According to South Korea’s The Elec, industry sources are saying, Apple’s mixed reality (MR) device OLEDoS (OLED on Silicon) display is expected to be solely supplied by Sony for the foreseeable future. OLEDoS is a technology that deposits OLED on silicon substrates, applicable to microdisplays around 1 inch in size. Although LG Display was anticipated to supply the OLEDoS for Apple, that seems unlikely because LG Display has yet to place an order for the equipment needed to build an OLEDoS production line. It was expected that LG Display would place orders for the required production equipment by the third quarter of last year, but there is nothing happening on that front right now. LG Display’s financial struggles are believed to be the reason. The company’s investment in OLEDoS has been estimated at 100-200 billion won ($76-152 million).
Samsung Display is currently producing OLEDoS samples, however they are aimed at supplying Samsung Electronics’ mobile experience (MX) division, but there is no word on when Samsung’s MR will launch. Apple has had to push back its own MR headset launch on numerous occasions. Apple and Samsung are locked in competition on many fronts, and when it comes to MR devices, they are both friend and foe. Apple’s plans to use ‘WOLED+CF’ technology OLEDoS for its displays, which forms a color filter (CF) on white (W) OLED. LG Display has also been researching and developing a similar technology . The OLEDoS samples that Samsung Display is testing for Samsung Electronics also use the WOLED+CF method.
Samsung Display has Apple in mind as it develops RGB method OLEDoS, which deposit red (R), green (G), and blue (B) pixels adjacent to each other on the same layer. The RGB method OLEDoS has a higher technical difficulty than Apple’s choice of WOLED+CF’ technology OLEDoS for its displays, which forms a color filter (CF) on white (W) OLED. Samsung Display uses a Fine Metal Mask (FMM) to deposit RGB pixels. Some argue that there is no need to develop the RGB method OLEDoS since the WOLED+CF method OLEDoS can achieve the 3500 PPI (Pixels Per Inch) display density Apple seems to be aiming for. It may take more than 3-4 years for the RGB method OLEDoS to reach mass production. So, Sony is expected to be the primary supplier of OLEDoS for Apple’s MR devices for a few few years.
