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OTFT: Driving LCD, OLED, MiniLED, MicroLED & NanoLED with Quantum Dot

3/21/2022

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SmartKem and Nanosys announced on Feb 2nd their joint development agreement to work together on a new generation of low-cost solution printed MicroLED and quantum dot materials for advanced display. Both companies believe a “fully solution-printed display” using SmartKem Organic TFT  (OTFT) and Nanosys’s microLED and quantum dot nanoLED technologies should result in the creation of a new class of low power, robust, flexible, lightweight displays.
They are working on prototypes and hoping to show them this year. SmartKem has previously demonstrated miniLED backlight using OTFT and working with partners for OTFT-OLED. (You're Going to Hear About Smartkem Again and Smartkem On the Up with RiTdisplay JDA ) FlexEnable has shown example of OTFT-based flexible OLED displays. The company is working on glass-free flexible OTFT LCD (OLCD) and expects first production ramp up in 2H 2022. (Novares Integrates FlexEnable’s Conformable OLCDs into its New Demo Car: Nova Car #2 and Cambridge-Based Electronics Company Raises Up to $25m Series B Fund to Accelerate Production of Flexible Displays and Active Optics)
OTFT can offer truly flexible backplane technology (with a small bend radius), fewer masks (than a-Si or LTPS), low process temperatures, low current usage, wide substrate compatibility and low cost manufacturing processes. OTFT displays are not yet in mass production but if the potential for OTFT can be realized with joint technology developments, it can open up new opportunities for the display market.

Organic TFT: an alternative to a-Si, LTPS or Oxide backplane

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFT) technology platform allows electronics to be manufactured on flexible films up to sub-mm (0.5mm) bend radius. It can be integrated with frontplanes such as LCD, EPD (e-paper), OLED, MiniLED, MicroLCD and NanoLED. It has better mobility than amorphous silicon but lower mobility than oxide or LTPS. According to the OTFT suppliers, the mobility is enough for most application segments. It enables manufacturing like other substrates but can use a lower cost flexible substrate (TAC film/plastic) compared to LTPS or Oxide (Polyimide). Its processing temperature (<100 degrees) is low compared to a-Si, Oxide, or LTPS (300 to 350 degree). It has long operating lifetimes and very high uniformity for large area manufacturing. Its manufacturing process cost is low as display makers can repurpose existing LCD lines with minimal investment. It can be scaled up to any generation fab and has the potential to create truly flexible and cost effective display solutions.

Quantum Dot: Enabling LCD, OLED, MicroLED and NanoLED

Quantum Dot technology enhances LCD, OLED and MicroLED displays and is progressing towards self-emissive NanoLED (ELQD). The technology has evolved during the last few years to improve or eliminate many challenges, resulting in broader adoption of QDs. Nanosys’s new aerobically stable xQDEF is lowering costs and helping to increase manufacturability. QD enhancement film (QDEF) enabled LCDs to get to market.
QDOLED displays from Samsung Display has entered the market in 2022 with product demos at CES. QDOLED combines the best of OLED and QD technology: it provides very high contrast (due to the OLED sub-pixel), perfect black, wider viewing angles with better color gamut and higher brightness. However there are still many challenges. Blue emitting materials still have efficiency and lifetime issues. Multiple layers of blue OLED can be used to reduce the problem.

OTFT enabling: QD-MicroLED
The mass transfer process that requires bonding RGB (Red Green Blue) MicroLED to the display backplane accurately and efficiently is very challenging. Using single-color (blue) MicroLED chips and color converting them with QD layers can help in the manufacturing process. There have been many announcements and prototypes but no mass production yet. Nanosys has acquired “glō” a company specialized in MicroLED technologies, including epitaxy as well as device and transfer technology.
SmartKem, is the developer of materials and processes used to make OTFTs for the manufacture of flexible electronics. The truFlex semiconductor technology from the firm deposits organic ink on a substrate at a temperature as low as 80°C, enabling manufacturers to use a range of low-cost flexible plastic substrates with existing industry standard equipment and infrastructure. The joint development agreement with Nanosys announced that the initial validation work on the equipment, process and materials readiness has already occurred.
There is already mass production partnership with display suppliers. The joint development agreement contemplates that through the application of its unique truFlex technology, SmartKem will provide OTFT backplanes to enable the manufacture of microLED displays using Nanosys’ microLED and ELQD technologies. truFlex materials have been developed for standard process equipment sets and have the benefit of both lower material and equipment costs than traditional alternatives such as LTPS. According to Sri Peruvemba, CMO at SmartKem, “Now that two companies SmartKem and Nanosys are working together, their synergies may revolutionize the display industry”. They are already working with MicroLED companies’ partners, and hoping to show prototypes this year. (for more about this deal see last week's Display Daily Smartkem & Nanosys Expand on Joint Development)

OTFT enabling: QD NanoLED
Nanosys has been actively developing electroluminescent quantum dot (EL-QD) technology which it calls “NanoLED”. It uses solution-printed QDs as the emitter material to make AM emissive displays. Printable, low cost QD materials with superior performance have the potential to directly compete with OLED displays even in the flexible segment. SmartKem OTFT is a printed technology. The firm has built products on its pilot line and is transferring technology to display suppliers.
The most important factor is the potential for lower cost. Nanosys has the experience of taking QD technology from lab to fab in the display industry. This unique combination of two technologies OTFT and QD has the potential to allow lower cost products. Russell Kempt, Nanosys VP of marketing said “Development of OTFT backplane for MicroLED and NanoLED can be potentially a game changer for the display industry”.

OTFT backplane: For MiniLED
OTFT can be used for miniLED backlight with full array local dimming (FALD). SmartKem has demonstrated miniLED backlight for HDR LCD with over 100,000 cd/m² of brightness. FALD is a process of locally controlling LED light levels in a segmented backlight unit to enhance contrast in images while decreasing the “halo” effect around bright areas on black backgrounds. It requires thousands of miniLEDs to deliver the intended picture quality and this increases the manufacturing cost of the backlight unit. According to SmartKem: by the use of an OTFT backplane approach, miniLED runs much more efficiently and delivers improved quality at a much lower cost.

OTFT substrate:  For OLED
As OTFT is already a fundamentally flexible substrate; when combined with flexible frontplanes like OLED displays displays can be truly foldable. OTFT uses low processing temperature that allows it to be manufactured on a lower cost plastic substrates bringing in cost and manufacturing benefits to OLED. FlexEnable has demonstrated flexible OLEDs with OTFT backplanes with Novaled (OLED material supplier). In 2021, SmartKem announced a joint development agreement with PMOLED maker RiT display for the production of OTFT-based AMOLED display. This could enable RiT display to use its PMOLED production line to produce AMOLED display without a large investment.

OTFT enabling:  Flexible OLCD

FlexEnable arranged to be able to raise $11 millon -$25 million in February this year to take flexible displays and active optics to mass production. (Cambridge-Based Electronics Company Raises Up to $25m Series B Fund to Accelerate Production of Flexible Displays and Active Optics) It is expected to finance the company for its mass production ramp up of flexible displays and LC optical modules at Asian display manufacturing partners. Coretronic, a major LCD backlight module manufacturer has made strategic investment in the company. FlexEnable has a complete set of manufacturing process and FlexiOM organic semiconductor materials.
Together it enables manufacturing of glass-free flexible OLCD and LC Optics in existing fabs allowing ultrathin, light, flexible and even 3D confirmable products. The company already has four active technology transfer programs underway with several leading display manufacturers in Asia with first volume production ramp starting in the second half of 2022. It has the potential to go into multiple mainstream applications and display segments where flexible displays are absent today.
There are many different applications: flexible cylindrical for smart speakers, curved displays for automotive, thin light bezel less notebooks and tablets, or for dual cell TVs with true pixel-level dimming and higher transmission than glass-based dual cells. OTFT LCD cost will be very similar to glass a-Si LCD as many components are the same such as polarizers and backlights.  
According to Paul Cain, Strategy Director for FlexEnable
“OLCD is by far the lowest cost flexible display, because of the simple low temperature process and substrate handling, and re-use of many of the cost-optimized existing LC supply chain components”.
He also added that OLCD is better in terms of sustainability because of low manufacturing temp with no CVD steps and the production process uses 25% less energy than a-Si fabs. Also they are designed to use existing a-Si LCD fabs and can achieve the same PPI and resolution. OTFT LC cells can be combined with many different types of backlights (e.g. miniLED, edge-lit) which can be flexible. Setting up the process, technology transfer, and display suppliers deciding to adopt the technology in their fabs takes time.

Implications: OTFT & QD will open new opportunities
​
The new joint technology development agreements and higher investments can open up new opportunities for the display industry.
  • Availability of low cost flexible display due to low temp processes, reuse of cost optimized fabs and using the existing supply chain
  • Flexible organic LCD products that don’t exist today
  • Potential for lower cost OLED and MiniLED backlights
  • Commercialization of low cost QD MicroLED displays
  • Fully solution-printed emissive display ELQDs without multibillion capital investment or massive fabs
Technology innovations and supply chain collaborations are really critical for the next generation of OTFT based displays to transform them from prototypes to successful commercial products with volume production that can compete effectively with OLED and LCD in future. (SD)


Sweta Dash, President, Dash-Insights
Sweta Dash is the founding president of Dash-Insights, a market research and consulting company specializing in the display industry. For more information, contact sweta@dash-insights.com or visit www.dash-insights.com
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Flexible OLED Display will continue to Drive Next Gen Smartphones

3/5/2022

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Technology developments, material improvements, product innovations combined with capacity expansions and higher competition will help flexible OLED display to gain higher share and drive the next generation smartphone market. There has been slowdown in the smartphone market in recent years. However, the market has shifted to positive growth in 2021 in spite of component shortages and slower shipments in the second half of the year.
The introduction of 5G-based products needing slimmer displays to accommodate 5G-enabling components will continue to increase flexible OLED demand. The integration of new technology such as under panel camera (UPC), fingerprint under display, integrated touch, power saving, variable refresh rates, and other features to reduce border & increased screen-to-body-ratio will make flexible OLED more critical for 2022 products.

Flexible OLED Gaining Share
According to preliminary data from International Data Corporation (IDC) published in January 2022, smartphone vendors shipped a total of 362.4 million phones during the holiday quarter (Q421), which was down 3.2% year over year but slightly better than IDC had forecast. On an annual basis, the market grew 5.7% in 2021 with 1.35 billion smartphones shipped. The company also mentioned that supply chain and component shortages had a meaningful impact on smartphone market in the second half of 2021. IDC expects to see supply and logistic challenges continue thorough the first half 2022 and expects return to growth in the second quarter and second half of 2022.
DSCC published their preliminary AMOLED smartphone panel shipments results in January showing that 2021 had a total 644 million AMOLED smartphone panel shipments, up 28% Y/Y. Of the 644 million units, rigid AMOLED smartphone panels will have 42% unit share, flexible AMOLED smartphone panels will have a 55% unit share and foldable AMOLED smartphone panels will have a 2% unit share.
Flexible OLED panels are gaining share in the smartphone market even though panel and smartphone prices are higher than rigid OLEDs and LTPS LCDs. Samsung and Apple are driving flexible OLED demand and technology developments. Smartphone brands are adopting flexible OLED for their 5G products. The need for affordable 5G products at less than $400 is leading some suppliers to use LTPS LCD at lower cost levels. Flexible OLED will continue to gain share in smartphone market in 2022 and beyond.

Display Capacity Increasing
Samsung Display continues to be the dominant supplier in terms of OLED capacity, shipments, performance and technology roadmap but LGD and BOE are increasing production. (LGD and BOE Competing with SDC for Larger Share of iPhone Business) More expansion of capacity is coming from companies such as China Star (CSOT), Tianma, Visionox, and others. Chinese OLED makers’ production is growing with improvements in flexible OLED yield rates and customers adoption. They are starting to gain share with more capacity investments. By the end of 2022, there will be nine Gen6 flexible OLED fabs in China.

Flexible OLED – Technologies Evolving
Samsung Display is focusing on LTPO (LTPS + Oxide TFT) that enables variable refresh rates and significantly reduce power consumption. (LTPO is a Hot Technology - but What Is It?) The company has adopted new material whose luminous efficiency has improved dramatically.

Y-OCTA: Samsung has also developed on-cell touch Y-OCTA (Youm On-Cell Touch AMOLED) for flexible OLED technology enabling thinner flexible OLED displays. YOCTA is the process of integrating the touch sensor on-cell in OLEDs. It adds additional backplane steps to the front plane manufacturing. It also has yield challenges. Touch on this TFE concept is gaining higher adoption rates with higher number of suppliers offering it with flexible OLED display.  Apple and Samsung are both using it in their products. LG Display, BOE, Tianma, and Visionox are all developing their own brand and processes for on-cell touch integration to reduce the layers and increase performance.

LTPO: there is significant growth in LTPO capacity. The Galaxy S21 Ultra, Galaxy Fold-3 and Flip-3 are already using LTPO technology. Apple has started using LTPO-based flexible OLED panel in iPhone 13 Pro models. Samsung Display started LTPO production in 2020 and LGD, BOE, China Star, Visionox and others are already starting to convert capacity to LTPO or planning to do it.  LTPO technology also has some challenges: increased number of photo masks, lower yields, and higher capex; but has big advantages in lower power consumption and variable refresh rates. 

Variable Refresh Rates: Samsung Display has commercialized “Adaptive Frequency technology”, a low power OLED panel technology that automatically adjusts the refresh rate of the display from 10Hz to 120Hz depending on consumer usage. By supporting variable refresh rates, such as 120Hz for games with fast screen switching and 10Hz for still images, the panel driving power can be reduced up to 22% compared to previous designs according to SDC. This helps with 5G products where video steaming and game content are rapidly increasing.  Higher refresh rates like 120Hz are increasing the shares of LTPO panel production with variable refresh rates.

​New Organic Material: Samsung Display has developed low-power OLED technology through new organic materials with better luminous efficiency. According to the company, the new organic material has been improved to make the movement of electrons in the organic layer faster and easier. The luminous efficiency has been greatly improved and the power consumption has been lowered by more than 16% compared to previous one. Due to the new process, the OLED panel can create brighter light while consuming less power. The new panel is being used for the first time in the Galaxy S21.

Increasing Sunlight Visibility: Samsung Display’s newest OLED display has been recognized by UL (the global independent safety science company) for its “Sunlight Visibility” performance. Samsung’s new OLED panel achieved an “Ambient Color Gamut” rating of 73% of the DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives)-P3 level and a peak brightness of more than 1500 cd/m². The organic material is helping to achieve significantly improved outdoor visibility. Samsung Display’s new OLED panel is available for other smartphone manufacturers and is used in its Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G smartphones. Compared with the Galaxy S20, the S21 Ultra offers a 25% brighter picture (1500 vs 1200 cd/m² peak brightness). 

No Polarizers (Eco Square OLED): Samsung Display has also introduced its new "Eco2OLED" technology, which dramatically reduces the power consumptions of panels. It removes the polarizer applied to the panel to increase light transmittance and optimizes the pixel structure to control external light reflection.  According to the company "Eco2OLED" improves the light transmittance by 33% while lowering power consumption of display panels by up to 25%. It also increases color purity, increasing wide color reproducibility.


Under Panel Camera (UPC): UPC will be an essential technology for full screen use. Samsung display has developed UPC technology that allows the front of the camera on the top of product mounted under the panel. Implementation of UPC requires solutions to key challenges such as transparent plastic PI, pixel structure design (ex: transmission windows), and driving algorithms for display and camera. The company “OTI “ has developed CPM (Cathode Patterning Materials).  OLED panel makers can use CPM to pattern holes in the cathode. The technology has potential for under display camera+IR to rapidly scale in mobile implementation according to the company. (OTI Highlights the Challenge for Under-Display Cameras)

Foldable form factors  - Growing
Flexible smartphone display sizes are reaching their upper limits. Foldable and rollable phones (which can be folded or rolled into bigger screen sizes) with more functionality like tablets are thought to be able to get increased market share. At CES this year Samsung Display showcased three different foldable and rollable smartphone concepts. The flex S foldable device folds both inwardly and outwardly in an S shape. The Flex G folds twice both inwardly, creating a G like shape, where display is protected. The firm also showed the Flex slideable concept which can slide out to a wider display.
Samsung Display showed S-foldable and BOE its slideable OLED displays at SID DisplayWeek 2021. Suppliers such as TCL/CSOT showcased rollable screens that can roll from smartphone to tablet at CES 2021.
Flexible OLED form factors are likely to shift from foldable to rollable and scrollable.
Samsung’s more aggressive pricing for its Zflip3 ($999) and Zfold3 ($1799) and better features have helped the growth of foldable phones in 2021. According to DSCC published data in January 2022, Samsung’s foldable smartphones continue to perform well with December production its second-best month ever at 1.47 million, up 3435%Y/Y. The Z flip 3 accounted for 67% of the total or nearly 1 million units. 2021 foldable smartphone production rose nearly 300% to 8.1 million units.
According to industry news, Samsung Display is planning to more than double its foldable OLED panel production capacity in 2022. The company is also increasing its UTG (ultra thin glass) processing capacity. Companies such as Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi are also expected to introduce new foldable devices in 2022. Higher capacity, lower price and more products with differentiated features and form factors will drive growth in 2022. With respect to form factors (foldable, rollable, slidable, stretchable and tiled) multi-folding designs will change the way we perceive products in the future with new usability that did not exist before.
With technology developments, material improvements, and product innovations, flexible OLED will continue to drive the next generation smartphone market. (SD)
Sweta Dash, President, Dash-Insights
Sweta Dash is the founding president of Dash-Insights, a market research and consulting company specializing in the display industry. For more information, contact sweta@dash-insights.com or visit www.dash-insights.com

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    Sweta Dash, Founder/President, Dash-Insights

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