[OPLIN 4cast] OPLIN 4cast #350: Flexible OLEDs

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OPLIN 4Cast

OPLIN 4cast #350: Flexible OLEDs
September 4th, 2013

Samsung OLEDLibrarians seem to love acronyms - at least we seem to use a 
lot of them - so here's one to watch in the near future: OLED, which 
stands for organic light-emitting diode. Without getting too technical, 
OLEDs can be used to make display screens out of a thin layer of organic 
compound which emits light when subjected to an electric current between 
two electrodes. Actually, OLEDs have been around for a while and are 
already being used in a few television screens, computer monitors, and 
mobile phones, but now this technology is about to be used to produce 
/flexible/ displays, and this is where things get interesting. Current 
speculation is that Samsung and LG will begin mass production of 
flexible OLEDs in Korea this November. (Previous speculation that the 
smartwatch Samsung is launching today would have a flexible OLED display 
turned out to be incorrect.)

  * In-depth analysis for technical trends of flexible OLED
    <http://www.isuppli.com/Display-Materials-and-Systems/Pages/In-depth-analysis-for-Technical-Trends-of-Flexible-OLED.aspx>
    (iSuppli/Jerry Kang) "Flexible OLED technology is expected to bring
    about an unprecedented change in flat displays which have ruled the
    display market for the last 20 years since the emergence of a liquid
    crystal display. Flexible OLED technology has already been
    introduced in a series of exhibitions and conferences for the last
    few years, and it is expected to make an innovative change in the
    conventional display industry structure once commercialized."
  * iSuppli sees the flexible OLED market growing from $21 million in
    2013 to almost $12 billion by 2020
    <http://www.oled-info.com/isuppli-sees-flexible-oled-market-growing-21-million-2013-almost-12-billion-2020>
    (OLED-Info) "The first products will be plastic-based OLEDs which
    are thin and durable. Rollable and foldable OLEDs are forecasted to
    be introduced after 2016. There are still technological hurdles to
    be overcome though, before flexible OLEDs will fully replace rigid
    OLEDs - better plastic substrates, thin-film encapsulation and
    better manufacturing processes."
  * Flexible OLED market set to rise to nearly $95 million in 2014
    <http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57600590-76/flexible-oled-market-set-to-rise-to-nearly-$95-million-in-2014/>
    (CNET/Don Reisinger) "Actually producing the displays has proven
    somewhat difficult and companies like Samsung are still trying to
    determine the best way to manufacture them. That process could
    eventually determine flexible OLED's long-term fate..."
  * Is the Samsung KN55S9C, a 55-inch curved OLED TV, the best HDTV
    ever?
    <http://consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/08/samsung-oled-tv-review/index.htm>
    (ConsumerReports.org) "While it's likely that the curved screen-a
    design characteristic also shared by LG's OLED set-is primarily an
    aesthetic touch to differentiate the TV, Samsung claims the curve
    helps create a more immersive viewing experience, giving viewers a
    sense that the TV is actually larger than its actual screen
    dimensions. From the viewer's seating position, you can sense the
    curve from the outer profile of the frame, which has a bowed contour
    at the top and bottom of the screen, much like a Cinerama projection
    screen in a movie theater."

*/Cost fact:/*

The Samsung TV mentioned above (which technically is not flexible, just 
curved) currently costs about $9,000, though that price is already about 
a third less than the price when it was first introduced in Korea. 
Expect the first truly flexible OLED displays to be expensive.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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