Samsung plans to convert its 5.5-generation line into a glass-based Micro OLED production line.

According to South Korean media reports, Samsung Display plans to establish a pilot production line for Micro OLEDs based on glass substrates at its Asan factory in South Chungcheong Province. Specifically, the company plans to upgrade the 5.5-generation four-segment cutting equipment at its A2 factory.

Currently, the A2 plant has a 5.5-generation (1300×1500 mm) glass substrate TFT panel production line, which can divide the substrate into four pieces (650×750 mm) and perform organic material deposition. Samsung Display plans to upgrade this production line to produce Micro OLEDs.

Micro OLED, also known as silicon-based OLED, is a technology that uses a monocrystalline silicon substrate instead of a traditional glass substrate and employs organic light-emitting technology to achieve high-quality displays. With its advantages such as high pixel density and resolution, fast response time, and no need for complex packaging, Micro OLED shows great potential in cutting-edge applications such as AR/VR.

The market interest in Micro OLED technology continues to rise, especially following the release of Apple's Vision Pro. This year, numerous manufacturers, including Transsion, Meizu, VITURE, Thunderbird Innovation, DJI, TCL, Skyworth, and ASUS, have launched AR glasses based on Micro OLED technology. Meanwhile, Samsung plans to launch a new XR headset in 2025, which is expected to utilize a Micro OLED screen.

In recent years, Samsung Display has become increasingly active in the Micro OLED field. Last May, Samsung announced the acquisition of Micro OLED microdisplay company eMagin for $218 million, and completed the acquisition in October of the same year. eMagin's direct patterning (dPd) technology can significantly improve the brightness and luminous efficiency of microdisplays, which has played an important role in promoting the development of Micro OLED technology.

In August of this year, Samsung showcased a 1.3-inch full-color Micro OLED microdisplay using WOLED technology at the K Display exhibition. The brightness reached 1200 nits and the pixel density reached 4000 PPI.