Suppliers of OLED displays boost output steadily, sustain R&D

OLED display line buildup continues as adoption of the technology in smartphones and AR/VR products accelerates.

Recent mobile electronics rollouts sporting OLED displays spur China manufacturers of the component to maintain production expansion and key players to invest in the development of advanced types. Smartphones are the main demand drivers, especially as Apple, Samsung, LG, and major local brands Vivo, Oppo and Huawei have adopted the technology in their latest models. AR/VR devices are an emerging application market.

Many domestic companies in the line are therefore looking to maximize current capacity, especially for the dominant AMOLED category, while others plan to install additional production lines.

The upbeat outlook has also been attracting new players to the line. From 200 in 2016, there are up to 300 makers in China now. Dongguan Jingjin Optoelectronics Co. Ltd, which has been churning out LCDs, modules and TFTs, ventured into OLED displays in 2017 and is now allocating 40 percent of shipments for the last category.

As a result of this buildup, local output is projected to increase by another 10 percent in 2018 and will be on the upswing in coming years. There will be a similar trend in sales value. For 2017, the estimate for the industry in China is $24.6 billion, rising 37 percent YoY, according to SINA News.

In terms of R&D, forays further into OLED territory are in the pipeline. Major China display companies keep flexible AMOLED displays on the agenda for the future. BOE and CSOT are among those with known plans for this venture.

Another pursuit is Micro OLED as key local makers eye its burgeoning market in AR/VR devices. Such displays have a higher PPI and lower power dissipation than their AMOLED counterparts, besides being lighter in weight because these use wafer rather than glass substrates.

In 3Q17, BOE announced a cooperation with Yunnan OLiGHTEK and Kopin to set up the country's first Micro OLED production line. It allotted $174 million to the project, which will generate an annual capacity of 1 million units.

OLED display market growth

Climbing requirement in smartphones, AR/VR devices and high-end large-screen TVs has been sustaining the development of OLED displays worldwide.

AMOLED types lead shipments, with those for handsets anticipated to reach more than 950 million units by 2020 at a CAGR of 38 percent, according to China Industry Information Net. Those for TVs will increase to 5.2 million units in the same year from 650,000 in 2016, stepping up from 0.3 percent to 2.1 percent.

Based on market scale, AMOLED displays for TVs will exceed $2 billion in 2020 or at 39 percent CAGR, while units for VR devices will shoot past $550 million or post 63 percent CAGR.

But as early as 2018, OLED technology is projected to lord over the handset market with a 58 percent stake from 40 percent in the previous year, according to market research firm Tencent Technology. Back in 2016, up to 370 million OLED displays for this application were delivered or 17.5 percent of the total only, said CINNO Research.

Big & small companies

Suppliers of OLED displays in China include small- to large-scale operations, 80 percent of which are spread over the coastal provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and Shanghai. Many come from the LCD segment, while companies such as Visionox specialize in OLED units. BOE, Shenzhen Tianma, CSOT, IVO, Visionox and Everdisplay are among the local leaders.

Homegrown and foreign makers there have been concentrating efforts on small and midsize OLED screens, but this might change because of LG Display's recent move. The South Korea company announced in August 2017 that it would be investing $6.8 billion to establish a joint venture in Guangzhou, Guangdong. This will be the first to produce large OLED displays in the country. BOE and CSOT are reportedly following suit in the near future.

2.5in & above OLED displays

The current selections of 2.5in and above OLED displays from China suppliers continue to have AMOLED and PMOLED types. The latter, while greatly reduced in terms of production share, still has a market in instruments, home appliances and wearable devices.

AMOLED units are in full color and come in resolutions of 720x1080, 1080x1200 and 1080x1920 pixels. These allow 16.7 million colors.

PMOLED versions are monochromatic and have 128x64, 128x96 and 256x64-pixel variants.

Both types support 80 to 120-degree viewing angle.

Makers obtain key components such as panels and chips mainly from Taiwan providers, while large companies such as BOE, Shenzhen Tianma, CSOT, IVO, Visionox and Everdisplay produce their own panels. The rest of the inputs come from the local supply.

OLED display prices rose by 5 percent in past months due to a slight increase in the cost of materials and components. In 2018, most manufacturers are predicting outlay and quotes will be stable.

The products in this gallery have been handpicked by our China-based market analyst for representing current trends in OLED displays from China makers.

2.7in PMOLED display has 128x64 dots

CNK Electronics Co. Ltd offers its model 2.7inch PMOLED display, which has 128x64-dot resolution, 100cd/sqm brightness, more than 2,000:1 contrast ratio and over 170-degree viewing angle. The response time is less than 10µs.

The 16-bit grayscale unit has a 1/64 duty cycle and uses parallel interface or 4-wire SPI. Its active area is 61.41x30.69mm, while panel dimensions are 73x41.86x2mm. The display weighs 20.5g.

The minimum order quantity is 1,000 units. Delivery is within 7 days.

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128x64-dot PMOLED display with 80cd/sqm brightness

Model JOA2716000301Z1 PMOLED display from Dongguan Jingjin Optoelectronics Co. Ltd delivers 128x64-dot resolution and 80cd/sqm brightness. Its contrast ratio is 10,000:1 and color depth 16-bit grayscale.

The 2.7in unit with 1/64 duty cycle has a ≤10µs response time and can be viewed from any angle. It supports -40 to 80 C operation. Interface options are parallel, and 3 and 4-wire SPI.

The minimum order of 1,000 units is delivered within 40 days.

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5.5in AMOLED display

From Shenzhen Boxing World Technology Co. Ltd, model PS1549HD117GF-001(01) 5.5in AMOLED display supports 720x1280 pixels, 350cd/sqm brightness and 10,000:1 contrast ratio. Its response time is 1ms.

The product has 39 pins and a 4-lane MIPI. Its active area measures 68.4x121.6mm

The 50-unit minimum order requirement has a delivery lead time of 5 days.

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3.81in AMOLED display has 1080x1200 pixels

This 3.81in AMOLED display from Shenzhen Top Electronic Parts Co. Ltd, H381BDNO1.1 model, has 1080x1200 pixels and allows 16.7 million colors. Its refresh rate is 90Hz.

The unit uses a RaydiumRM69071 driver IC and MIPI. Outline dimensions are 67.6x78.95x1.01mm, with the active area in 64.8x72mm.

The order quantity is negotiable. Delivery is within 5 days.

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