Since 2017, when Samsung began using flexible (but not yet bendable) AMOLED displays in smartphones, it has owned almost the entire market for such screens. More precisely, according to reports from IHS Markit, 96,5% of the flexible AMOLED market. Since then, only the Chinese have been able to seriously challenge Samsung in this area. Thus, the Chinese company BOE Technology put into operation last year its first plant for the production of OLED and flexible OLED - the B7 plant for processing 6G generation substrates (wafer dimensions are 1,5 Γ 1,85 m).
It should be noted that flexible and bendable OLED displays (or AMOLED, which is the same thing in this case) are slightly different products, so the production volumes of each of them will depend on market needs and line settings. Also, new lines can produce rigid OLEDs, so it is problematic to judge the volume of production of flexible OLED BOE at the B7 plant, but the enterpriseβs capabilities allow the monthly production of 48 thousand 6G generation substrates. And yet, BOE already supplies flexible OLEDs for the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Huawei P30 Pro smartphones, as well as bendable OLEDs for the Huawei Mate X smartphone. In other words, it is laying claim to a certain part of the flexible OLED market and is clearly taking over Samsung's share in this market . So Samsung lost so much and acquired BOE Technology?
According to a report by the analytical company Quanzhi Consulting, which the site refers to , in the flexible and bendable OLED market, BOE holds 11%. Accordingly, Samsung's share of this market fell from more than 95% to 81%. Samsung takes the threat from BOE seriously, which only highlights the capabilities and potential of the Chinese manufacturer. At Samsung that BOE used the technology stolen from it and estimates its losses in the next three years at $5,8 billion. By the way, this dispute has not yet been resolved in court. Therefore, its impact on the flexible OLED market is still beyond the scope of forecasts.
Over the next three years, BOE to come close to Samsung in terms of production volumes of flexible and bendable OLEDs. To achieve this, BOE is building 6G factories B11 and B12. Each of these enterprises will process 48 thousand substrates monthly. Plant B11 will go into operation at the end of 2019, and B12 in 2021. Thus, BOE will be able to process 144 thousand 6G wafers every month. Samsung's capabilities, if it does not start building new factories for OLED production, are 160 thousand substrates per month. There is a suspicion that 11% of the flexible OLED market is not the ultimate dream of the Chinese manufacturer.
Source: 3dnews.ru