Visionox Readies First Volume OLED Line
Yao Gang, Editor-in-Chief, SI China -- Semiconductor International, 6/11/2008 8:10:00 AM
Visionox Technology Co. (Beijing, China), a pioneer in the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) field in China, said its volume OLED production line will be put into operation in October in Kunshan, Jiangsu. The company said it has begun installing production equipment at the plant, which is expected to have an annual capacity of more than 10 million small-size OLED devices.
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| Visionox OLED displays are ultrathin and can be used in portable communications systems. |
Visionox’s OLED technology derives from R&D at Tsinghua University, where several professors began basic OLED research in 1996 and then founded Visionox at the end of 2001. Visionox built a OLED pilot production line in 2002, and achieved small-volume production and sales of OLED displays and modules in the second half of 2003.
Last year, OLED shipments in China reached 400,000 units. Most of the important OLED patents are held by foreign companies, and government experts believe China is weak in terms of infrastructure support for OLEDs. Several companies in Shanghai have been developing next-generation flat panel display (FPD) technologies, including OLEDs. However, many of China’s FPD investments have gone into liquid crystal displays (LCDs), according to sources in the Shanghai Municipal Government. Nonetheless, China has been able to supply a full range of OLED equipment today, primarily for the production of small- and medium-sized OLED products.
In January, consumer electronics manufacturer Changhong Electric Co. Ltd. (Guangdong, China) announced plans to set up Sichuan Hongshi Display Technology Co. Ltd. for OLED production.
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| OLED technology offers low power consumption, a wide-viewing angle and high contrast. |
OLED displays have a wide operating temperature (-40-80°C), good shock resistance, low power consumption, wide-viewing angle, high contrast, quick response time, higher dynamic image, and are ultralight, ultrathin and self-emitting, according to Visionox. OLED displays have been applied to portable consumer products, portable instrumentations, medical equipment, public facilities and detection instrumentation, among other products.
