Samsung Display to use vertical deposition to make Gen 8.5 IT OLED panels

Well-known Korean media outlet The Elec sources revealed that Samsung Display will try to move towards vertical organic material deposition in the production of OLED panels for tablets, laptops and monitors using Gen 8.5 substrates.

The South Korean display maker reportedly partnered with the Japanese company ULVAC to develop the equipment needed for this process. Gen 8.5 substrates are more cost-effective for tablet, laptop and monitor panels than Gen 6 substrates currently used to make OLED panels for smartphones.

A single Gen 6 backing produces 48 13.3-inch panels, while a Gen 8.5 backing produces 96 such panels. The vertical deposition method consists of the fact that the glass substrate is vertical and the organic material from the gas phase is deposited on it from the side.

For Gen 6 substrates, the horizontal deposition method is mainly used, where the substrate is placed horizontally and organic material is deposited on top of it. Samsung Display wants to move to the vertical method as it minimizes the sag of the mask used during deposition.

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Thin metal masks used in a deposition in the horizontal method inevitably sag in the center over time due to gravity. If you position the matte and mask vertically, there will be no sagging. However, vertical spray equipment is not yet used in mass production.

One reason is that vertical deposition requires higher temperatures, which can change the characteristics of the organic material. In 2017, Applied Materials supplied Japan’s JDI with several kits that were used to make OLED panels for the Apple Watch.

The Gen 8.5 substrate handling equipment for Samsung Display is likely to be developed by Japanese company Canon Tokki, which is currently the exclusive supplier of Gen 6 vertical deposition equipment for Samsung Display.