In this week's issue:
Amazon launches Kindle e-book reader
Amazon has launched its own-brand wireless e-book reader called Kindle. The device is the size of a paperback book and is on sale for $399. Although it was launched only last week, Kindle has already sold out.
Kindle can store up to 200 books in its onboard memory. Content is delivered via the EVDO wireless network, however this network is not widely used outside North America which could affect its sales in other regions.
| Kindle technical specifications |
| Dimensions |
190 x 135mm |
| Thickness |
18mm |
| Weight |
292g |
| Screen size |
6 inch |
| Resolution |
600 x 800 |
| Definition |
167ppi |
Amazon claims that 90,000 books, including bestsellers priced at $9.99, were available for Kindle at the time of launch and additional newspapers and magazines are being added daily.
Kindle delivers up to 30 hours of reading on a single battery charge. It uses the Vizplex™ Imaging Film based electronic paper display from E Ink. E Ink supplies the electrophoretic displays used by most global eBook companies.
www.amazon.com
www.eink.com
Seiko Epson demonstrates super slim e-paper terminal
Seiko Epson exhibited a super slim prototype viewer terminal using e-paper at a recent exhibition in Japan. The terminal is about the size of a notebook (B6 size) and is equipped with a USB port. The company has not yet decided when the product will be launched on the market.
Each pixel can display black and white and uses area coverage modulation to represent gray-scale. The product was developed by combining E Ink's electrophoretic ink with Seiko Epson's low-temperature poly-Si TFT formed on a glass substrate.
| Kindle technical specifications |
| Dimensions |
180 x 120mm |
| Thickness |
3mm |
| Weight |
57g |
| Screen size |
6.7 inch |
| Resolution |
1200 x 1600 |
| Definition |
300ppi |
| Contrast ratio |
8:1 |
| Reflectivity |
43% |
To achieve the desired slim profile and light weight, the original glass substrate on which the TFT is formed was reduced from a thickness of 0.5mm to 0.2mm by etching. To strengthen the slimmed substrate, Cute, a low CTE base substrate developed by Hitachi Chemical, was attached to the back. The base substrate is just 50µm thick.
The terminal is driven by one button cell battery (CR1220) which can power 1,420 redraws of the screen. The terminal can redraw the screen in 0.7 seconds, compared to 5 seconds for Seiko Epson's existing e-paper.
www.epson.co.jp
www.eink.com
techon.nikkeibp.co.jp
OLED display revenues for Q3 2007 below expectations
The latest Quarterly OLED Shipment and Forecast Report from DisplaySearch reveals that Samsung SDI failed to reach its full production goal of 1.5 million AM-OLED displays per month, barely reaching 100,000 units, and down from 350,000 units in Q2 2007.
The low production level left the OLED display industry with revenues of only US$78.3 million in Q3 2007, down 38% Y/Y and 31% Q/Q. Shipments were 15.5 million for the quarter, down 32% Y/Y and 22% Q/Q. The low production level was also affected by LGE shifting its resources from PM-OLEDs to AM-OLEDs and shipping only 310,000 units compared to 3.1 million in the previous quarter. Sony had no AM-OLED production as the company prepared to begin shipping the XEL-1, the world's first AM-OLED TV in December 2007.
However, there was some positive news this quarter:
- RiTdisplay had a record quarter and had the highest revenues with US$31.0 million and shipped the most units with 6.4 million.
- Pioneer was in second place in terms of units and third place in shipments, while Samsung SDI, the only company shipping both PM-OLEDs and AM-OLEDs, was in third place in units and second place in shipments.
- Samsung SDI has already upped its production and expects to ship more than 2 million units in Q4 2007, while RiTdisplay should continue its explosive performance with shipments of more than 7 million units, a new record for one supplier.
- Chi Mei EL started production of AM-OLED displays with 16,000 units, a number it expects to double in Q4 2007.
- MED joined eMagin as the only two companies shipping microdisplay-based OLEDs.
Samsung SDI was able to announce a number of design wins, with the Japanese mobile phone carrier AU announcing AM-OLED main display mobile phones by Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, Hitachi and Sanyo. Previously, Samsung SDI announced design wins with Nokia and Kyocera. The new AM-OLED main displays are all in the 2.8 inch category.
The top five OLED manufacturers accounted for a combined market share of 98.5%.
| Top five LED manufacturers' Q3 2007 revenue market share and growth (US$ millions) |
| Rank |
Company |
Revenue (M) |
Market share |
Y/Y Growth |
Q/Q Growth |
| 1 |
RiTdisplay |
31.0 |
39.6% |
44% |
35% |
| 2 |
Samsung SDI |
21.0 |
26.7% |
-36% |
-41% |
| 3 |
Pioneer |
16.9 |
21.6% |
0% |
-32% |
| 4 |
TDK |
5.3 |
6.8% |
-27% |
-4% |
| 5 |
eMagin |
3.0 |
3.8% |
76% |
18% |
|
Others |
1.2 |
1.5% |
-84% |
-73% ; |
|
Total |
78.3 |
100.0% |
-38% |
-31% |
Source: DisplaySearch
Sub-displays and MP3 player displays continue to account for over 85% of OLED shipments at 9.3 million and 42 million, respectively. Of the remaining applications, industrial applications showed strong growth, but main displays fell for the second quarter in succession.
| Top five Q3 2007 OLED applications: shipments (000), market share and growth |
| Rank |
Application |
Units (000) |
Market share |
Y/Y Growth |
Q/Q Growth |
| 1 |
Subdisplay |
9,257.2 |
59.6% |
-22% |
-34% |
| 2 |
MP3 |
4,173.0 |
26.9% |
-53% |
20% |
| 3 |
Other/Industrial |
800.0 |
5.2% |
260% |
5% |
| 4 |
Main Displays |
698.0 |
4.5% |
-36% |
-20% |
| 5 |
Car Audio |
424.0 |
2.7% |
18% |
-20% |
|
Others |
172.0 |
1.1% |
10% |
23% |
|
Total |
15,524.2 |
100.0% |
-32% |
-22% |
Source: DisplaySearch
The growth that was expected in Q3 2007 is now forecast to occur in Q4 2007, with main display shipments up by almost 400% due to Samsung SDI's AM-OLEDs and subdisplays recovering to over 12 million units. Sony is also expected to begin shipping its XEL-1 AM-OLED TVs from December.
Barry Young, senior VP at DisplaySearch, noted, "While shipments and revenues were down in Q3 2007, we are forecasting a fast recovery in Q4 2007, leading to 2007 revenue and shipments up 11% and 7% respectively. We are expecting that in 2008 AM-OLEDs will drive the industry as TPO and LG.Philips (with LGE) join Samsung SDI, Sony and Chi Mei in commercial production."
www.displaysearch.com
Thinfilm reports interim results for Q3 2007
Thin Film Electronics (Thinfilm) has released the interim financial results for the Thinfilm group for the three and nine months ended on 30 September 2007. The Thinfilm group comprises the parent company, Thin Film Electronics ASA in Norway, and its subsidiary, Thin Film Electronics AB in Sweden.
| Interim financial results for Thin Film Electronics Group to 30 September 2007 (NOK thousands) |
| |
Q3 2007 |
Q3 2006 |
Q1-Q3 2007 |
Q1-Q3 2006 |
| Revenue |
280 |
174 |
2,698 |
461 |
| Operating costs |
(5,740) |
(8,603) |
(20,944) |
(20,338) |
| Depreciation |
(140) |
(123) |
(365) |
(37,433) |
| Operating profit (loss) |
(5,600) |
(8,552) |
(18,611) |
(57,310) |
| Financial items |
186 |
80 |
271 |
(115) |
| Profit (loss) |
(5,414) |
(8,472) |
(18,340) |
(57,425) |
| Profit (loss) per share |
(NOK 0.27) |
(NOK 0.49) |
(NOK 1.01) |
(NOK 3.38) |
Financial highlights
- About 60% of Thinfilm's revenue in Q3 (or EUR 20,000) was a licence fee from Cartamundi. This was the first commercial revenue from Thinfilm's printed memory technology.
- Other revenue was largely from the sale of equipment no longer in use because of the change in direction in Thinfilm's activities.
- Staff reductions resolved in 2006 were completed in Q1 2007. Operating costs in the first half of the year and into Q3 were higher than forecasted. Commercial efforts and technical development have continued at a higher level than forecasted. The costs related to the patent portfolio are higher than planned because it has taken longer to reduce the number of active patents than expected.
- Fees from various legal and financial advisors in connection with preparations for introducing the Thinfilm class A shares at Oslo Axess amounted to NOK 0.6 million in the quarter.
- Net other financial items consist mainly of interest income.
- Because the company operates at a loss it does not incur any tax.
- The private placement of shares in June 2007 raised NOK 25.6 million.
Activities in Q3
During Q3 2007 Thinfilm has focused on business development and the corresponding technical support and development. Thinfilm is actively setting up strategic alliances in line with the redirection of Thinfilm's business in Q4 2006.
Five joint development agreements and one licence agreement were entered into during Q2 2007, all of which are aimed at volume production of Thinfilm's memory technology in 2008.
During Q3 2007 Thinfilm has concentrated on manufacturing memory cells and adopting the memories for various applications and particularly for the game cards of Cartamundi, Thinfilm's first licensee for printed memories.
A printing system for the development of printed memory has been installed at Thinfilm's premises in Norway. The system, delivered by Thinfilm's partner OTB Engineering, will enable Thinfilm and OTB to significantly decrease the development time to mass production of printed memories.
There are ten employees in the group, supplemented by outsourced services and contracted specialists.
During Q4 2007 Thinfilm plans to:
- continue its licensing model for intellectual property rights (patents and know how) and does not plan to do any in-house manufacturing The newly acquired printing system will primarily be used for process development.
- focus on supporting the commercialisation of Cartamundi's game cards.
- apply for listing of its class A shares at Oslo Axess.
www.thinfilm.se
Organic semiconductor industry market watch
Week ending 23 November 2007
Luxell priced in Canadian Dollars, Thin Film Electronics priced in Norwegian Kroner
www.nasdaq.com
www.otcbb.com
www.londonstockexchange.com
www.tsx.com
otc.nfmf.no
