the Chinese domestic market and improve product quality to supply products to Apple. BOE is currently investing in module lines sequentially, and a total of 18 module lines are scheduled to be invested in Phase 1. Unlike Samsung Display, BOE is simultaneously investing in modules for smartphones and small and medium-sized OLEDs as well as IT OLEDs in the 8.6G line.

Following BOE’s lead, Visionox also invested in 8.6G. Last September, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for Visionox’s 8.6G OLED line, V5, in Hefei, and when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hefei’s V5 line in October, it received positive reviews. Additionally, it is understood that Visionox officials visited Korean equipment companies and held meetings this month. Visionox plans to attract government investment based on ViP (Visionox intelligent Pixelization), but due to technical difficulties in vertical deposition, it is likely to be used only as a pilot line.

It was discovered that TCL CSOT is also preparing to invest in an 8.6G line based on inkjet technology. There is a high possibility that an investment announcement will be made at the end of the year. The location is Guangzhou City, and the line capacity is 16K for the inkjet method and 16K for the FMM method, with a total investment of 32K likely to be made.

In addition to the companies mentioned above, Tianma also has the possibility of investing in the 8.6G line, and HKC is considering new investments in 6G OLED. Now that Chinese panel companies are following in the footsteps of Samsung Display, which made its first investment, attention is being paid to how Samsung Display will widen the technology gap.

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

▶2024 OLED Technology and Industry Trend Analysis Report for IT Sample

Due to the OLED iPad Pro for Tablet PC, shipments are rapidly increasing, and shipments are expected to increase by more than 6 times in 2024 compared to the previous year.

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According to the “3Q24 Medium-Large OLED Display Market Track” published by UBI Research, more than 12 million OLEDs for tablet PCs are expected to be shipped in 2024 thanks to Apple’s entry into the OLED market for tablet PCs.

As mass production of iPad Pro OLEDs began in the first quarter of 2024, shipments of OLEDs for tablet PCs surged to 1.2 million units in the first quarter and 3.4 million units in the second quarter.

As not only Samsung Display and LG Display, but also Chinese panel manufacturers have begun mass production of OLEDs for tablet PCs, the OLED market for tablet PCs is expected to expand further. Among Chinese panel manufacturers, BOE is expected to ship about 1.5 million OLED panels for tablet PCs in 2024, and Visionox is expected to ship about 800,000 OLED panels for tablet PCs.

Due to the increase in panel shipments by Apple and Chinese companies, OLED shipments for tablet PCs are expected to exceed 30 million units in 2028.

▶Medium & Large OLED Display Market Track Sample

Samsung Display continues to dominate the OLED market for foldable phones

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Foldable OLED shipment forecast

Foldable OLED shipment forecast

According to the ‘2024 Small OLED Display Annual Report’ recently published by UBI Research, OLED shipments for foldable phones are expected to increase from 27.4 million units in 2024 to 52.7 million units in 2028.

According to the report, Samsung Display’s OLED shipments for foldable phones in 2023 will be 13.4 million units, a 6.3% increase from 12.6 million units in 2022. Also, among Chinese panel makers, BOE shipped 6.2 million units of OLED for foldable phones, more than three times the 1.9 million units in 2022, while TCL CSOT and Visionox each shipped 1.1 million units of OLED for foldable phones.

Although there is fierce pursuit by Chinese companies, Samsung Display is expected to still take the lead in the foldable phone market. Samsung Electronics, to which Samsung Display supplies panels, is expected to expand the models of the Galaxy Fold series scheduled to be released this year, and Samsung Display’s foldable phone panels are expected to be applied first to Apple’s foldable iPhone to be released in the future. Based on such technological prowess and competitiveness, Samsung Display’s dominance in the foldable phone market is expected to continue for the time being.

▶ 2024 Small OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

OLED shipments for IT are expected to reach 31 million units in 2027, with an average annual growth rate of 41%

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According to the ‘IT OLED Technology and Industry Trend Analysis Report’ recently published by UBI Research, OLED shipments for tablet PCs, notebooks, and monitors are expected to reach 31 million units in 2027 with an average annual growth rate of 41%.

This forecast is based on Samsung Display’s 5.5G OLED line, 6G OLED line, 8.5G QD-OLED line, 8.6G (2290 x 2620 mm2) IT line, and LG Display, BOE, and Visionox’s 6G OLED line.

Shipment forecast for IT OLED

Shipment forecast for IT OLED

For IT products, OLED had been a market that received less attention than smartphones or TVs, but has began to receive significant attention due to the increase in demand for IT products in COVID-19 and the prospect of Apple using OLED for IT products.

Previously, Samsung Display was mass producing a small amount of OLED for IT from some of A2 as the 5.5G rigid OLED line and the 8.5G QD-OLED line, and some Chinese companies such as EDO were producing IT OLEDs in small quantities, but in 2024, Samsung Display and LG Display plan to mass produce OLED for Apple’s iPad in earnest from the 6G line, and BOE also plans to mass produce OLED for IT from the B12 line.

In addition, Samsung Display decided to invest in the 8.6G OLED line for IT early this year, and is expected to mass produce various IT products, including notebooks, from the first half of 2026.

Moreover, LG Display and BOE are planning to invest in the 8.6G line as soon as they secure investment funds and customers, and Visionox is also reportedly holding meetings with major equipment companies to invest in the 8.6G line.

If demand for OLED from set companies for IT increases in the future and panel companies invest in 8.6G lines, the IT market is expected to become a new high value-added market for OLED, following the smartphone market.

▶ IT OLED Technology and Industry Trend Analysis Report Sample

OLED panel makers’ 8.6G IT line investment trends, LG Display and BOE’s investment delays

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Apple iPad Pro

Apple iPad Pro

Samsung Display and LG Display are investing in the 8.6th generation IT line with high added value to compensate for the decrease in sales due to the Chinese panel makers’ flexible OLED low-cost offensive and LCD withdrawal.

At the LG Display 2Q earnings announcement conference call held on the 26th, an official from LG Display said, “The announced 6th generation IT-related investments are proceeding as scheduled, and the investments will be made until the first half of next year.”

However, regarding the possibility of investing in the 8.6th generation IT OLED, it stated that “nothing has been confirmed yet”. LG Display emphasized, “We will carefully look at the possibility and progress of technology development and whether market demand is developing to a level that can contribute to the company’s profits before making an investment decision.”

LG Display’s 8.6th generation IT line investment is expected to be delayed compared to Samsung Display due to difficulties in securing new line investment funds due to operating losses, but it is expected to be able to supply panels to Apple from 2026.

Not only LG Display, but also Chinese panel maker BOE’s investment is being delayed. Samsung Display can secure Samsung Electronics and Apple, and LG Display can secure LG Electronics and Apple as customers, but BOE is expected to take at least two years to invest in the 8.6G line for IT because of uncertainty in securing customers.

Another Chinese panel maker, Visionox, is also preparing to invest in the 8.6G line for IT. Visionox plans to announce its investment in the 8.6th generation line with a total capacity of 30K in September.

On the other hand, Samsung Display’s investment in the 8.6th generation IT line has already been decided. Samsung Display plans to apply Oxide to the TFT of the 8.6th generation IT line and build it with 2 stack RGB OLED. Samsung Display had previously developed 8.6th generation vertical deposition 2 stack RGB OLED as an IT line, but the investment was decided for 8.6th generation horizontal deposition. Canon’s exposure machine is planned to be brought into Samsung Display’s IT line in April 2024, and negotiations on the price of the deposition machine with Canon Tokki have already been completed.

▶ 2023 Medium and Large OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

Samsung Display’s foldable OLED expected to exceed 50 million units in 2027

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Foldable OLED shipment ratio forecast

Foldable OLED shipment ratio forecast

According to the ‘2023 Small OLED Display Annual Report’ recently published by UBI Research, Samsung Display’s OLED shipments for foldable phones are expected to reach 50.9 million units in 2027 with an average annual growth rate of 28.1% from 18.9 million units in 2023.

According to the report, Samsung Display’s foldable OLED shipments in 2022 were analyzed to be 12.6 million units, accounting for 85.1% of global foldable OLED shipments in 2022. BOE, TCL CSOT, and Visionox mass-produced some foldable OLEDs, but Samsung Display led the foldable OLED market.

It is expected that Samsung Display will continue to dominate the foldable OLED market in the future. It seems difficult for TCL CSOT and Visionox to record annual shipments of more than 1 million units by 2027, and unless LG Display also secures a customer, the time for mass production of foldable phone panels is unclear.

Lastly, the report forecasted global OLED shipments for foldable phones to be 61.4 million units in 2027, with Samsung Display expected to account for 82.9% of the market with 50.9 million units and BOE with 9.6 million units and 15.7%.

▶ 2023 Small OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

[China Trend Report] Visionox Orders 6th Generation Vertical Vapor Deposition for IT

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According to a Chinese trend report published twice a month by UBI Research, Visionox ordered sixth-generation vertical vapor deposition machines for R&D on the V3 line.

Visionox Ordered Vertical Vapor Deposition, Source: Chinabidding.com

Visionox Ordered Vertical Vapor Deposition, Source: Chinabidding.com

Visionox’s V3 line is operated on with 30K/Month to mass-produce flexible OLEDs and this investment was done mainly on deposition process equipment in the spare space of the V3 site without investing in cells or module process equipment for IT.

The 6th generation vertical vapor deposition machine invested by Visionox this time is considered to be a prior investment to secure the technology of vertical vapor deposition and to determine the possibility of mass production in the 8th generation or higher in the future. The deposition process in the existing OLED line is being carried out as a horizontal deposition process and due to the issue of ledger glass and FMM control, FMM technology is applied to half-cut in the 6th generation line for mobile devices and open-mask technology in the 8th generation line for TV.

Since glass and masks are less affected by gravity than horizontal deposition, vertical deposition has the advantage of securing greater productivity by allowing deposition without cutting the ledger glass. However, mass production is still unclear.

If Visionox secures technology for vertical deposition through this investment, it is expected to invest in new lines for 8.5th generation IT without half-cut in the future.

▶ China Trend Report Inquiry

Is China’s 6G flexible OLED line reorganized?

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According to the ‘2022 OLED Display Semi-Annual Report’ recently published by UBI Research, it is predicted that the 6G flexible OLED line in China will be reorganized.

Representative companies that produce flexible OLED for smartphones in China are BOE, TCL CSOT, Tianma, and Visionox. EDO also owns some flexible OLED lines, but is mass-producing panels mainly for rigid OLED.

Among them, TCL CSOT and Visionox have recently continued to business difficulties, the possibility of reorganization of its flexible OLED line in China is being raised.

TCL CSOT mainly supplied panels to Xiaomi, but recently, due to panel performance issues and Tianma’s promotion, it was found that the 3Q utilization rate of the T4 line with a monthly capacity of 45K was only 10%.

In particular, the operation of ph-3 is being delayed indefinitely due to the low utilization rate of ph-1,2. In addition, TCL CSOT has tried to promote the panel supply for the Apple iPhone series, but it does not seem to get good results.

Utilization rate of TCL CSOT T4 line until August 2022, Source: 2022 OLED Display Semi-Annual Report

Utilization rate of TCL CSOT T4 line until August 2022, Source: 2022 OLED Display Semi-Annual Report

Visionox, which mainly supplies flexible OLED to Honor, has recently been operating the V3 line with a monthly scale of 30K, but the panel price is set at $30 or less, and its sales are greatly affected. It is a situation in which the utilization rate is guaranteed by securing a clear customer, but profits are not guaranteed.

For this reason, there is a possibility that BOE will take over the T4 line of TCL CSOT and the V3 line of Visionox. Daejeong Yoon, an analyst at UBI Research, said, “In the case of the T4 line, if BOE puts OLED facilities into the B20 LTPS line in the future, the possibility of taking over the T4 line of TCL CSOT and using it, or after the sale of the V3 line from Visionox, there is a possibility to acquire a part of the T4 line. In the case of the V3 line, it is also heard that the Hefei government has offered to acquire BOE.”

Although it is unlikely that China’s 6G flexible OLED line will change rapidly right now, attention is focused on how Chinese panel makers will continue to operate their lines in the future in a situation that has been evaluated as over-investment in the past and the market stagnation.

▶ 2022 Small OLED Display Semi-Annual Report Sample Download

Chinese Panel Makers in Crisis! Will the Display Business’s Deficit Increase This Year?

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<Honor 70 With Panels Supplied by Visionox>

Chinese panel makers such as Visionox and BOE are expected to face losses due to cost pressures.
The operation rate of Visionox was analyzed to be high. This is because Visionox is exclusively producing 70-80% of Honor, a large Chinese smartphone manufacturer.
However, despite the high operation rate, Visionox’s business status is precarious at best. Through cooperative efforts, Visionox was allocated most of Honor’s panel production quantity, but it is known that Honor has requested additional panel price reduction. According to some sources, Visionox is currently facing a loss of about 200 million yuan per month due to the reduced panel price.
BOE, the largest panel maker in China is also facing trouble. BOE along with Visionox had previously been in charge of panel production for Honor but received almost no allocation of production volume from Honor. Earlier this year, BOE faced tremendous difficulty due to the cancellation of existing iPhone 13 shipments to Apple. In April, BOE’s CEO Gao Wenbao felt a sense of crisis due to pressure on OLED and LCD volume and price and gave direct orders on cost reduction. Currently, BOE’s OLED line operation rate is less than 40% and it is estimated that the OLED business unit may incur a loss of about 10 billion yuan this year.
LCD, which is one of the main businesses of Chinese panel makers, is continuously falling in prices and the supply and demand of panels from smartphone set makers are sluggish. If an appropriate countermeasure is not found, Chinese panel makers will continue to experience a growing deficit in the display business.

[China Trend Report] Honor Magic4 Series, Panel Supply from BOE and Visionox

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According to the ‘China Trend Report’ published by UBI Research, Honor, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, announced Magic4 and Magic4 Pro at MWC 2022 held on February 28th.

Both products are 6.81 inches in size. Magic4 has a resolution of 1224×2664 and Magic4 Pro has a resolution of 1312×2848. The peak brightness of both products is 1,000nits and the refresh rate is 120Hz. LTPO TFT and 1,920Hz high frequency PWM dimming technology are applied.

The display panel is supplied by Chinese panel makers BOE and Visionox. The DDIC is supplied by Taiwanese IC chip maker Novatek. BOE supplies panels of three models: Magic4, Magic4 Pro, and Magic4 Pro plus. Visionox supplies panels of two models, Magic4 and Magic4 Pro.

Detailed mass production line and quantity estimation of Honor Magic4 series are included in ‘China Trend Report’. The ‘China Trend Report’ provides various information on the Chinese display industry trends, such as the latest issues of major Chinese display companies, line trends and shipments, equipment disclosures by company, and introduction of new products in China. The report can be inquired on the UBI Research website.

[UBI Research China Trend Report] Chinese Panel Makers’ Total Shipments of OLED Panels for Smartphones in the Fourth Quarter of 2021 Increased by 26% Compared to the Third Quarter

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26% Increase in Total Shipments of Chinese OLED Panels for Smartphones in the Fourth Quarter compared to the Third Quarter

 

According to UBI Research’s ‘February 1st China Trend Report’, total shipments of OLED panels for smartphones by Chinese panel makers in the fourth quarter of 2021 were 44.8 million units, a 26% increase from 35.57 million units in the previous quarter. By company, BOE shipped 20.9 million units and occupied a 46.7% share, followed by Visionox with 9.7 million units, EverDisplay Optronics with 5.5 million units, CSOT with 5.5 million units, and Tianma with 3.1 million units.

 

By substrate, flexible OLED panel shipments were the highest for BOE with 20.9 million units, followed by CSOT with 5.5 million units, Visionox with 4.7 million units, and Tianma with 3 million units. BOE’s panel shipments increased the most compared to the previous quarter with an increase of 5.3 million units, followed by Visionox by 1.9 million units and Tianma by 1 million units. CSOT’s panel shipments decreased by 300,000 units from the previous quarter.

In the field of rigid OLED panel shipments, EverDisplay Optronics shipped 5.54 million units, a decrease of 80,000 units compared to the third quarter, but maintained the No. 1 position in rigid OLED panel shipments with a market share of 52%. Visionox, in second place, shipped 5.04 million units, up 43% QoQ, chasing EverDisplay Optronics. Tianma’s rigid OLED panel shipments were 120,000 units, accounting for only 1%.

The details can be found in the ‘UBI Research China Trend Report’, and inquiries can be made on the UBI Research website.

[2021 Visionox Technology Innovation Conference] Chief Executive Officer Zhu Xiujian, “We will provide the ultimate experience through form innovation, basic performance enhancement, and function integration”

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At the Visionox Technology Innovation Conference in 2021, Zhu Xiujian, Chief Executive Officer of Visionox Technology Product Engineering Center, gave a presentation on OLED industry trends and Visionox’s advanced technology exploration.

In the OLED industry trend, Chief Executive Officer Zhu emphasized, “Flexible OLED is expected to occupy more than 30% of the panels for mobile devices after 2023, and cost reduction is the only way to expand the market.”

In the OLED technology change for mobile devices that followed, “From 2011 to 2018, a full screen with a notch or a narrow bezel became a trend, from 2019 to 2020, we pursued morphological differentiation such as camera pop-up, punch hole, U-notch, and under panel camera,” he said. He also announced, “After 2021, basic performance such as high refresh rate and low power consumption has been strengthened, and more differentiated technologies such as foldable and advanced UPC are being developed.”

Finally, the Chief Executive Officer mentions form innovation, basic performance improvement, function integration and advanced technology innovation for Visionox’s product innovation solution, full screen and various folding technologies for shape innovation, visual experience and low power consumption with improved pixel structure and color performance for basic performance improvement, cost reduction through layer integration, fingerprint recognition or touch pressure sensing technology for functional integration, and advanced technology In Innovation, he finished the presentation by mentioning micro LED and saying that it will provide optimal solutions to users.

Flexible OLED Leading the OLED Panel Market from 2019

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■ Flexible OLED is expected to ship 480 million units in 2019, surpassing Rigid OLED shipments.

■ Full-screen OLED among Flexible OLED is expected to have an average market share of 78.3% by 2022, dominating the market.

■ Foldable OLED is expected to ship in earnest from 2019.

Flexible OLED shipments are expected to exceed rigid OLED shipments in 2019. According to the ‘2017 Flexible OLED Annual Report’ published by Ubi Research, flexible OLEDs are expected to ship 480 million units in 2019, surpassing 409 million units of rigid OLED shipments. In addition, flexible OLED shipments will grow at a CAGR of 41% starting in 2018, reaching 1,285 million units in 2022 with forecasted revenue of US$ 59.4 billion.

<OLED Market Share Forecast by Substrate in 2018 ~ 2022>

Recently, as the hardware technology of mobile devices has been leveled up, set makers targeting the premium market are trying to differentiate their products by adopting OLED. Especially, set makers are beginning to introduce flexible OLED capable of full screen, as the needs of consumers who want a wider screen in mobile devices (even in the same sizes) on the increase.

 

Accordingly, panel makers are continuing to invest in flexible OLED mass production. Since Chinese panel makers such as BOE, CSOT and Visionox are expected to start mass production of Gen6 flexible OLED starting in 2018, flexible OLED shipments will likely grow at an average growth rate of 59% per annum, reaching 354 million units by 2022.

 

This report compares the structure and process of rigid OLED and flexible OLED, and analyzes the trends of technology development for foldable OLED implementation by layer. It also compares the flexible OLED application technology of Samsung Electronics, Apple, and LG Electronics which released mobile devices with full screen OLED. The report also forecasts the flexible OLED market from 2018 to 2022 by categorizing into various perspectives including flexible type, country and generation.

 

According to the report, full screen OLEDs of flexible OLEDs will ship 265 million units in 2018 with a market share of 82.1%, and 1,022 million shipments will be made in 2022, accounting for 79.5% of the market, leading the flexible OLED market. In addition, the foldable OLED, which has been receiving a great deal of attention recently, is expected to ship 5 million units from 2019 and 53 million units by 2022.

<Foldable OLED Shipment Forecast in 2018~ 2022>

 

IoT Era – Smart interface focused on display

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With the Google’s comments in 2015 that the new IoT era is coming, the 13th China International Display Conference started with the presentation of BOE, a large Chinese display company, with the topic of the era of smart interfaces to be developed in the future.

Randy Chen (BOE, Sales Marketing Executive) shared the overall IT market trend as the first presentation and delivered the BOE’s strategy within it. At the heart of the IOT industry, which is expected to account for around $ 10 trillion in 2050, smart interfaces that link 5G communications and electronics to displays will play a big role and emphasized 8K and flexible display as BOE’s survival strategy. For this, he announced that they are working to build the 8K Industry Alliance and continuing to invest in the production of flexible displays starting with Chendu’s G6 Flexible Line. OLED panels produced in the Chendu B7 line, which began operating in the second half of this year, will be supplied to a smartphone maker in Shenzhen and expected to be seen in the market early next year.

Next, Xiuqi Huang (GVO, Vice President) of Visionox, who first started producing OLEDs starting with PMOLED, mentioned the change of smartphone trend and said that a mobile device with a foldable and rollable type using a flexible panel will be introduced in the future. He said that the technological development is required not only in design but also in related equipment and materials and Visionox has also been actively developing its technology.

CSOT, which produces QD-LCDs together with Samsung Display, mentioned the development potential of QLED and OLED TV and said that it was spurring technological development and investment as a latecomer. Especially, it was developing large-area inkjet printing technology that has advantages of relatively high material utilization rate and price competitiveness, on the other hand, it shared the goal of developing a smartphone panel that minimizes Bezel.

Following the presentation of representative panel companies in China, Lee Choong-hoon of Ubi Research, a global OLED research company, forecasted the market size of the OLED market, which is already leading the small-medium-sized panel market and the premium TV panel market and discussed why OLEDs have grown rapidly as a next-generation display. Ubi Research, as an OLED professional research company, is suggesting directions for future growth of OLED based on years of data and research experience.

In current display industry, major global smartphone makers such as Apple, Samsung and Huawei already have plans to apply OLED to all flagship models and TV companies such as LG Electronics and Sony have also shown that OLED TVs can only succeed in the premium market. This is why we expect the development of various types of panels and various applications that maximize the advantages of OLED forward.

Visionox Announced OLED’s Own Innovative Technology is Flexible Display

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Visionox’s principle researcher Li Lin gave a keynote speech with a theme “Development of Foldable AMOLED Display” at the 3rd OLED Korea Conference held for two days from March 8 to 9 by UBI Research.

Principle researcher Li Lin explained the development trend of flexible display, saying “Initial CRT was originally developed as an oscilloscope, but due to the development of full-color technology, it has been used commonly in our lives. LCD was also developed as a segment display, but due to the development of semiconductor technology, TFT black plane was applied to LCD so that LCD could be able to be used for smartphone and large-screen TV as well. The combination of the latest electronic technology and material technology enables display innovation, and the most innovative technology of OLED different from existing displays is a flexible display, Visionox is intensively developing now”.

In addition, he introduced the development history of Visionox’s flexible display, unveiled touch sensor 7-inch foldable AMOLED display that was developed in November 2016, and announced this module featuring 180° out-folding passed a folding test.

<Flexible AMOLED display with the touch-sensor featuring 180° out-folding, Source: Visionox.com>

He added that in order to develop foldable display, it is very essential to improve reliability of TFT, use durable materials such as strong OCA, scratch-resistant and durable cover window film, thinner circular polarizer layer, and panel-combined touch panel, and decrease module thickness.

Meanwhile, principle researcher Li Lin said “The mass production of Flexible OLED panel finally depends on the yield improvement. But, skills and experience for mass production are still insufficient.” Regarding the question about the development of circular polarizer layer, he answered “Reducing thickness is a key. And, we are considering the way to combine with another layer.” Lastly, regarding the development of Touch panel, “Among various technologies, especially on-cell technology is now under examination”, and regarding materials, “Metal mesh seems to be a good alternative, but there is no specific plan yet” he announced.

AMOLED panel for smart phones, just around the corner of 100million-unit shipment in a quarter

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According to UBI Research, the shipment amount of AMOLED panel for smart phones in the 3rd quarter of 2016 was announced to be counted as 96million units.

It is the figure increased for 103% compared with the last quarter, and increased for 148% compared with the same period of last year, and it renewed the quarterly highest shipment amount once again, after the last quarter.

The person in charge of UBI Research mentioned that “The output of flexible AMOLED panels for Galaxy Note 7 was reduced compared to the plan due to the discontinuation of the production of Galaxy Note 7, however, the increase in shipments of AMOLED panels for China and Galaxy s7 series is seemed to play a important role in the increase of shipments in the third quarter.”

Currently, Samsung Display occupies more than 91% of the AMOLED panel market for smart phones, and Chinese panel makers such as BOE, EDO, Tianma, and Visionox are conducting mass production with small quantities.

In addition, Apple is expected to apply the flexible AMOLED panel to some models of the iPhone to be launched in 2017, therefore, future AMOLED panel market for smart phones will be increased continuously.

UBI Research expects that the annual shipment amount of AMOLED panel will form the market volume as about 1.4billion units by 2020 with the average annual growth rate of 41%, and flexible AMOLED panel among them will account for about 61%.

Smart Phone AMOLED Panel Shipment Forecast, Source : UBI research

BY HYUNJUN JANG, HANA OH