Samsung display to produce QD-OLED TV prototype in June

Samsung Display is planning to produce a prototype of a TV that uses its quantum dot organic light emitting diode (QD-OLED) panel in June, TheElec has learned.

The company is also planning to produce a QD-OLED monitor prototype as well. These prototypes will be sent to potential customers such as Samsung Electronics, Sony and Chinese set makers.

Samsung Display will conduct a “market response” review in September afterwards.

The panels will manufactured at the company’s Q1 production line dedicated to producing the QD-OLED panels.

If a customer approves, Samsung Display will be able to use Q1 right away for commercial production.

Samsung Display is already sending prototypes of the QD-OLED panel to Samsung Electronics, but these were in panel form and not a complete TV set.

The South Korean panel maker will likely decide how much it will additional spend in its QD-OLED production facilities and the direction of its QD Display strategy.

Samsung Electronics’ TV unit, called Visual Display business by the firm, has previously announced that it doesn’t plan to launch a OLED TV, and told so as well to Samsung Display.

But recently, it changed its stance to being open to applying QD-OLED for its TVs, but with some conditions to Samsung Display, a person familiar with the matter said.

Samsung Electronics had told Samsung Display that they must secure the yield rate and production capacity for the QD-OLED panels.

Q1’s yield rate remains low, the person said. Samsung Display began placing equipment for the production line in July last year.

Q1’s capacity is also currently 30,000 Gen 8.5 substrates per month. This won’t be enough for Samsung Electronics to use the panel to supply them massively for the premium sector. For example, LG Display, which supplies OLED panels to LG Electronics, currently has a capacity of 140,000 Gen 6.5 substrates per month, nearly five times the capacity of Q1.

Samsung Display is currently focusing all its efforts in increasing the yield rate for QD-OLED panels.

In January, the company set QD-OLED panel samples to Samsung Electronics, but they were deemed to have low luminance. Increased luminance in OLED panels can cause life span of the organic materials to shorten. Another person familiar with the matter said Samsung Display is planning to send another QD-OLED panel sample to Samsung Electronics in April.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics has requested that Samsung Display extended its liquid crystal display (LCD) production. Samsung Display is supplying LCD panels that Samsung Electronics uses for its 8K MiniLED TV, called Neo QLED by the company.