Analysis

Flexible OLEDs in pipeline, says new IDTechEx report

10th October 2014
Mick Elliott
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OLED displays, sensors and conductive ink - make up 99% of the $23.97 billion market for printed, organic and flexible electronics according to a new report – Printed, Organic and Flexible Electronics 2014-2024 – published by IDTechEx. A snapshot of the market size in 2014 shown here highlights the range of enabling technologies involved are at very different points of maturity and profitability.

The largest segment so far is OLED displays, commercial now in cellphones, tablets and TVs, made using vacuum (non-printed) processes. The business has been growing strongly over the last few years due to the onslaught of competition in the LCD industry and therefore the need to differentiate. However, OLED TVs have failed to become a commercial success so far due to their high price but there is strong forward momentum.

Curved and eventually flexible OLEDs are key areas of development focus. Sensors comprise almost exclusively of glucose test strips, where the electrodes are printed. The glucose test strip market will experience growth in numbers but revenue growth is less certain as US Medicare intends to pressure suppliers to reduce cost.

Still, the margins until now have been excellent. Meanwhile many are developing other sensing solutions, from hybrid organic and CMOS inorganic image sensors to temperature sensors. The mainstay application of conductive ink has been PV bus bars and fingers, and despite the consolidated PV supplier base the volume growth in terms of PV wafers produced offsets the progress in reducing the ink consumption through better structures and process efficiencies. Secondly, as the touch panel market grows in consumer electronics it is driving demand for more conductive ink for the edge bezel electrodes.

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