Samsung Display is apparently now capable of producing 8K resolution QD-OLED TV and monitor panels after acquiring a key piece of injet printing-based manufacturing gear from the U.S. firm Kateeva.
In a highly speculative report, FlatPanels HD said Kateeva has announced that its manufacturing gear has been shipped to a “leading manufacturer” of QD-OLED displays. Given that Samsung Display is the only company in the world that’s currently mass producing such technology, it shouldn’t take too many guesses to work out who that “leading manufacturer” might be.
Samsung Display had reportedly fitted out its first QD-OLED production line with equipment from its own subsidiary, Semes, rather than Kateeva. However, Samsung has in the past used equipment from the U.S. firm for its smaller OLED panels for mobile devices, so there is an existing relationship between the two companies.
Lending weight to these rumors is a report from South Korean website The Elec earlier in the year, which said Samsung Display was considering going back to Kateeva as it looked to expand its QD-OLED production capabilities. Then, earlier this month, Kateeva announced that it will ship its 8.5-gen manufacturing gear to an unnamed company.
“Known as “Jarvis”, the tool will be used to print displays for 8K TVs and high-resolution monitors," said David Duke, President of US & Korea Regions for Kateeva, in a press release that was published on the company’s website, only to be deleted without explanation later. Google has a cached version of the release here.
In the release, Kateeva explained that the installation is a first for its partnership with the unnamed firm. It said that rigorous testing was carried out and that, in addition to yield, ultra-high resolution in mass production was a key priority.
“This is a formidable ask of the novel pixel printing process where ink must reach its target location with extreme accuracy,” Kateeva explained. “To achieve this, droplets must be placed with exceptional precision. Inconsistent drop placement causes defects, and defects kill yield. Kateeva’s inkjet technology is engineered to deliver industry-leading yield and high resolution."
While it seems certain that Samsung Display is the leading manufacturer in question, there is no guarantee that it is actually planning to launch an 8K resolution QD-OLED TV panel anytime soon. The inkjet printing equipment it has reportedly acquired does mean that it is now a possibility, however Samsung Display may well decide that higher resolution monitors are the priority instead.
