Samsung Display Focuses on QD... Samsung Electronics Hesitates to Adopt

Samsung D's Mass Production Target for Next Year
All-Out Effort to Secure Clients
Samsung Electronics Faces Yield and Unit Cost Challenges

'QD Equipment Installation Ceremony' held last July at Samsung Display's Asan Plant in Chungnam

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] As Samsung Display focuses on developing the next-generation display Quantum Dot (QD) with the goal of mass production next year, analysis suggests that securing major clients will determine the success of early market entry. Samsung Electronics, initially expected to be a game changer, is taking longer to decide on adopting QD displays, which may delay the mass production timeline.

According to industry sources on the 12th, Samsung Display is in the final stages of equipment installation for QD mass production. The earliest mass production is expected in the first half of next year. Samsung Display plans to secure clients by the end of this year through samples that demonstrate mass production competitiveness, targeting 30,000 units per month.

QD displays use OLEDs emitting blue light as the light source, with a QD color filter layered on top to enhance color reproduction. They feature vivid black color implementation and can significantly improve lifespan by utilizing organic and inorganic luminescent materials as light sources.

The industry views China's largest TV manufacturer TCL as the most likely first customer of Samsung Display. TCL is set to begin construction of an 8.5-generation OLED production line in Guangzhou next year and plans to unveil a 65-inch TV based on QD-OLED panels at the IFA international electronics exhibition in Germany the same year.

Premium OLED TV manufacturers such as Sony and Panasonic are also considered key potential clients. Samsung Display provided evaluation QD panels to these companies earlier this year. Since Sony and Panasonic rank second and third respectively in global market share for OLED TV brands, they are expected to play a significant role in the early expansion of the QD display market.

Samsung Display’s focus on securing clients is interpreted as stemming from Samsung Electronics’ ongoing deliberation between QD and Micro LED for next-generation displays.

Samsung Electronics is also open to adopting QD displays but insists that stable product yield (the ratio of qualified products to total production) and high production costs must be resolved first. Compared to the average OLED production cost in the mid-$900 range, the QD production cost of around $2,000 remains a burden. Samsung Electronics’ plan to first launch 'Mini LED' products as next-generation TVs next year further supports the view that adopting QD displays is premature.

An industry official said, "Samsung Electronics still holds a high market share with QLED TVs based on LCDs, and it feels burdened by yield stability issues and high costs in adopting QD displays as next-generation technology. The completion of satisfactory technology development will determine the success of QD’s market establishment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.