JOLED Inc., the company formed in 2015 by combining the OLED display development divisions of Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp., will establish JOLED Nomi Site in Nomi City, Ishikawa Prefecture on July 1, aiming at starting mass production of printed OLED displays by 2020.

With a monthly production capability of approximately 20,000 glass substrates of size G5.5 (1300x1500mm), the Nomi Site is planned to become JOLED's main production site. It will be producing mid-size (10- to 32-inch) printed OLED displays for automotive and high-end monitors.

The printing method, which is one of the methods for manufacturing OLED displays, is a technology in which OLED materials are applied to the substrate through a printing technique to form an electroluminescent (EL) layer. Due to the simplicity of the production process, JOLED expects that this technology will be easily adaptable to OLED production in various screen sizes. JOLED plans to popularize its printed OLED displays in the medium-sized OLED market in which the current mainstream chemical vapor deposition method is considered difficult to use.

JOLED opened a pilot line (substrate size: G4.5 [730x920mm]) at Ishikawa Technology Development Center in 2016. Currently, 21.6-inch 4K high-resolution OLED displays produced at this pilot line are being shipped for use in medical and high-end monitors. Later, in December 2017, JOLED began shipment of its first product, the 21.6-inch 4K OLED display. This one was used in the ASUS ProArt PQ22UC monitor.

JOLED Nomi Site will be established in the location of the previous Japan Display's Nomi Plant acquired from Innovation Network Corporation of Japan. In addition to maximizing the use of existing facilities, a new OLED production line will be intalled in a new building.

Overview of JOLED Nomi Site

Date of establishment: July 1, 2018
Location: 1-47, Iwauchimachi, Nomi City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Site area: Approximately 100,000㎡
Floor area: 104,000㎡, five stories (after completion of new building)
Start of production: 2020
Production line: Printed OLED displays (substrate size G5.5 [1300x1500mm])
Production capability: 20,000 sheets/month (based on glass substrate input)