KPS Enters Micro OLED Market for AR·VR... Partners with APS

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] KPS is entering the microOLED display market essential for the 'metaverse era' in AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality).

On the 20th, KPS and APS Holdings signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the 'development and supply of microOLED FMM (Fine Metal Mask) process equipment' and agreed to cooperate to secure a leading position in the AR·VR market. The formal contract is expected to be completed within two weeks from the receipt of the LOI.

APS Holdings is the lead organization for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's national project on 'microOLED display technology development for augmented reality' and is developing FMM using laser patterning technology.

KPS and APS Holdings plan to accelerate the production of microOLED displays with a resolution of 3000~4000 ppi (pixels per inch) for AR·VR through continuous technological cooperation.

Currently, displays for VR·AR apply the WOLED method, which coats white OLED with color filters, resulting in dark images and low immersion, causing significant eye fatigue during prolonged use. To realize vivid image quality in VR·AR devices, the PPI must be increased to the point where pixels are indistinguishable to the naked eye, with industry analysis indicating that commercialization requires exceeding at least 2000 PPI.

On the other hand, microOLED, called 'OLEDoS,' is a next-generation technology that significantly enhances resolution and image quality by directly depositing R (red), G (green), and B (blue) OLEDs on semiconductor wafers instead of glass substrates. For future metaverse platform construction, thin and small high-resolution screens under 1 inch are essential.

This contract is attracting attention because KPS will be the first in the world to introduce the nano-scale mass production process equipment 'NAS (Nano Mask Assembler),' which is indispensable for mass production of microOLED.

KPS is also accelerating the acquisition of next-generation (8G) OLED panel manufacturing technology. Global display companies are rushing to transition from existing 6th generation (substrate size 1500mm width x 1850mm length) small and medium-sized OLED panel manufacturing to 8th generation (2200mm width x 2500mm length).

In September, KPS filed patents for the 'FMM tension device' and 'FMM assembly manufacturing method' applicable to 8th generation OLED panels and began manufacturing 8th generation process equipment. These patents relate to inventions for accurately aligning and fixing the position of medium-to-large size FMMs, which are core technologies for the commercialization and mass production of large-screen OLED panel equipment.

Kim Hayong, CEO of KPS, said, “Since filing the patents, we have received continuous cooperation proposals from leading global display companies to secure the 8th generation OLED market,” and predicted, “A prototype can be released around the first half of next year.” He added, “Under these circumstances, it is encouraging to enter the microOLED market together with APS Holdings, a leading company in metaverse hardware,” emphasizing, “Along with the bio division’s new drug development, we will cultivate OLED ultra-precision process equipment as a growth engine for the company.”