Universal Display Eyes 2022 Printing ‘Milestone’ for Large OLED TV Panels

OLED materials and technology supplier Universal Display continues to make “excellent progress” in its “ongoing development work” to commercialize a blue phosphorescent system for large-screen TVs, said CEO Steve Abramson on a Q4 investor call Thursday. The R&D work yielded “advancements” in Universal’s prototype organic vapor jet printing (OVJP) technology for high-yield production of “maskless, solventless, dry direct printing of large-area OLED panels,” he said. The OVJP subsidiary that Universal created July 14 “is focused on scaling our novel technology platform into a commercial equipment system,” he said. The team’s first “milestone” is to develop an alpha prototype system, “anticipated to be ready during 2022,” he said. “We are seeing strong interest from customers and potential partners for our OVJP technology.” Universal expects to increase R&D spending by 25% this year, including “a significant investment in OVJP development,” said Chief Financial Officer Sid Rosenblatt. “We're hiring the teams right now” in California, said Abramson, suggesting Universal will remain quiet on OVJP progress until it achieves the alpha prototype milestone next year.