Samsung Display Corporation, a subsidiary company of Samsung, to cuts down its LCD production in South Korea, which has a monthly capacity of 90,000 LCD panels and will cut capacity of another line by 30,000 from next month. The company used to produce 250,000 LCD panels in Korea each month.
Talking with KoreanHelad the company CEO Lee Dong-hoon said, “company is working hard to launch QD-OLED panels in the near future. But so far, the company has not confirmed any investment plans for QD-OLED production.” Samsung Display Corp. reportedly plans to transform the LCD production line into a QD-OLED production line.
Since last year, there have been rumors that the Samsung subsidiary will invest about 10 trillion won (approx. 8.3 billion US$) in QD-OLED in April, but the plan has not yet been implemented. To recall, QD-OLED term refers to a hybrid display, that uses both OLEDs and quantum dots. Further, the company is developing panels with blue OLED emitters and quantum dots that convert blue light into red and green light. If the QD-OLED panel is commercialized, Samsung Electronics may use this self-illuminating panel for television.
Moreover, the main reason behind Samsung Display’s latest reduction in LCD panel production is that the profitability of the LCD panel business is declining due to oversupply caused by Chinese competitors. However, this decision is seen as a preemptive move by the company from LCD to QD-OLED, which may help boost the OLED market.
Industry experts believe, “With the reduction in LCD panel production, Samsung will accelerate the commercialization of QD-OLED to maintain its leading position in the high-end display market.” All in all, the company plans to invest in OLED business because LCD panels have already been outdated.
