Philoptics to produce Gen 6 FMM soon

Laser equipment maker Philoptics will begin producing samples of fine metal masks (FMM) for 6th-generation organic light emitting diode (OLED), the South Korean company said on Monday.

FMM is used to deposit OLED materials on to the substrate. The OLED materials must not sag or expand from heat when deposited. 

Dai Nippon Printing controllers over 90% market share globally in FMM. Invar for FMM is also exclusively supplied by Hitachi Metal.

Philoptics and three other companies are working on a national project to localize the production of FMM. The project kicked off in May.

The South Korean display panel and battery production equipment maker will be providing the samples made using the electroforming plating process. Philoptics claim the process can make FMM thinner than the 20 to 30 micrometers of the etching process used by Dai Nippon Printing. This will be an advantage in high resolution patterning, the South Korean company said.

The company secured to the technology for the plating process last year.

Philoptics said the technology was also best in terms of saving cost to offer a competitive product.

The company and APS Holdings are pushing non-etching processes. Poongwon Precision and Olum Material are developing etching processes for FMM.

Only two companies will remain on the project by the end of the year at the earliest __ one working on non-etching and another working on etching. Unlike Philoptics, APS Holdings use laser patterning for its non-etching process.