The world’s largest electronics company Samsung Electronics has diversified its Micro-LED supply chain to include Taiwan’s Epistar Corp., according to industry sources on Mar. 3.
The move appears to be aimed at upholding Samsung’s pledge to launch Micro-LED TVs in the latter half of this year, the sources added. Micro-LED panels have self-illuminating pixels, thereby providing better resolution and higher clarity
Up until 2019, Samsung had depended on only PlayNitride and Sanan Optoelectronics for Micro-LED chips, which are cited as next generation display light source technology for using less power while boasting better color reproduction. At 100 ㎛, they also only measure at one-tenth of LEDs. The only downside is the price, as currently, a single Micro-LED TV would cost as much as KRW 100 million.
Prices need to go way down in order to pursue commercialization, according to market watchers. This would require stable sources of Micro-LED chips.
At the Samsung First Look event held in Las Vegas in January this year, Samsung unveiled four models of its Micro-LED TV lineup measuring 75 inches, 88 inches, 93 inches and 110 inches. It called them ‘modular-based displays’ that are faced with absolutely no limits to bezels, size, screen ratio and resolution.
Samsung plans to commercially launch all four types in areas such as Europe, North America and the Middle East. In 2019, Samsung had unveiled just one type of Micro-LED TV.
The South Korean tech giant is also developing Micro-LED displays using laser technology. As Samsung continues to move toward Micro-LED TVs, related display set makers may also start to actively develop related technology, said market sources.
The Elec is South Korea’s No.1 tech news platform.
