Samsung Display is planning to manufacture single stack OLED first at its first Gen 8 OLED production line, TheElec has learned.
The company is planning to build a Gen 8 (2200x2500mm) substrate OLED production line.
The larger substrate used in the line compared to Gen 6, which mostly makes panels for smartphones, means it is more economical to make larger panels aimed at tablets and PCs.
Samsung Display’s co-project to develop a full-cut, vertical deposition machine optimized for a Gen 8 line with Japan’s Ulvac had been aimed at single stack OLED from the start at the design concept stages, according to sources.
Single stack OLED means there is one red, green and blue emission layer while two stack tandem OLED means there is one more additional layer.
Having two RGB emission layers stacked in tandem increases the brightness of the screen while also extending its life, making the technology more optimal for tablets and PCs that are used longer than smartphones.
Apple is expected to launch its first OLED iPad in 2024 with a two-stack tandem OLED panel.
Samsung Display’s first Gen 8 OLED line will have enough space at the factory so that it can be converted to manufacture the more sophisticated two-stack tandem OLED, the sources said.
This can be achieved by installing more chambers for the organic material vacuum deposition process.
The Gen 8 OLED line is expected to have a capacity of 15,000 substrates per month at the start. The line will be designed so that Samsung Display can add additional capacity depending on demand.
While the line is aimed to service Apple, Samsung Display and LG Display are expected to use their existing Gen 6 (1500x1850mm) lines to make the OLED panels for the first OLED iPad.
