Display manufacturers such as Samsung SDI and LG.Philips LCD (LPL) have been locking horns for the expansion of investment into the active-matrix organic light emitting diodes (AM OLED) industry.

Samsung SDI said on Sunday it is engaged in the second phase of investment to sharpen its AM OLED lines.
The move is intended to double monthly production capacity to 3 million units this year from the current 1.5 million by cutting costs,’’ a Samsung SDI spokesperson said.

Samsung SDI had invested some 477.5 billion won in its AM OLED plant in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, and said in October last year that it would double monthly output capacity of the displays this year.
LPL, which recently merged AM OLED lines from LG Electronics, also plans to confirm its investment in AM OLEDs in the first half.

We are considering building a new plant for AM OLEDs. The announcement will be made no later than June,’’ a spokesperson from LPL said.

A recent decision to change the company name to LG Displays reflects our goals for a bigger presence in the next-generation display market,’’ the official said.

Samsung Electronics has joined the trend by establishing the test line for AM OLED television panels with the mass production date slated for 2009.

As previously declared, we will focus on the 20-inch AM OLED panel. The test line aims to review the possibility in the larger size panel before the mass production,’’ a spokesperson from Samsung Electronics said.

Source: Korea Times