Samsung Display could be procuring fine metal mask (FMM), which is used in the production of OLED panels, from South Korean firm Poongwon Precision, TheElec has learned.
If Poongwon’s FMM is approved for commercial use by Samsung Display, it could challenge Japan’s Dai Nippon Printing’s dominance in the FMM sector.
The Japanese company is currently the sole supplier of the key material and is the market leader.
Japan’s Toppan and Taiwan’s Darwin also supply FMMs to Chinese panel makers but they have significantly less share than Dai Nippon Printing in the sector.
Poongwon Precision had said it aims to secure revenue of 27.1 billion won from its FMM business.
To achieve this goal, the firm will need to win orders for FMM from Samsung Display for at least one smartphone OLED panel to be used in a commercial OLED smartphone model.
Poongwon Precision will need to offer FMM at level quality to Dai Nippon Printing while being cheaper, sources said.
Dai Nippon Printing’s FMM can be used for around 1,000 sessions of OLED deposition. FMM needs to maintain its precision through being used and reused.
The Japanese firm’s one sheet of FMM is also comprised of ten sticks, compared to competing products twelve sticks, making it more competitive. Each unit of FMM costs between 2 million won to 5 million won, depending on the resolution of the panel.
