UBI Research says that the OLED emitter materials market grew 17% from 2014 to 2015. Universal Display was the largest supplier in revenue terms, but experienced a decrease in sales – as did Dow Chemical and LG Display. However, sales were up at Novaled, Idemitsu Kosan and Samsung SDI.
Idemitsu was ranked in fourth in 2014, but jumped to second place in 2015. This is due to a new deal to supply blue emitters to Samsung Display, and an increase in LG’s OLED TV business.
Korean companies Dow Chemical and Duksan Neolux were affected by supply changes at Samsung Display – although, in contrast to Idemitsu, their sales fell as a result. Samsung SDI recorded a sales increase, however, and entered the top five. Samsung SDI supplies Samsung Display with a green host.
Germany’s Novaled, acquired by Samsung (and then Samsung affiliate Cheil) last year, recorded the highest revenue growth: approximately 150%. This was largely due to the increase in mass production of OLED panels for TVs.
UBI predicts that LG Display’s OLED TV mass production line operation rate, and Samsung’s Galaxy Note series’ (to be mass produced in the second half of 2016) material structure, will have the largest impact on OLED emittting materials companies this year.
