MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation is launching a new 40nm display driver integrated circuit (DDIC) designed for the next generation of OLED-equipped smartphones, with the company now expanding its DDIC portfolio to a total of six display driver solutions. The latest 40nm addition to the lineup supports a wide variety of display designs and technologies, including elongated image formats with aspect ratios of up to 21:9, FHD to FHD++ resolutions, and screen designs including edge-type, bezel-less, and OLED panels featuring notches like the one employed by the Essential PH-1 any many newer models that followed this year.
MagnaChip’s latest DDIC solution has now been added to the company’s product lineup in anticipation of OLED display technology continuing to grow in popularity this year. Display giants including LG and Samsung have constantly improved OLED panels over the past few years to the point where the technology has become the first choice for many flagship phone manufacturers who were previously relying on LCD panels. This is partly thanks to OLED allowing for thinner profiles and curved designs, as well as delivering higher contrast ratios, a wider color gamut and other benefits over LCD, all the while requiring less energy. With that being said, MagnaChip’s CEO YJ Kim wants the third-generation 40nm mobile DDIC solution to be adopted by the next wave of OLED-based smartphones aiming to deliver a modern design or new and improved screen features. Some of the selling points pertaining to the latest 40nm silicon include lower power consumption compared to MagnaChip’s second-generation OLED DDIC, as well as better protection against electromagnetic interference and electrostatic discharge. Additionally, the new chipset boasts enhanced color and brightness uniformity across the surface of the OLED panels it drives.
While MagnaChip introduced its third-generation 40nm rigid DDIC for mobile OLED panels today, the company also revealed that it is already working on the development of a next-gen 28nm flexible OLED DDIC solution which should become available for sampling before the end of the year, or in early 2019 at the latest. Meanwhile, the company’s current portfolio now consists of three 40nm rigid bezel-less DDIC solutions, two flexible bezel-less drivers based on 55nm manufacturing technology, and a 110nm rigid OLED driver.