On November 6, Tianma Microelectronics shared its latest research breakthroughs with global partners in display innovation. During a media event with Tianma’s senior leadership in R&D, technology, and product management, key updates were provided on Tianma’s newest developments, including its large-size Micro LED displays and related strategies.
Key Highlights:
- Analysis of Tianma’s return to profitability in Q3.
- Tianma’s current status and outlook in the competitive automotive display market.
- Update on the progress and layout of Tianma’s 8.6-generation production line.
- Technical know-how in seamless splicing of Micro LED displays.
- Future planning and development strategy for Micro LED production.
Senior Tianma representatives featured in the discussion included:
- Qin Feng: General Manager of Tianma Microelectronics R&D Center and Director of the Micro-LED Research Institute.
- Liu Jinquan: General Manager of Automotive Business, China, at Tianma Microelectronics.
- Xi Ke Rui: Vice Director of the Micro-LED Research Institute at Tianma Microelectronics.
- Chen Long: Director of EL Technology Development, OLED R&D Center, Tianma Microelectronics.
- Li Xiaohe: Director of Automotive Display R&D Technology, Tianma Microelectronics.
- Huang Wei: Director of R&D, IT Business Division, Tianma Microelectronics.
- Tian Fan: Director of Technology Development, R&D Center, Tianma Microelectronics.
Q1: Tianma recently announced positive Q3 financials, achieving a turnaround in net profits. Could you elaborate on this performance?
Qin Feng: Overall, our financial performance was robust, reflecting the results of strategic product structure adjustments and multiple cost-optimization initiatives. Our AMOLED operations have been particularly impactful, with the Wuhan TM17 production line reaching single-quarter gross margin profitability, which has substantially contributed to our earnings growth. Additionally, our automotive display business has demonstrated strong momentum over recent quarters, bolstering our financial outcomes.
In sum, these combined efforts have yielded a favorable financial outcome for Q3.
Q2: The automotive display market is booming with ample growth potential, but competition is intensifying. What are the current dynamics in this market, and how might they evolve?
Liu Jinquan: The automotive display sector indeed holds tremendous potential, drawing significant interest from various industry players. However, only a few companies possess the strength to compete effectively. Tianma, with its deep-rooted expertise and robust global presence, stands as a key player in this space.
Future competition will likely intensify across multiple dimensions. Industry shifts in Japan, South Korea, mainland China, and Taiwan underscore this trend. Companies capable of establishing a strong brand presence will be limited, as the display sector demands high levels of technology, investment, and skilled talent.
From a Tier 1 perspective, automotive OEMs and suppliers are deeply involved. While the market is rapidly evolving and competition intensifies, we expect that, over time, the sector will achieve a healthier, more orderly equilibrium—a process that may require patience.
Q3: How has Tianma’s automotive business performed in the first three quarters, and when can we expect new technologies to be applied in mass production for vehicle models?
Liu Jinquan: Our automotive business has shown remarkable growth in the first three quarters. While the financial report doesn’t detail each segment, the overall growth rate has been impressive. Specifically, our LTPS product has achieved a growth rate of about 250%. Additionally, our HUD technology’s market share has jumped from 20% last year to over 30%, reflecting its accelerating adoption.
Amid the rapid expansion of the domestic EV market, many new, high-profile models have chosen Tianma’s display solutions, bolstering our automotive business.
The new technologies we unveiled this year have already been integrated into several development projects, with some even entering the mass production phase. We are actively engaging with more customers to apply these technologies in future projects, aiming to expand our market presence and reinforce our technological influence.
Q4: What are the technological challenges in the smart interior technology industry, and what advantages does Tianma have?
Fan Tian: The challenges are twofold. First, balancing power consumption with display integration. High-transparency materials are typically chosen for their lower light loss, but this comes at the expense of display integration, as increased transparency can make frame edges more visible. The second challenge is balancing display quality with module thickness. Decorative materials often contain patterns, which can cause localized brightness variations, affecting mura display quality. To address this, local dimming technology like Mini LED backlighting is used with decorative materials, but this adds to the module thickness.
Having invested in smart interiors for years, Tianma’s first and second-generation technologies won the SID People Choice Award two years in a row. In this newly released third-generation technology, we use higher-transparency materials along with proprietary thin, efficient local dimming technology, optimizing design, materials, algorithms, and processes. This solution not only achieves higher brightness, lower power consumption, and clearer image quality but also reduces thickness, allowing for greater flexibility in interior design under the backdrop of vehicle digitization.
Q5: With the increasing number of intelligent sensors in vehicles to enhance convenience and comfort, how can Tianma improve the in-car display experience?
Xiaohe Li: The automotive industry is in the smart era, integrating more smart functions. As a leader in automotive displays, Tianma leverages its panel resources to provide exceptional solutions. First, we have innovatively integrated ambient light sensors into the panel, avoiding the need for external setups that could impact narrow-bezel aesthetics, while enhancing adaptive color temperature sensing for a more comfortable smart cockpit. Additionally, by integrating NFC capabilities with FPC on the module, we achieve external-equivalent performance without added space, maintaining the narrow bezel experience and significantly reducing external circuit costs.
Q6: Many companies are investing in 8.6G production lines. What is Tianma’s strategy and progress in this area?
Wei Huang: Our product line covers sizes from 10-inch tablets to 34-inch monitors, and most medium and large-size products are now moving to the 8.6G line. Previously, these products were primarily manufactured on 6G LTPS lines. Our 8.6G line employs a-Si (amorphous silicon) and oxide technology, optimizing glass cutting efficiency to meet the demands of the mid-to-large market, offering significant advantages for such applications.
Technologically, we focus on cost control and pushing the limits of a-Si, while oxide technology targets high resolution, high refresh rates, and ultra-low frequency. By leveraging industry insights alongside state-of-the-art equipment and processes, we have established a clear competitive edge in this domain. Our strategy is to dedicate the 8.6G line to medium-to-large size products, while most tablet and some notebook products will remain on existing LTPS lines. Currently, several 8.6G products are under development, and certain LTPS line products are also transitioning to the G8.6 production line.
Q7: Today, Tianma launched a major new Micro LED product. What were the technical challenges, and how did Tianma overcome them? What’s the status of the Micro LED production line, and what are the future development plans?
Kerri Xi: Today, we launched our seamless Micro LED display, achieving zero-bezel display effects. This was made possible by two key innovations.
First, we used Tianma’s proprietary GOA (Gate on Active Area) backplane drive technology, incorporating negative bezel design, which drastically reduced bezel width and enabled seamless cabinet-to-cabinet connections.
Second, unlike traditional side-wiring methods, Tianma independently developed a 3D side-wiring technique, tripling efficiency and cutting costs by approximately one-third.
The product on display is a development-stage sample, and we’ve completed the development phase successfully. Moving forward, we’ll focus on iterative improvements to enhance performance and quality. Next year, we plan to release even more impressive seamless displays with our partners, offering a fresh visual experience to the market.
Regarding Tianma’s Micro LED production line, we expect to finalize all process integration by year’s end, fully aligning the entire production chain. Next year, we’ll focus on improving yield and production efficiency based on actual line performance. Our current target is to achieve small-batch deliveries by the end of 2025, driving sustained growth and innovation in this sector.
Q8: At this event, Tianma also introduced the “Ling” ultra-narrow bezel display. What’s the industry status of this product, and what are the plans for mass production?
Long Chen: The ultra-narrow bezel technology we just launched is currently industry-leading, with the top bezel as thin as 1mm, and side and bottom bezels at 1.2mm, providing an industry-leading screen-to-body ratio. Following the technology’s full development in November, mass production will begin based on customer requirements.
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