TFT-LCD and OLED force mobile phone market

Throughout the 04 years, mobile phone has occupied the market half of the country, 04 years of worldwide mobile phone shipments, has 68% of the mobile phone application of color design, is expected to 08 years, this figure will rise to 96%. It can be said that the rise of the market completely around the mobile phone panel of middle and small shipping market. According to DisplaySearch, the 2 quarter of 04 years and 2.2 inch amorphous silicon TFT-LCD panel than in the first quarter surged 78.6%, driven by the overall market growth, the display panel in the mobile phone shipments accounted for 13% in. 04 years, OLED in the field of mobile applications also performed well, this trend is expected to be further extended in the past 05 years.

The mobile phone screen with C-STN (Color-STN), TFT-LCD and OLED. C-STN for its low price by the major terminal manufacturers favor, is still the mainstream panel technology. Although the TFT-LCD panel in terms of resolution, color, power consumption is better than C-STN, but the high price is still one of the important factors restricting its comprehensive application, at this stage TFT-LCD is more used in the high-end mobile phone market. According to a test report of iSuppli, the test for the mobile phone brand, Nokia uses the TFT-LCD panel in the various types of products in proportion to the lowest, accounted for only 67%, but it is also in the competition the most effective cost control display manufacturers. IDC predicts that small panel sales will rise to $20 billion 500 million in 2004 from $13 billion 500 million in 2006. A key reason is that high-quality color displays will gradually replace the low resolution monochrome panel.

The response from the market 04 years 4Q, TFT-LCD panel prices have shown a rapid downward trend, as the key factor of the price is broken, I believe TFT-LCD will have more market share in the field of mobile phone screen. According to iSuppli analysis, 04 years of mobile phone with TFT-LCD panel shipments in the 241 million units, while the figure will grow by 05 in to reach 367 million units. In a variety of positive forms, the major TFT-LCD panel manufacturers have to expand the production capacity of small size, in order to meet the growing demand for mobile TFT-LCD panel market. ST liquid crystal display company (ST LCD) has invested 1 billion yen last year to expand its low-temperature poly silicon (low-temperature polysilicon) production capacity. By April 2005, the production capacity of ST LCD will increase by 25% to $40000 per month (* 720mm).

With the rising popularity of mobile phone and capacity have opened, consumers are expected to buy faster to the application of low cost TFT-LCD panel of mobile phone products.

Another beneficiary of color is OLED, the application of this technology can be made thinner and more bright color display, backlight and without the use of both space and energy consumption. Samsung E710 and other products have been the first to use OLED to replace STN as the mobile phone screen. Applied to the mobile phone screen is a good attempt to OLED into the mobile phone market, 05 years of using OLED as the screen manufacturers will be increased, iSuppli expects this figure will reach 33%. The application prospect of the industry is generally optimistic about the mobile OLED in the field, but some problems must be solved before the OLED itself, in the mobile application, the display must be durable, capable of dust, chemicals, moisture and temperature limit. According to Jim, the engineering manager of Motorola's personal communications division, which displays the design center, Zhuang says that existing products do not meet these needs. He said: "this is what we want to see on the OLED major improvements." In addition, there are some problems in the quality and reliability of OLED. According to Semiconductor Insights Paris, the individual organic materials in OLED will be randomly changed, resulting in brightness decreased rapidly, which means that it is the reliability of time should reach 1/10, only about 2000 hours. "I believe that the life of OLED will be solved within three years." Junji, Professor of polymer science and engineering, Yamagata University, Japan, Kito. Kito is the head of one of Japan's two major cooperation projects aimed at promoting OLED technology.

Although OLED in mobile applications there are some problems to be solved, but providers are still optimistic about the prospects for the OLED, as long as consumers have used OLED technology products, they will be brought by the changes of OLED technology surprised its reflected in the advantages of image quality and power consumption can be, while market demand will surge. On the current market for the entire mobile phone panel, TFT-LCD market space is indeed more mature relative to OLED. ISuppli/Stanford Resources analyst David Mentley said that by 2007, TFT-LCD market share will grow to 50%, while OLED can reach up to 12%. Although the short-term OLED market development also need to struggle. But who can be sure when the OLED technology matures, it will not replace TFT-LCD in the field of mobile phone panel to get large-scale application.

According to sources, from 2005 onwards the active OLED panel will be fully launched, there are approximately 15 active OLED panel production line from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan display manufacturers to enter the amount of period, will further drive the amount of OLED in the mobile phone panel display market. Samsung and other manufacturers have pioneered the use of OLED as the second screen, is expected to use OLED as a proportion of the second screen will reach 05 in the year of 33%.