Growing Demand for Mid-Size Displays Opens New Opportunities for FMM-Free OLED Technologies, Says TrendForce

by SP Chou on Jun.05 2025

TrendForce’s latest report on the display industry reveals that OLED technology—valued for its self-emissive structure, high contrast ratio, and lightweight design—continues to expand its market presence, primarily in small-size applications such as smartphones. However, its penetration into the large-size display segment has been hindered by high production costs and limited capacity. In contrast, the mid-size segment, including monitors, notebooks, tablets, and automotive displays, is emerging as a new battleground, driven by growing consumer demand for premium visual experiences.

TrendForce forecasts that OLED monitor shipments will grow by 80.6% YoY in 2025, with market penetration rising to 2%, and potentially reaching 5% by 2028. Amid this upward momentum, Chinese panel makers Visionox and TCL CSOT are distinguishing themselves by investing in alternative OLED technologies: Visionox through its proprietary technology, Visionox intelligent Pixelization (ViP), and TCL CSOT through inkjet printing OLED—setting themselves apart from Korean manufacturers focused on QD-OLED and WOLED evaporation-based technologies.

At the end of 2024, TCL CSOT began mass production of its self-developed printed OLED displays for medical monitors, and in May 2025, the company showcased a complete printed OLED product lineup at SID Display Week, covering sizes from 6.5 to 65 inches.

TCL CSOT begins volume production of printed OLED for medical displays; Visionox to adopt ViP in new production line

Compared to the more mature evaporation-based OLED technology that relies on fine metal masks (FMM), printed OLED is designed to eliminate the need for FMM and vacuum environments. Instead, it utilizes precision inkjet deposition to improve material utilization and reduce equipment investment, potentially cutting production costs by around 25% compared to comparable evaporation processes.

This gives printed OLEDs a strong cost advantage in the price-sensitive mid-size display segment. However, the technology still faces challenges pertaining to yield, pixel density, and reliability. Current, printed OLED panels have achieved a resolution of 326 PPI—adequate for notebooks and monitors—but further improvements in materials and device structures are required to improve durability and power efficiency.

TrendForce notes that TCL CSOT is strategically balancing innovation and mass production. In addition to supplying high-end smartphone and flagship notebook panels through its T4 Gen-6 line using FMM OLED, the company is leveraging its 5.5 Gen printed OLED line to gradually introduce products for medical and gaming monitors, and notebook applications.

By the end of 2024, TCL CSOT had commenced small-batch production of 21.6-inch printed OLED medical monitors—marking the commercial debut of printed OLED technology. While no large-generation printed OLED production line has been announced, the company appears committed to maintaining strategic flexibility, adjusting its production roadmap according to market readiness and technical maturity while exploring the optical balance between evaporation and printing processes.

Visionox, another player in the FMM-free camp, has been actively commercializing its in-house technology. ViP overcomes the size and resolution limitations of FMM by leveraging photolithography to define pixel patterns while supporting high aperture ratios and flexible pixel layouts. Its new Gen-8.6 plant in Hefei broke ground at the end of 2024 and is expected to incorporate both FMM and ViP processes to serve the mid-to-large panel segment.

TrendForce concludes that these developments indicate a rising momentum for FMM-free OLED technologies. These non-evaporation approaches not only offer greater technical diversity but also suggest that the future OLED market will evolve toward more flexible, cost-efficient, and scalable solutions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SP Chou has worked in the flat panel display industry for 17 years and has experience in the development and application of advanced technology from the practical end of manufacturing. With years of accumulated knowledge and experience, his current research focuses on the application trends of OLED and the evolution of related technologies, materials, and equipment, as well as the analysis of cost competitiveness.

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