AMOLED displays continue to increase their share of the overall display market, expected to reach about 11% this year and 22% in 2020. IHS says in a research note that, to support this growth, the AMOLED encapsulation material market will grow 76% this year, to a value of $111 million.
Encapsulation determines the lifespan of an AMOLED display, as the materials used are vulnerable to moisture and oxygen. IHS expects surface area encapsulation to rise 62% this year to 4 million m². Double-digit growth will continue, and area encapsulation will reach 13 million m² in 2020.
Three main types of encapsulation are used with AMOLED displays. They are glass (primarily used in small displays requiring a slim form factor); metal (used for many early AMOLED displays, now primarily for TVs); and thin-film (for flexible applications) encapsulation.
IHS’s Richard Son predicts that glass encapsulation will ‘dominate’ the market in 2016, with a 56% share of the total encapsulation market and a value of $62 million. However, rising demand for large displays like TVs will push metal encapsulation past glass, to reach a 53% share in 2017.
