Mass Production of Full Color Organic EL for the First time In the World

Samsung SDI succeeded in mass production of 256 Colors Organic ElectroLuminesence(EL) which is the next generation display. Samsung SDI got the jump on its competitors of Japan and Taiwan by constructing the mass production system of full color organic ElectroLuminesence as the display for IMT-2000 which is the next generation communication service.

Samsung SID announced on August 28 that it planed to produce the organic EL product of 1 inch(21㎜X 16㎜) which can make 256 colors in Busan factory at the end of the month. Samsung SDI has owned the facility which can produce the 700,000 organic EL products per month in Busan factory, and has produced 100,000 products per month until the end of the year. It will be supplied to Samsung Electronics for an external window of dual folder mobile phone.

Samsung SDI will extend the supply for domestic and foreign companies by increasing the production from next year. The response speed of produced products is 1㎲(microsecond:1/1,000,000·), faster over 1000 times than TFT-LCD of the same size.

Also, it has 65% of Colors which express a natural color, higher over three times than the product of TFT-LCD. Its brightness is 100 cd/㎡, and is suitable for the mobile phone.

Samsung SDI has been developing 1 inch organic EL which increases the number of colors and will produce the organic EL products of 2 inch size for the internal window of mobile phone for the first half of next year.

Gim Sun-Taek, the president of Samsung SDI said “This mass production system construction will become an initial explosive which activates the organic EL market in the world. We will invest 800 billion won for the next generation display products from next year for 3 years, and will increase the sales of 3 trillion won by occupying 30% of the world organic EL market in 2006.”

As the display equipment displaying a character and mage by using the Organic Electro Luminescent Device, it is not heavy over TFT-LCD for which the backlight is required, and it has the low power consumption. It has a wide view angle and it cannot be manufactured bigger. Pioneer TDK of Japan and Lightdisplay of Taiwan had produced the organic EL of 3~4 multi colors or monochrome organic EL. However, it is the first time for the mass production of full color products.

Joong-Hyun Park sanjuck@donga.com