Wonik IPS Selected for Visionox XR Display Line
Wonik IPS has been selected as the sole supplier of dry etchers for a new extended reality display production project being developed by a subsidiary of Chinese display manufacturer Visionox.
Industry sources said on 26 May that Suzhou Guoxian Innovation Technology is constructing a production line in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province. The facility is expected to produce 1.5 million XR display panels annually. Total investment in the project is estimated at around 4 billion yuan, equivalent to approximately $590 million.
A public bidding process for key equipment suppliers was held on 7 May. The results were announced between 21 May and 25 May. The procurement process covered two categories of manufacturing equipment: dry etchers and coaters/developers.
Wonik IPS was selected as the sole preferred bidder in the dry etcher category. Japanese company SCREEN Finetech Solutions was selected as the preferred bidder for coater/developer equipment. The number of systems involved and the value of the contracts were not disclosed.
XR technology includes both augmented reality and virtual reality applications. XR devices are positioned close to the eyes and require display panels with much higher pixel density than conventional smartphone displays. This creates demand for finer circuit line widths during production and increases the significance of precision manufacturing equipment.
Dry etchers and coater/developers are used in front-end display manufacturing processes. The equipment affects panel resolution, production yield and operational consistency. Dry etchers form circuit patterns by removing unnecessary material from substrates using plasma gas.
Small variations in etching uniformity can create defects in high-definition display panels. As panel density increases, manufacturing precision becomes increasingly important during production.
Suzhou Guoxian Innovation Technology was established as a joint venture between Visionox and the Kunshan state-owned enterprise Kunshan Weixin. Visionox holds a 50.1 per cent stake in the business, while Kunshan Weixin owns the remaining 49.9 per cent.
The company focuses on XR display modules and premium automotive displays based on flexible OLED technology. It reportedly holds more than 1,400 related patents.
Wonik IPS began supplying dry etchers for liquid crystal display thin-film transistor processes in 2007. The company entered the OLED equipment market in 2012. It later expanded its business into high-resolution OLED and flexible display manufacturing.
Major customers of Wonik IPS include Samsung Display and LG Display.
Wonik IPS reported first-quarter revenue of 164.9 billion won. The figure represented a 32.8 per cent increase compared with the same period last year.
The company also returned to profitability during the quarter. Operating profit reached 10.7 billion won, compared with an operating loss of 7.4 billion won recorded during the corresponding period a year earlier.
At the end of the first quarter, Wonik IPS reported an order backlog of approximately 400.3 billion won.
