"In the field of small and medium size, AMOLED display will play an important role, even will replace the LCD display technology in the future." Professor at Hong Kong university of science and technology, the OLED inventor tang in an interview with "China electronics news" reporter revealed to small and medium size OLED optimistic about the future.

Small size market heating up

Although the liquid crystal display (LCD) technology remains the dominant display industry, but the global panel makers are stepping up AMOLED industry chain layout, filled the anticipation to future prospects for the next generation display technology. This is in China international OLED industry reveal information on the conference.

In 2016, according to IHS data AMOLED shipments to rise 40% from the same period a year earlier, to 395 million; AMOLED in the smartphone market penetration on the screen is expected to rise to 21% from 17% in 2015. It is worth noting that yes, samsung is likely to launch next year not only folding mobile phone, apple mobile phone is considering adopting AMOLED display in 2017, this will further boost the small and medium size AMOLED market heating up.

In this case, the global panel makers are stepping up the layout AMOLED display technology, in order to seize market opportunities. Including samsung keep monopoly, decided to close down some LCD production line, actively increasing investment in the field of OLED panel, and improve the flexible AMOLED production line capacity, in response to growing demand OLED panel. Samsung's strategic adjustment in the field of AMOLED, but also promote other manufacturers to invest AMOLED panel, attempt to copy the success of samsung, look forward to in the AMOLED market pie.

Japan Tech&Biz company general manager north the Ming said, so far, there are four companies can supply AMOLED panel for apple, but apple AMOLED supplier only samsung next year. Everyone think LGD of AMOLED panel can be shipped in 2018, but they couldn't realize ultra-high resolution so far.

JDI, therefore, is to speed up the development progress, mass production is expected to begin after 2017 AMOLED display; In addition, sharp also build on the OLED strategy, is expected to mass production in 2018, at the same time, it will be in 10 generations do LTPS back online, but the Japanese manufacturer of AMOLED development level still lags behind that of South Korea.

Aim at the flexible display in our country

OLED technology route is unknown in the field of AMOLED, large size, small and medium size AMOLED into a strategic high ground. In the medium and small size of the market, Chinese panel makers this year also hastened the layout.

Jingdong ejection are 6 generation of flexible AMOLED production line is pushing, is expected to begin in 2017. Tianma wuhan G6 project optimization for AMOLED LTPS for driver board production line, the sharp expansion of AMOLED production scale; Recently, the photoelectric and huaxia happiness together spend 36 billion yuan (panel line plus module lines with a total investment) of building capacity of double line 6 generations, and OLED display module project.

Tianma microelectronics Ceng Zhang group vice President, research and development center general manager and tell "China electronics news" reporter, although our country still has certain gap compared with samsung, but Chinese manufacturers a good chance in the future. Tianma is given priority to with producing glass OLED, initial production line USES is compatible with the design, the future will switch to the flexible AMOLED, plan three years will be products to the market.

According to reporter understanding, apart from the Beijing Oriental, tianma HeGuoXian photoelectric, huaxing photoelectric in flexible AMOLED also somewhat layout. According to huaxing Leo Sun, associate director of the photoelectric, on cell phone AMOLED products, established in wuhan huaxing photoelectric planning is a 4.5 generation of the guide line, the validation production line production technology in shenzhen, and then feedback to wuhan 6 generations online.

Tsinghua university professor Zhang Baizhe in an interview with "China electronics news" reporter said, the common characteristics of AMOLED panel manufacturers in China do is flexible display layout, which have a point. In terms of industrialization, a kind of technology to become mainstream, the important factor is to see if I can create new products, and the flexible display just can meet this requirement, it is hard to achieve flexible LCD.

Zhang Baizhe, meanwhile, has said, in fact, he would prefer to do hard first screen panel enterprise market in China, market demand is still great because now hard screen, should take following the market strategy.

Although AMOLED flexible display has been identified as the next generation of technology innovation, but around fixed curvature panel specification improvement, roa, etc., are panel makers strive to solve the problem, and as the leading enterprise of early investment AMOLED line depreciation is coming to an end, AMOLED costs also subsequently fell rapidly, China's manufacturers how to maintain their competitiveness becomes even more crucial.

, project manager Chang Cheng boe said that although the industry agree that flexible AMOLED is shows the development trend of future, but very difficult to do. In spite of 2010 years of the industry puts forward the concept of flexible displays, but still not very good application, flexible displays a lot of difficulties to overcome, this requires joint efforts, the industry chain upstream and downstream enterprises make OLED for outbreak of the first year.

Equipment and materials is still a difficult problem

In perspective, the world's major AMOLED core equipment and materials companies are concentrated in Japan and Korea, making it obvious advantages in the competition. In China if you want to make a difference in the field of AMOLED panel manufacturers, in addition to technology and patent problem, still need to break through the upstream industry chain is weak.

It is known that Japan has a lot of equipment manufacturers and materials manufacturers, which Canon has a high visibility. In material suppliers, the UDC, dow, Japan idemitsu kosan manufacturers occupy global AMOLED material such as more than 80% share. For our country, the upstream materials accessories such as drive IC, conductive glass, encapsulated glass, basic organic material needs to be purchased from Japan, South Korea, Europe and the United States, key equipment and a complete set of equipment of systematic technology are in the hands of foreign enterprises.

Shanghai university professor zhang jh, said South Korea's leading AMOLED panel, Japan's basic industries leading materials and equipment, industrial supporting ability in our country is relatively backward, especially on the basis of equipment also has the very big development space, by way of advancing the development of equipment and materials.

Which is the key to the AMOLED industry development in our country. According to reporter understanding, at the beginning of 2016, the Japanese Canon dokki until 90% of the 2017 annual production capacity has been sign for samsung, the results led directly to the other manufacturers direct supply problem.

The reporter understands in the interview, in the upstream materials procurement, tianma, boe, and other enterprises are facing difficulties in our country. For panel makers in China, the premise of investment AMOLED is to guarantee the stability of key equipment and material supply, how to more closely with material mills development, how to better implement localization, is an important problem facing the future development of AMOLED.

Ceng Zhang and said the domestic materials and equipment, for the future technological breakthroughs there is a big help, but it needs a process, tianma also localized in the materials and equipment, now only the upstream and downstream industry chain cooperation, to break the dilemma, at the same time, also want to the domestic enterprises more support.