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Displays of all sizes have been serving as an increasingly important platform for the acquisition and utilization of information in modern life, from TV, computers, handsets, automobiles, outdoor and indoor billboards. The continued advancement of computing power and information technology will lead to a total of 50 billion connected devices and a traffic flow of 44 zettabytes (1 zettabyte is 1 billion terabytes) by 2020. These forecasts highlight the growing demand and application possibilities for displays.

The 5G mobile technology currently under development is expected to be up and running by 2022 with greater and faster bandwidth, promising more effective and reliable networks. By that time, 4K high-resolution displays will be available for data and image transmission for drones and virtual reality applications. More technological breakthroughs are expected to bring more intelligence, interactivity and resolution.

Five Applications of Displays
Personalization, AR/VR, Smart Home, Automobiles and Infrastructure

It is envisioned that future network rollouts and display technology advances will move toward a ‘one Cloud and multiple screens’ user model. Information will be available to empower various applications and services over displays in different shapes and forms by connecting to the Cloud. The IEK believes that mobile phones and LCD TV will remain the key segments for the global display market by 2020. By that time, the worldwide shipment of handsets is expected to reach 2.27 billion units, and the accompanying market size for displays will be US$43.83 billion. Meanwhile, the global shipment of LCD TV sets is forecast to reach 280 million units, and the associated market size for displays will be US$47.56 billion.

Other display applications will not account for a significant portion of the market, but will grow rapidly from a small base. For instance, the global shipment of OLED TV sets is expected to be only 12.1 million and the corresponding market size for displays will be approximately US$6.18 billion by 2020. Whilst this does not represent a big part of the TV or the display market, the CAGR is as high as 69.2%. Meanwhile, the smart watch market is expected to reach 90 million units per year and its display market will be US$880 million, at a CAGR of 19.7%. The market size for AR/VR will be 11.9 million units and its display market will be worth US$3.6 billion, at a CAGR of 14.6%.

The growing intelligence in automobiles is driving the rapid development of the auto electronics industry in infotainment, connectivity and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). Consumers have grown accustomed to accessing multimedia content and the Internet with smartphones, and this habit will be extended to in-vehicle screens. In fact, automotive displays are set to become the fourth most important display after TV, computer and handset. Consequently the development of the in-vehicle displays has become an important issue for ICT industry hardware and software manufacturers, OEMs, component makers and display producers.

The applications in the automotive and infrastructure markets continue to expand at a steady pace and as a result, the display markets serving these segments are expected to grow to US$7.4 billion and US$3.33 billion, respectively, by 2020. These projections and estimates highlight the demand potential of displays and the increasing diversity of applications in five domains, i.e. personalization (handsets, wearables and computers), AR/VR, Smart Home (e.g. TV), automotive and infrastructure. Different user cases and scenarios require different display technologies and create different values to consumers.

AR/VR promises a life-like virtual environment by blending in and interacting with reality. Both Oculus and HTC use the AMOLED screen manufactured by Samsung to meet the VR requirements for high resolution, high contrast, wide-viewing-angle, high responsiveness and low blue light (due to long usage hours and the close proximity to the eye).

Samsung’s 4K (2160*3840) AMOLED (806 ppi) display, which was showcased in Display Week 2016 in San Francisco, was specifically developed for AR. Meanwhile, Magic Leap achieves its MR technology with photonic light field chips. Whilst not disclosing much, Magic Leap indicated that this technology reflects light onto glass and then onto the retina of the user. Currently, it is largely being used for gaming, but will find its way to applications in education, healthcare, industry and sports once the 5G networks enable sufficient bandwidth and services. All these applications require high resolutions, low energy consumption, high transmission rates and innovative 3D projection systems.

Personalization and family applications have a longer history, and product requirements continue to evolve. Consumers demand bigger and higher quality in TV/computer monitors. They want their smartphones and wearables to be bendable, durable and foldable. Meanwhile, the development of network infrastructure and content services call for lightweight, compact, and energy efficient displays that are flexible, with high resolutions and offering wide color gamut. In fact, it is now necessary to integrate human-machine interface designs. Apple is expected to introduce a flexible AMOLED display for the iPhone in 2017, and this is expected to be a key technology over the next few years.    

JDI, a leading manufacturer in small-and-medium-sized displays, has been working to enhance the performance of its products for handsets by improving resolutions, touch panel functionality and narrow bezels. It is expected that displays will introduce more human-machine interactivity. The long-term trend is to integrate biosensors and biometrics such as retina, fingerprint and palm-print recognition. In short, displays will continue to serve as an essential input media.

Automotive and public applications involve a larger variety of user cases and scenarios. For example, sizes have to fit into the automotive interior, indoor or outdoor spaces. Special considerations are required for infotainment, public safety, smart retailing and the human-machine interface. Japan Display Inc. combines its LTPS technology and touch panel solutions for automotive applications by offering curved and shaped displays. Sharp’s IGZO panels have been used for free-form displays for automotive applications. This technology also allows for shape flexibility with its special drive circuit design. Conventional displays are rectangular because they require a minimal width for the bezel in order to accommodate the drive circuit, called the gate driver, around the perimeter of the screen's display area. With the Free-Form Display, the gate driver's function is dispersed throughout the pixels on the display area. This can significantly shrink the width of bezels and allow for bespoke shapes such as waves and circles. LG Display adopts a dual ladder strategy by offering both curved OLED and LCD panels in automotive and commercial applications. Displays for cars and public infrastructure have to accommodate harsher environments such as extreme temperatures and humidity. They have to be climate resistant, reliable, sturdy and outdoor visible. The continued development in ADAS and Smart City is set to drive further the demand for automotive and infrastructure displays.

In a nutshell, market sizing is a key factor. If applications are not attractive or the market is in a structural decline, it is not much use to promote any advanced technology. Many notebook brands are focusing on costs. The materials for new technologies and the capital for R&D and production are all key considerations for innovations in displays and for the manufacturers in Taiwan.

Timing of Technological Innovation
Flexible AMOLED, Micro LED and 3D Projection

A look at the display technologies currently under development reveals the key trends:

Flexible AMOLED that is light, thin, bendable and transparent boasts many advantages in wearables and AR/VR. However, circuit boards, optical films and touch panel components are also part of this innovation. Many manufacturers in Korea, Japan and China have been pushing to enhance the technology and production capabilities in flexible AMOLED. The global capacity is expected to grow significantly in 2018. Taiwanese companies are advised to pursue early ramp-ups, with the funding support from the government and leading handset brands, in order to achieve short time to market.

Micro LED, recently emerging as a promising technology in displays, has drawn much attention from research institutes around the world. Compared to flexible AMOLED, micro LED, which relies on semiconductor processes, has advantages in lifetime, energy efficiency, climate resilience, reliability and resolution. It is quick in response time, able to accommodate a wide range of temperatures, wide viewing angles and is able to integrate with a diverse range of sensors. Micro LED is not yet in mass production and there are still challenges in mass transfer (i.e. transferring different LEDs to large substrates), circuitry drivers, color switching, testing and evenness. Nonetheless, it shows great potential in wearables, automotive, aerospace, military applications and AR/VR.

3D projection is another innovation that has attracted significant venture capital. Magic Leap, a start-up in the U.S., has raised more than US$1.4 billion and is now valued at  US$4.5 billion. Google, Alibaba, Qualcomm and many famous venture capital firms are among the investors. Magic Leap’s technology creates the human perception of depth and 3D definition, rather than the all-clear images displayed on the screens of today. This display technology could also extend beyond gaming and consumer electronics to industrial, medical and military applications.