Blue-Emissive OLED is ‘Significant’ Revenue Opportunity: Universal Display

Top Universal Display executives on a Q1 earnings call Thursday stood by claims they made on their February call that introduction of the first phosphorescent blue emissive OLED commercial products is possible in 2024 (see 2202240001). The company is “on track to meet preliminary target specs with our phosphorescent blue by year-end,” said CEO Steven Abramson.

Universal believes “the commercial introduction of our full-color emissive stack will unlock a vast array of opportunities for higher energy efficiency and higher performance across a broad range of OLED applications,” said Abramson. But the company is turning aside all questions about the financial implications, except to say the opportunity will be huge and will have been a long time in development.

Universal’s short-term focus is on meeting its blue-emissive target specs by the end of this year as the prelude to a 2024 commercial launch, said Abramson in reply to a question about the 2023 and 2024 implications to Universal’s financial model. “We believe it's going to be a significant new revenue opportunity,” he said. Universal may discuss “some stuff” about the financial opportunity in 2023, “but we think it's really going to be a 2024 event, and we think it's going to be significant,” he said.

There’s “very strong interest in the industry for our blue phosphorescence,” said Abramson. But questions about the timing and how customers plan to position blue in their product lineups are best left to Universal’s customers, “and our conversations with them are confidential,” he said. “The significant value of an all-phosphorescent stack is going to unlock a vast array of opportunities across a broad range of OLED applications from small to medium to large consumer products.”

Phosphorescent blue OLED will be “the gold standard for the foreseeable future” when it’s introduced in 2024, said Abramson. Blue phosphorescent “has been something the industry has been waiting for, for a long time,” he said. Customers are “very excited to be working with us on blue phosphorescence and working towards the commercialization efforts,” he said.

What was once just computer-generated imagery created for movies, foldable and rollable OLED displays “are now becoming a reality,” said Abramson. “The evolution of form factor in consumer electronics is just beginning.” OLEDs can be manufactured on glass, metal foil and plastic, said the CEO: “The versatility and flexibility of OLED is energizing the consumer market with new ideas, designs and products.”