South Korean media outlet The Ele published a blog post on June 17 stating that Samsung is collaborating with Hansol Chemical to develop next-generation quantum dot (QD) TV panel technology, aiming to reduce manufacturing costs by simplifying the structure.
Samsung's current QLED TV screen uses a five-layer QD film design: "barrier film - PET substrate - quantum dot layer - PET substrate - barrier film". Two of the barrier films are mainly responsible for moisture and oxygen protection, but they account for 40% of the overall cost.
To reduce manufacturing costs, Samsung collaborated with Hansol Chemical to develop a three-layer design: "PET substrate-quantum dot layer-PET substrate," which directly removes the barrier film, leaving only the PET substrate and quantum dot layer. This simplifies the production process, but the core quantum dot layer will be exposed to the external environment, facing the risk of moisture and oxygen corrosion.
Image source: Paixin.com licensed image library
To address the protection issue, Samsung proposed an independent encapsulation solution for each quantum dot. By wrapping individual quantum dot particles, they are protected from environmental interference, thus replacing the protective function of traditional barrier films.
However, the key to this technology lies in achieving large-scale mass production at a lower cost. If the packaging cost cannot be lower than existing barrier film solutions, its technological advantages will be offset. Samsung has invested in research and development for many years, but the South Korean media outlet points out that it will still take a long time to move from the laboratory to mass production.
If Samsung successfully achieves a technological breakthrough, the cost of QD film is expected to decrease by approximately 40%, potentially driving down the overall manufacturing cost of QLED TVs. This will bring Samsung a triple advantage: increased profit margins, reduced costs for consumers, and enhanced competitiveness against other TV manufacturers. Analysts believe that the technology's implementation still faces challenges such as packaging process stability and mass production yield, and tangible results are unlikely to be seen in the short term. (Source: IT Home)
