Poongwon Precision Announced the preparation for mass production of the 8th generation OLED FMM

Recently, Korean media reported that Poongwon Precision is preparing to mass production of a fine metal mask (FMM) for the eighth generation of organic light-emitting diode (OLED), so it has attracted much attention.

Recently, South Korean media reported that Poongwon Precision is preparing to mass production of a fine metal mask (FMM) for the eighth generation of organic light-emitting diode (OLED), so it has attracted much attention.

Poongwon Precision Announced that it has recently completed the introduction and installation of the eighth-generation OLED FMM manufacturing equipment. From August last year, the company introduced the eighth generation of exposure machines, etching machines, photomasks, aligners, coating machines, inspection machines and other production infrastructure. This is the first time that Poongwon Precision has manufactured an FMM for the 8th generation OLED. The company has previously focused on commercializing the sixth-generation FMM.

The Poongwon Precision engineer is inspecting the equipment

The company official said: ” Since there is no precedent for producing the eighth generation at home or abroad, we have adopted a strategy of co-development with major equipment manufacturers.

FMM is an essential core component for OLED panel manufacturing. The role of FMM is to help deposit OLED organic materials to form display pixels, which is technically difficult and mass production, and requires tens of millions of holes of 20 to 30 microns (㎛) drilled into a thin metal plate.

At present, Japan Printing (DNP) is monopolizing the global FMM market, and latecomers cannot easily enter the market.

Poongwon Precision Has been involved in FMM development since 2018 and is currently developing the FMM for the 6th generation OLED and evaluating its performance. While OLED still has problems, significant progress has been made in commercialization. Poongwon Precision Aiming at a price-competitive alternative demand.

Display generation means size. The higher the generation, such as 6 or 8, the larger the substrate for the display. In general, the larger the substrate, the more panels can be cut at a time, thus increasing productivity. That’s why the development of eighth-generation OLED processes is so popular.

As Samsung Display, LGDisplay and BOE prepare to produce the 8th generation OLED, whether Poongwon Precision can surpass DNP to achieve localization in South Korea has attracted much attention. If Poongwon Precision successfully develops and supplies the 8th generation FMM, it will achieve significant technical results, as there is no case of 8-generation OLED commercialization.

The Poongwon Precision also said it plans to diversify its supply chain to improve product quality and production in preparation for mass production. For example, in order to produce FMM in Korea, the raw materials obtained by rolling Yin Steel must be used, which is a key material. Poongwon Precision Increase the number of existing Yin steel suppliers and rolling companies from two to five. Yin Gang, in particular, has realized the diversification of its supply chain through many countries such as Japan and Europe. An Poongwon Precision official said, ” This year, we will complete the AMOLED FMM manufacturing technology development task through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and continuously improve the integrity of the product.”