Thin-Film Encapsulation

Thin-Film Encapsulation

The Thin-Film Encapsulation (TFE) market is vital in the evolution of the next generation, flexible electronics including OLED display, organic photovoltaics (OPVs), and wearable electronics. TFE technology means that thin flexible layers can be used to shield vulnerable portions of electronics from moisture and oxygen which improves their mean time between failures and their output. The market is mainly driven by the higher demand of flexible OLED display, which is widely used for smart phones, tablet PC, foldable apparatus and other electronic products. The obvious advancement in flexible electronics and wearable electronics, and especially in the emerging regions of North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe has increased the necessitation for better encapsulation solutions. Moreover, dynamic development of multilayer deposition technologies and an increasing popularity of smart products contribute to the market growth of TFE solutions.

The Thin-Film Encapsulation Market is expected to grow at a robust CAGR of 15.7% during the forecast period, owing to the growing demand for Thin-Film Encapsulation across various sectors, including power electronics, RF amplifiers, and advanced communication systems. New technologies of inkjet printing have led to a revolutionizing concept in the TFE market, making it possible to manufacture TFE products more efficiently and on a large scale. For instance: Microdisplay manufacturer microOLED has received inkjet equipment for Sidtek from the inkjet printing firm of Unijet. The equipment is planned to be employed in the microOLED displays production by the Chinese company. In April 2023, LG Display began developing a new etching technology for OLED panels that will be supplied to Apple. The technology is being prepared by the company to launch a so-called hybrid OLED panel, which uses a glass substrate like a rigid OLED panel but uses thin-film encapsulation (TFE) like that of a flexible OLED panel. Conventional rigid OLED panels used two glass substrates but in a hybrid OLED panel the top glass substrate is replaced with TFE.

Future projections of TFE market’s growth The Asia Pacific region specifically, China and Japan are expected to be key players in the TFE market because of their leading position in the OLED display industry. Thus, government strategies such as China’s Made in China 2025 are promoting the investment in OLED and flexible electronics production and, consequently, increasing the need for TFE. Moreover, India launched the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme in 2021 for Semiconductor and Display manufacturing industries the country is likely to become an ideal location for TFE industries. Such governmental factors coupled with greater demand for next generation electronics are believed to drive the TFE market with APAC dominating the market.

• Based on Type, the market is categorized into Inorganic Layer, and Organic Layer. Among these, the Inorganic Layer has a significant market share for the year 2023. The major driver for the growth of inorganic layer segment is that in the Thin-Film Encapsulation the layer provides a superior barrier to both moisture and oxygen, which are vital for the safety of intricate electronics such as OLED displays and solar cells. Metal oxides, for instance, offer high density of coverage that provides devices, reliability and durability in the long-run. This need for OLED displays in mobile phones, televisions and wearables as well as the ever-expanding use of flexible electronics add to the increased usage of inorganic layers due to their superior protection.
• Based on Application, the Thin-Film Encapsulation market is divided into Flexible OLED Display, Flexible OLED Lightning, Thin-Film Photovoltaic, and Others. The Flexible OLED Display segment registered the highest revenue during the year 2023. The growth of the Flexible OLED Display segment is attributed to the emergence of innovative product offerings in the consumer electronics industry that is more flexible and foldable. Wild: Flexible OLED displays are being incorporated in smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices due to their capability to deliver higher image quality, lighter and thinner, and can be bent or folded without effect on its performance. Furthermore, with technology giants continuing the experiment with unique form factors in premium-tier gadgets like foldable smartphones, this drives this demand. Other factors include low power consumption in OLEDs as compared to other displays, broader spectrum and high contrast ratios which are highly desirable in electronics particularly in the high end.
• For a better understanding of the market adoption of the Thin-Film Encapsulation industry, the market is analyzed based on its worldwide presence in countries such as North America (U.S.A., Canada, and Rest of North America), Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Australia, and Rest of Asia-Pacific), Rest of World. The Thin-Film Encapsulation (TFE) market in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) is rapidly growing with China and Japan leading the region because of the growing investment in OLED technology and the booming electronics manufacturing industry. China, especially having invested heavily into OLED production and having domestic demands for flexible displays that are widely used in smartphones and TVs. Japan still remains as one of the leading nations in the field of R&D and innovations in various industries particularly OLED industry and its application to consumer electronics and the automotive industry. India is also emerging as a pivotal market due to its shifting focus on domestic manufacturing through its ‘Make in India’ program that can also support the manufacturing of OLED displays and other flexible electronics.
• Some of the major players operating in the market include Samsung SDI, LG Chem, Universal Display Corp. (UDC), Applied Materials Inc., Veeco Instruments Inc., 3M, Toray Industries Inc., Kateeva, BASF AG, and Meyer Burger Technology Limited.