FMM is a product used in the production process of OLED panels to tightly deposit red, green, and blue OLED sub pixels together.
Currently, all OLED panels used in commercial smartphones and smartwatches are manufactured using FMM during the production process, and DNP is the world's largest FMM supplier.
The FMM is made into a rod shape and multiple units are welded into a large frame to prevent sagging during use. They droop because they are very thin. These rods must be narrow so that they can be tightened when placed in the frame.
Due to these difficulties, people are increasingly concerned that FMM is not suitable for OLED panels in portable device applications exceeding 15 inches to 17 inches in size. A larger panel requires a larger FMM. Currently, the yield of 6-inch OLED panels produced by FMM is only around 30%, and larger panels will result in lower yield.
The OLED panel, which is around 30 inches larger in size, does not face this problem in cars, and the panel itself is narrow and long, unlike the TV panel. For OLED displays and TV panels, Samsung Display and LG Display currently use Open Metal Mask (OMM) instead of FMM, as they do not need to be as fine as smaller panels.
Therefore, the size of OLED panels ranging from 17 inches to 30 inches is a new field for display panel manufacturers, and the choice of production technology is also a considerable headache.
For the past five years, people have been discussing the production of OLED panels without using FMM, and last year JDI's eLEAP technology increased people's interest. This year, Japan Semiconductor Energy Laboratory (SEL) also applied for patents related to the production of OLED panels without the use of FMM.
In May of this year, JDI and SEL presented their technology at the SID conference. Sources said that SEL employees visited Samsung Display and explained their technology. Another source stated that unlike other manufacturers, the prototype displayed by SEL during the meeting did not show any defects. It is reported that the packaging process of SEL is different from the order of other manufacturers. SEL is packaged after the photolithography process, while JDI first performs the packaging process.
Traditionally, photolithography may involve wet etching, so packaging is first carried out to avoid exposure to water and oxygen. But sources say SEL uses a special material to prevent OLED pixels from being exposed to water and oxygen.
Samsung Display insiders say the company has shown interest in such technologies but is also concerned about the obstacles they face. One of them is to obtain exclusive rights to them, which will be difficult. Samsung is more willing to fully control the market by obtaining all relevant patents and technologies when entering new markets, in order to prevent competitors from entering.