LG Display invests $657M into OLED production lines
updated 10:49 am EST, Mon February 18, 2013
New line in South Korean factory to produce TV panels
LG Display is planning to boost its organic light emitting diode (OLED) efforts with a 706 billion won ($657 million) investment. The boost of cash will go towards an eighth-generation OLED TV panel manufacturing line at its P9 plant in Paju, South Korea, expanding its current manufacturing processes by a considerable amount.
The investment will focus on WRGB OLED evaporation processes in the first quarter, with mass production expected to take place in the first half of 2014, with a maximum production capacity of 26,000 input sheets per month. After launching its first 55-inch OLED TV, Engadget suggests that the new manufacturing line is likely to become a core component in the construction of its successor in the future.
The new production line funding follows recent news that Apple hired a former senior researcher at LG Display. Dr Jueng-jil Lee was involved in LG's efforts to create a printed AMOLED TV, and previous to that he worked on polymer-based OLED materials. The hiring suggests that Apple could be using OLED in some capacity in the future, though the exact purpose remains unknown.
