Samsung Display has started placing orders for equipment it wants to install on its first Gen 8 OLED production line.
This was confirmed by its equipment suppliers Philoptics, FNS Tech, KCTech and HIMS.
Philoptics said it signed a deal worth 63 billion won; FNS Tech 36 billion won; KCTech 35.7 billion won; and HIMS 21.8 billion won. Their contracts with Samsung Display were signed on May 26.
However, somewhat surprisingly, suppliers for deposition and lithography machines were absent in the initial orders placed by Samsung Display.
The two equipment takes the longest to manufacture and prepare. The delay comes from Samsung Display yet to fix terms with deposition machine supplier Canon Tokki, sources said.
Philoptics manufactures laser cutting machines for cells; FNS Tech makes wet etching machines used in the thin-film transistor process; HIMS makes tensile machines and KCTech cleaners.
These companies had already supplied these equipment to Samsung Display in the past for Gen 6 OLED production.
Their particular machines don’t need much adjustment to be applied to Gen 8 OLED production.
Meanwhile, Samsung Display is also yet to decide on which company it wants between Canon Tokki and Nikkon for the lithography machines, sources said.
Samsung Display said in April that it plans to spend 4.1 trillion won to start Gen 8 OLED production, which will mostly manufacture OLED panels for IT products larger than smartphones.
