As Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese companies gradually exit the LCD industry, Chinese panel manufacturers have become the global leaders, particularly in the large-size TV LCD panel market. According to data from Omdia, the top three companies, including BOE, TCL CSOT, and HKC, hold over 70% of the market share. In the 100-inch and larger ultra-large-size LCD TV segment, Chinese panel brands dominate nearly 100% of the market.
TCL CSOT’s OLED and Micro LED Development
In addition to LCD, OLED and Micro LED technologies are considered by industry experts as next-generation products leading the development of future display technology. Different companies have varying strategies in the display technology sector. Still, many, including Samsung, have adopted a combined approach of OLED for small-to-medium sizes and Micro LED for larger sizes such as TVs. Similarly, BOE has deeply invested in Micro LED technology by acquiring HC Semitek and has also built an 8.6-generation AMOLED production line.
TCL CSOT, as a leading player in China’s display industry, has made significant achievements in Quantum Dot Technology and has actively pursued OLED and Micro LED innovations. Unlike traditional OLED manufacturing processes used by Japanese and Korean companies, TCL CSOT has chosen an alternative route: printed OLED. This approach involves using inkjet printing technology to precisely print organic light-emitting materials onto OLED displays. In November 2024, TCL CSOT began mass production of printed OLED technology. Regarding Micro LED, TCL CSOT’s parent company, TCL, launched a Micro LED giant screen TV product in early 2024.
Future Trends in LCD, OLED, and Micro LED Technologies
Industry leaders have different views on the future of LCD, OLED, and Micro LED. TCL’s founder and chairman, Li Dongsheng, believes that no technology has yet fully replaced LCD in large-screen displays. Zhao Bin, TCL CSOT’s Vice President and General Manager of the R&D Center, stated in a media interview that over the next 10 years, the display industry will see various technologies coexisting, including LCD, OLED, and Micro LED, which will each dominate specific product segments.
Micro LED’s Path to Commercialization Still Long
Regarding the future of printed OLED technology, Zhao Bin emphasized that TCL CSOT would continue to push forward with this field, enhancing technology iteration and upgrades. The company has planned penetration routes from medical displays to high-end monitors, mainstream laptops, and smartphones for small-size applications.
As for Micro LED technology, particularly glass-level Micro LED, Zhao Bin believes the commercialization of Micro LED still faces significant hurdles, as it is currently in the early stages of development and will take several more years to truly become a commercial product. TCL CSOT is focusing on overcoming four critical technical challenges: LED chip miniaturization, increased luminous efficiency, transfer bonding technology, backplane materials processing, and driving and compensation algorithm optimization.
Micro LED is seen as a strong competitor among next-generation display technologies due to its high brightness, high contrast, low power consumption, long lifespan, and the potential for displays of any size or form. However, commercialization faces substantial challenges, including the manufacturing of micron-level LED chips, efficient transfer, precise alignment, and the integration of drive circuits. Despite these challenges, TCL CSOT has made significant breakthroughs, achieving partial leadership in chip development, transfer, and bonding processes. TCL CSOT‘s Xiamen Extremely PQ Display Technology Co., Ltd. Pilot Line completed construction in October 2024 and is scheduled to begin small-scale trial production in 2025.
Extremely PQ Display is a joint venture between TCL CSOT and San’an Optoelectronics, two industry giants in the LED field. The partnership, formed in 2020, aims to accelerate the commercialization of Micro LED technology, focusing on Micro LED transfer bonding technology development. With the combined expertise and resources of both companies, Extremely PQ Display is positioned to overcome technological bottlenecks and drive Micro LED technology toward industrialization.
Promising Future for Micro LED
Micro LED technology still faces challenges related to massive transfer and high-precision substrates. PCB substrates struggle to achieve linewidths below 50 microns, which creates a serious mismatch with the 50-micron size required for Micro LED. However, two potential solutions are emerging: MIP packaging technology, which packages Micro LED as standalone devices to overcome the mismatch, and glass-based substrates, where AM drive glass can directly match Micro LED chip-level packaging, reducing the number of industry steps and offering a theoretical cost advantage.
In the realm of Micro LED giant screen TVs, aside from TCL’s Micro LED giant screen TV 163″X11H Max, Samsung has achieved Micro LED coverage for several mainstream consumer sizes, including 38-inch, 76-inch, 89-inch, 101-inch, 110-inch, and 114-inch models. Leyard has also launched 108-inch, 110-inch, 135-inch, and 163-inch Micro LED products, while LG has introduced 118-inch and 136-inch models.
Micro LED Commercialization Progress and Industry Developments
In the Micro LED commercial project field, Unilumin Technology is expanding MIP production capacity to 6,000K/month by the end of 2024 in Daya Bay and Zhongshan, advanced manufacturing bases. Other industry leaders, including AOTO Electronics, Absen, BOE, and Hisense, are also focusing on cultivating new growth points.
As Micro LED technology continues to make breakthroughs, its commercial application is rapidly approaching. In the future, Micro LED will find widespread applications in TVs, monitors, in-vehicle displays, wearables, and smart home devices, offering users a richer, more diverse, and intelligent visual and interactive experience.
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