Chinese LCD manufacturers to join OLED pilot production

Dan Rogers - 17 Mar 2010

Technology firm Linde is working on packaging and encapsulation techniques to prepare for OLED pilot production with existing TFT-LCD manufacturers.

The Germany-headquartered group, which specialises in gas and engineering technology, has announced its cooperation with Shanghai University in China, to develop technologies for flexible displays, with a focus on OLEDs.

The company will work with the university's researchers to make devices that can be produced on thin films, as well as designing new materials for manufacture.

The first stage of the project, the packaging and encapsulation of thin-film displays, should be completed by the end of 2010. At this point, Linde will work with existing customers in TFT-LCD manufacture to test volume production of the new OLED designs.

LCD to OLED

Edward Feng, project manager of heat treatment and electronic packaging at Linde's gas division, comments: 'The project will divide into two stages - first the packaging, and then the materials, which will take 2-3 years to complete. However, the first stage will be completed this year.

'Linde has a network of customers in displays already, and will approach customers at this point to do testing work. These companies only produce TFT-LCDs, but are interested in OLEDs.'

The cooperation aims to bring OLED developments to China, where BOC Gases - a member of the Linde Group - is based. The technology and materials developed in the project would give Chinese manufacturers a role in the future supply chain for OLED displays.

Feng remarks: 'China wants Chinese companies to hold OLED technology themselves, and we will demonstrate that the new packaging can be manufactured.

'We will work with Chinese companies that are based in the north and east of China on a trial line.'

Products

The project will develop gases for the processing of OLEDs - for instance, carrier gases are used in the transportation of evaporated organic molecules onto cooled substrates in organic vapour phase deposition - as well as creating materials for OLED substrates.

'Currently for packaging, manufacturers typically use a glass or metal leaf substrate. What we're working on is a thin-film plastic substrate that can stand the high temperatures of production. It will be a new structure of film,' says Feng.

The Linde-Shanghai University cooperation could then establish packaging and materials for OLEDs that would be taken to market by an industrial displays partner.

Feng adds: 'We want to sell gases for OLED production, but we want to get the OLED technology itself to market. We could sell the OLED technology itself via a technology transfer.'