Smart phones have changed the way people gather information. For a while, tablets emerged as an interesting technology, but they have slumped due to the lack of key functions, including phone. Meanwhile, phablets, or smart phones with larger screens, have had some success, but their size can be a disadvantage when carrying it.
 
It seems that people want larger screens, but not necessarily larger phones. How to achieve this becomes the key question.
 
This was the topic of “Flexible and Foldable Display Market and Technology Update,” a webinar held recently by SEMI and FlexTech. Moderated by Ross Young, CEO and founder of Display Supply Chain Consultants, the webinar looked at the possibilities for flexible and foldable displays.
 
Flexible and foldable displays have the ability to create larger displays in a smaller form factor, which is attractive to consumers. Young noted that seasonality is causing fluctuations in the present growth in flexible displays, which is primarily driven by Samsung.
 
“Flexible shipment growth due to Samsung and Apple was up to $67 million in Q4 2017 but down in Q1 2018,” Young said. “We expect growth in Q3 and Q4. Samsung has 94% of revenues. Smart phones and smart watches are the two apps buying flexible displays, with smart phones 88% by unit.”
 
Young noted that with the launch of iPhone X, expectations were very high for flexible OLEDs, adding that OLED supply chain stocks surged. There are key advantages for flexible OLEDs.
 
“Flexible OLED are lighter and thinner than rigid OLED or LTPS LCD displays, but LCD suppliers have reduced their bezels,” Young noted. “Price is the biggest impediment – flexible OLEDs cost four times more than LTPS, and three times more than rigid OLEDs. Rigid OLED is closing the gap. Flexible OLED prices are going to come down in the second half of 2018.” Young estimated prices at $58 for flexible OLED, $24 for rigid OLED and $21 for LTPS LCD.
 
Young said that it will take some time for flexible OLEDs to gain in the market.
 
“For flexible OLED utilization to grow, it needs more competition and lower prices, and for designers to take advantage for form factor – curved, convex, concave, edge and rollable.
 
Foldable displays are a more intriguing area, as displays could theoretically double in size. There are some challenges ahead, beginning with encapsulation and the how the screen handles being folded.
 
“Foldable would allow for larger displays and smaller form factor, and could go to 7, 8 or 9 inches, and would be unbreakable, which consumers should love,” Young observed. “Folding a display creates strain and stress. All the layers above the TFT stack will need to get thinner.
 
“Foldable brings with it many challenges, primarily for materials suppliers,” he added. “The two biggest challenges for foldable are cover films and OCA. To achieve hardness requires a thicker film, but they need to be thinner, and they need to feel like glass. If the OCA material – the adhesive material –fails to be foldable or delaminates or wrinkles, it is a non-starter.”
 
Outside of smart phones, the automotive market is an interesting possibility for flexible displays.
 
“Designers will be able to shape automotive displays to convex or concave,” Young pointed out. “There is a lot of opportunity for automotive. However, heat and temperature range are issues. Most analysts expect this market to grow in 2020 and 2021.”
 
Young added that it appears that foldable display production will begin later this year. As for the future, Young believes that OLED displays will overtake LCD by 2021, and flexible will overtake rigid then.
 
“Once these challenges are conquered, they have the potential to invigorate many existing markets and take over much of the entire display market, as new form factors are required to achieve differentiation,” Young concluded.