Will the mass production of 8.5-generation OLEDs be delayed? Industry insiders: Problems encountered in the development of vapor deposition machines

June 17, 2022

Core Tip: It is not easy to advance high-generation OLEDs. Due to the delay in the development of core equipment, the overall production schedule also seems to be delayed. According to Korean media reports, industry insiders said on the 16th that display equipment manufacturers have encountered difficulties in the development of 8.5-generation (8th-generation) OLED evaporation machines.
It is not easy to move forward with high-generation OLEDs, and the overall production schedule seems to be delayed as the development of core equipment is a bit delayed. According to Korean media reports, industry insiders said on the 16th that display equipment manufacturers have encountered difficulties in the development of 8.5-generation (8th-generation) OLED evaporation machines.

OLEDs are divided into small and medium-sized and large-sized, with different manufacturing processes, one of which is OLED deposition technology. It's a technique of coating a substrate with organic materials, the same way that steam condenses on the lid of a pot when water boils.

During the deposition process, red (R) green (G) blue (B) OLEDs are evaporated onto the light-emitting layer using a fine metal mask (FMM), a technique known as "RGB-OLED" technology. FMM is like a thin mask with tiny holes in it. However, since the FMM is very thin, if a certain part of the FMM is enlarged, sagging will occur. In this case, the device cannot be engraved in the desired location and the deposition efficiency will be greatly reduced. To improve the situation, in large-scale OLED production, LG Display uses an open metal mask (OMM) in the form of a frame to stack the light-emitting layers to three layers. This technology uses a White-OLED light source and uses WRGB color filters to achieve color, so it is called "W-OLED" technology.
The largest size RGB-OLED produced by the current 6th generation (1500x1850mm) is sufficient for smartphones. But things have changed as the market for foldable (foldable) displays has advanced and OLEDs are being used in tablets, laptops, game consoles and cars.

According to industry insiders, the 6th and 8.5th generations can produce 32 and 70 15.6-inch panels respectively, and the chamfering rate (the extent to which the panels are taken out of the area) are 85% and 93%, respectively. Obviously, the 8.5th generation is better in terms of quantity and productivity. There are advantages.
It is because of this that the industry is currently advancing 8th generation OLEDs, but for larger size OLEDs, the deposition method needs to be changed. It is said that Samsung Display is preparing to cooperate with Japan's ULVAC to develop the 8.5-generation full-cut vertical deposition process. This is a method of depositing the OLED substrate on its side and is designed to minimize FMM deflection. In addition, the company is also considering half-cut horizontal deposition equipment for Gen8.5. But vertical deposition techniques are not yet sufficiently developed and may take longer than expected to develop, while lateral deposition requires higher temperatures and requires modification of existing mechanisms, and it is not easy to flatten the FMM.

A display industry leader said, "Albak has completed the development of the vertical vapor deposition machine to a certain extent, but it is understood that there are problems in the optimization of mass production."

"The real mass production may take longer than expected," he explained.

However, there are also reports that Samsung Display will decide to invest in the 8.5th generation as early as the first half of this year, but the plan has not yet been realized. It is said that ordering equipment during the year is not easy. In addition, Japan's Canon Doki is developing half-cut horizontal deposition equipment. Unlike the prior art, this is a method in which the glass substrate is cut in half and stored.

At present, LG Display is developing the 8.5th generation half-cut horizontal evaporation machine with Sunic System. It is said that Sunic System has entered the evaluation stage. BOE is also discussing with Canon Tokki on the 8.5th generation OLED horizontal evaporation machine. It is expected that the two companies Construction of the Gen 8.5 line will begin in the second half of next year.