CL CSOT Has Begun Main-Building Work on Its T8 Line Near Guangzhou, Signaling Full-Scale Construction for Medium-Sized IT Panels
TCL's booth at CES2025.
China is accelerating the construction of Generation 8.6 organic light-emitting diode (OLED) production lines in a bid to expand its influence not only in the smartphone market but also across the tablet PC, monitor, and other display segments. In South Korea, Samsung Display is pursuing a strategy of pre-emptive investment and mass production stabilization to fend off the Chinese challenge.
According to industry sources on May 11, Chinese display maker TCL CSOT has begun construction of the main building for its Generation 8.6 OLED production line project, known as ‘T8.’ This marks the project’s formal entry into the full-scale construction phase.
The T8 line is being built near the T9 plant located in Guangzhou, China, and is aimed at producing OLED panels using Generation 8.6 (2,290x2,620mm) substrates. The line targets the mid-size display market for IT devices and is set to incorporate inkjet printing-based AMOLED production technology.
TCL CSOT officially broke ground on the Generation 8.6 inkjet-type OLED line, designated the T8 project, in October of last year, formalizing its strategy to enter the mid-size OLED market. The company has since moved ahead of its original schedule, accelerating its investment timeline.
The project carries a total investment scale of 29.5 billion yuan (approximately 5.4 trillion won, or around $3.86 billion) and aims to establish what would be the world’s first Generation 8 inkjet-type OLED production line.
The industry broadly expects the production line to target mass production by 2027, with equipment investment proceeding in phases from the initial stages.
Generation 8.6 OLED is a next-generation display process optimized not only for producing compact panels for smartphones, but also for mid-size panels for IT devices such as notebooks, tablets, and monitors.
Compared with the existing Generation 6 process, the significantly enlarged substrate area increases the number of panels that can be produced from a single glass substrate, offering potential improvements in cost structure. The process is also noted for its suitability in delivering high-resolution, large-area displays, making it well-positioned to serve the premium IT display market.
Furthermore, when new deposition technologies such as inkjet printing are applied, there is expected to be additional room for profitability improvement in terms of material efficiency and process simplification.
In the global Generation 8.6 IT OLED market, Samsung Display, the leading player, is maintaining its technological edge as it moves into the mass production preparation phase. The company previously held an equipment installation ceremony for the construction of its Generation 8.6 IT OLED line ‘A6’ at its Asan Campus in South Chungcheong Province in March 2024, officially signaling the start of its full-scale investment.
That line is being built by converting the existing L8 line into a dedicated IT OLED production facility, making it the world’s first high-generation IT OLED line to employ Generation 8.6 substrates.
Samsung Display announced plans to invest approximately 4.1 trillion won (around $2.79 billion) to secure annual production capacity of approximately 10 million notebook panels, formalizing its strategy to expand in the IT OLED market.
Since the beginning of this year, the pace has accelerated as the company’s entry into the mass production phase has become more tangible. Samsung Display is reported to have recently shipped prototype products from its Generation 8.6 IT OLED line, with production yield said to have surpassed 80%, and the company is expected to begin official mass production shipments to customers as early as next month.
Industry observers believe that Samsung Display, building on a stable yield base, is entering a full-scale mass production regime beginning this year and is reinforcing its strategy to further widen the technological gap with Chinese rivals.
“As Chinese companies intensify their technological catch-up, the ultimate success or failure in the Generation 8.6 OLED market will come down to how stably manufacturers can secure mass production yields,” an industry official said. “The yield competition at the actual mass production stage will be the key variable, more so than the speed of initial investment.”
Kim Eun-jin
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