According to a news report on the OLEDNet website V-technology has announced they are to acquire Lumiotec from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The transaction is expected to be complete by 1 April 2018. No financial details were disclosed.
V-Technology has said they intend to establish an "organic electronics business demonstration facility" in Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture to develop a fine hybrid mask (FHM) - a next-generation deposition mask for OLEDs - as well as next-generation deposition technology.
V technology expects Lumiotec's technology and business know-how to contribute to the group's development.
The total investment is planned to be about 5 billion Japanese yen (US$ 47 million) ove the next two -three years. The facility is scheduled to be completed in August, 2018 and the mask samples are to be shipped from October, 2018.
Further it was reported that V-technology's FHM adopts electroforming method and non-tension structure which is different from conventional FMM manufacturing method. The weight of the mask produced by this FHM method can be reduced to one tenth (1/10) level compared to the existing conventional mask. As the weight decreases, the problem of mask bending due to its own weight and shadow interference problem caused thereby can be solved. V technology already unveiled a FHM that is capable of producing an implement 738ppi UHD at Finetech Japan 2017 in April 2017.