Korea’s Innox Advanced Materials to supply Samsung Display

South Korean manufacturer Innox Advanced Materials (IAM) will begin to supply the back plate film for Samsung Display’s flexible OLED panels, according to industry sources on June 14.

Back plate film is an adhesive attached to the rear surface of a flexible display to serve as a reinforcement plate. What it does is prevent panels from curling.

IAM has actually been supplying Samsung Display since last year. Previously, Japan’s Nitto Denko – a firm listed on the Tokyo stock exchange since 1967 – had been the sole supplier.

Experts say that with the deal, IAM – a Kosdaq-listed firm that was spun off from Innox Corp. – has proven its ability to compete against heavyweights like Nitto Denko. For the Samsung unit, it has secured a second supplier.

IAM is also supplying LG Display with encapsulation film applied to OLED panels. Most panels require a type of film to keep the organic materials uncontaminated. In the case of the LG unit, it chose IAM’s film for both cost and performance given that they would be applied to larger displays, said those close to the matter.

Last July, when LG Display established its OLED manufacturing corporation in Guangzhou of Guangdong Province, IAM opened its encapsulation film plant in the same region.

Industry watchers believe when LG Display begins to mass produce panels from the Guangzhou OLED lines, IAM would benefit in tandem.

Meanwhile, in March this year, LG Chem filed a lawsuit against its panel tech rival Innox Advanced Materials for infringing its film patents. LG Chem is a rival to IAM that also supplies panel encapsulation film to LG Display.