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Samsung Display is working on new methods for producing OLED displays that could significantly lower their manufacturing costs in the future. The South Korean manufacturer is simultaneously developing two technologies that would eliminate the need for traditional metal masks. One of them could yield savings of over 30%.
Samsung wants to abandon metal masks
At present, many RGB OLED panels are produced using FMM (Fine Metal Mask) technology. It involves depositing organic materials through extremely thin metal masks with microscopic openings. The method provides precision but is expensive, consumes significant amounts of material and hinders the manufacture of larger panels.
Samsung Display is therefore testing two alternatives. The first is inkjet printing, that is depositing red, green and blue emissive materials directly onto the substrate. According to Korean ETNews, the company is already in talks with suppliers about building a pilot production line. If it can achieve sufficient production efficiency, the new method could theoretically reduce production costs by more than 30%. However, this does not necessarily mean an equally large drop in the prices of finished devices.
Second technology and a 7-inch prototype
At the same time Samsung is developing its own MPO (Micro Patterned OLED) method, using photolithography and microscopic structures that separate subpixels. It reduces material consumption and avoids some processing stages of the organic layers. According to The Elec, the company is preparing an OLED panel prototype with a diagonal of about 7 inches. An engineering sample is expected to be ready by the end of 2026, although work could stretch into the first quarter of 2027.
It is worth noting that Samsung is not alone. LG Display is developing competing FLiPP technology, while Chinese TCL CSOT has already started producing OLED panels using inkjet printing.
For now, the most likely applications for the new solutions are laptop and monitor displays. In the longer term, the development of cheaper manufacturing methods could also be significant for the OLED TV market. However, Samsung has not announced a date for the start of mass production nor decided on the final choice of technology.
Sources: The Elec, Oled-info
