Samsung Mobile Display starts operation of new AMOLED plant

SEOUL, May 31 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Mobile Display Co. (SMD), a South Korean display maker, said Tuesday that it has started mass production of active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) panels in its new factory two months ahead of schedule, to meet growing demand for smartphones and tablet PCs. SMD, a joint venture between Samsung Electronics Co. and its sister unit Samsung SDI Co., said in a statement that it began mass production of 5.5-generation AMOLED panels in Asan, about 90 kilometers southwest of Seoul. The new plant has the world's largest production capacity for AMOLED panels and is the first to produce so-called 5.5-generation panels, which are three times larger than the previous generation. Production of large panels can help cut costs and raise productivity, SMD said. The new production line will also help the company expand as a supplier to makers of tablet PCs and portable game consoles. SMD, which accounted for nearly 99 percent of the global AMOLED panel supply in the first quarter of this year, hopes to expand its product portfolio beyond display panels for mobile phones, the company said.