ANN/THE KOREA HERALD – On Monday, leading manufacturers in the display and chemical industries LG Display and LG Chem proudly announced their successful in-house production of p-type dopants, which is a vital component for manufacturing organic light-emitting diode displays, reducing the previous reliance on imported supplies.
This progress is in line with LG Display’s continuous commitment to bolstering the domestic production ecosystem for advanced OLED displays. In the past year, the company increased its sourcing of materials from local affiliates and other domestic suppliers, raising the proportion from 58 per cent in the previous year to 64 per cent.
Dopants serve as additives within light-emitting layers to alter their electronic characteristics. Among these additives, the p-type dopant plays a critical role in maintaining the uniformity of OLED light emission, extending the lifespan of devices, and lowering power consumption in displays. Nonetheless, the development of specific variations of p-type dopants has posed significant challenges due to their susceptibility to degradation in the presence of air.
The development comes from a decade of collaboration between the two companies. LG Display contributed its proficiency in material design and performance validation, while LG Chem was responsible for synthesis and production. Their combined efforts resulted in a material that matches the efficiency and performance of its previously imported counterparts.
“Since the release of the world’s first 55-inch OLED TV panel in 2013, we have focused on utilizing our accumulated expertise to develop core materials in-house,” said Yoon Soo-young, chief technology officer and vice president at LG Display.
The importance of securing p-type dopants locally becomes even more pronounced for tandem OLEDs, a next-generation design that stacks multiple OLED layers to produce a notable improvement in brightness and life span. P-type dopants facilitate a seamless movement of positive charges in each OLED unit, ensuring they consistently meet with negative counterparts.
By producing p-type dopants on its own, LG Display aims to achieve a more reliable supply chain, safeguard its patents and maintain its leading position in the global OLED market. According to market research firm Omdia, LG commanded a dominant 54.6 per cent share in the global OLED TV market by total shipments in the first quarter of 2023, followed by Sony at 26.1 per cent and Samsung at 6.1 per cent.
In terms of real-world application, LG Display plans to integrate the new material across a spectrum of OLED panel sizes in the future.
“Our experience in OLED mass production has informed our ongoing efforts in developing in-house materials and components and sourcing them locally, which differentiates us in the OLED market strategy,” said senior vice president and head of the large display business unit at LG Display Lee Hyun-woo.
