Merck Chemcials - Customer Centric: Technology Driven

Customer Centric - Technology DrivenWhat does this mean for Liquid Crystals ?

ProcessNet 2008, Karlsruhe, 08.10.2008Dr. Werner Becker, Liquid Crystals Division, Technology & Regulatory Affairs

2Dr. Werner Becker, Merck KGaA, LC T & RA Customer Centric – Technoloy Driven ProcessNet 2008, Karlsruhe, 08.10.08

Contents

• Merck company structure and Merck today• The product portfolio of the Liquid Crystals

Division• Strategy as a material supplier for the FPD industry• Customer Centric

• R&D• Production• Quality• Reliability

• Technology Driven• LC-mixture development strategy

• Summary


Merck KGaA Company Structure

An attractive globalcompany built on

Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals

Ethicals = Merck Serono

Consumer Health Care

Liquid Crystals

Performance & Life Science Solutions

Pharmaceuticals Chemicals


Merck Today

• Merck went public in 1995 and operates 192 companies in 60 countries.

• The Merck family owns 70% of the shares; the rest is publicly traded.

• About 31.000 employees worldwide (~ 10.000 in Germany)

• Revenues 2007: 7.057 Mio. €• F&E expend.: 1.028 Mio. €

• Revenues LC Div.: 916 Mio. €• F&E expend. LC: 79 Mio. €

Headquarters in Darmstadt today1.2 km2 Area;Liquid Crystal Production in G20 and G1


The product portfolio of the

Liquid Crystals Division


The “Working Horse”

• Over 500 people world-wide develop and produceliquid crystals for all kindsof applications such as:- Notebook PCs- PC Monitors- LCD TVs- Mobile Phones- Navigation Systems and other- Automotive Instruments - Electronic Organizers (PDAs)- Measuring Instruments- Digital Signage- Audio and Video Equipment- Avionics- Calculators- Clocks, Watches, etc.


Emerging Technologies

With more than 100 researchers we are active in the development of innovative materials for electro-optical applications such as:

Organic light-emitting materials for OLED displays and for new large-surface light sources

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/0,5538,PB64-SUQ9MjA4ODAmbnI9Mw_3_3,00.html


Reactive Mesogens for compensationand protectionfilms in displays


Colour Shift

Viewing Angle Dependenceof Contrast

Grey Scale Inversion

Merck materials make clearer pictures.


Structuring Materials for photovoltaic

and display applications



Organic Electronics for flexible displays,

photovoltaic and RFID tags


CourtesyPolyIC


Strategy as a Material Supplier for the FPD industry

Customer Centric

Technology Driven



Customer Centric

Technology Driven


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Setup Infrastructure in Japan1980

Setup Infrastructure in Korea1989

Setup Infrastructurein Taiwan 1996

Liquid Crystals Sales Developmentand Early Asian Activities


LC Competence Network Close to the Customers

MDT (Taiwan)MDT (Taiwan)Application Lab.Reliability Lab Mixture DevelopmentMixture Production

MAT (Korea)MAT (Korea)Application Lab.Reliability LabMixture DevelopmentMixture Production

CTC (UK)CTC (UK)Chemical and Physical R&D for PolymerMaterial ReactiveMesogens

MDA(Germany)MDA(Germany)Chemical Research Physical ResearchEngineering ResearchMixture DevelopmentReliability LabComponents Production

MJ (Japan)MJ (Japan)Engineering Lab.Application Lab.Reliability LabMixture DevelopmentMixture Production


General Statements on Merck`s Strategy – R&D

Merck is technology leader for LC-materials and meets the requirements of the LCD industry with continued investments in R&D

at the headquarters in Darmstadt and

at the 3 local Technical Centers – close to our customers - in Japan, Korea and Taiwan.


Relation between Liquid Crystals and theEndproducts-From LC Single Substances to the LCD

Mixing of up to 25 substances or more

LC single substances LC mixture LC Displays

Liquid Crystals aretoxicologically andeco-toxicologicallysafe materials !


General Statements on Merck`s Strategy – Production

Merck is the leading producerof LC-materials with production of single substances in Darmstadt.

Largest and most modern factory in the world for LC component manufacturing;Investment: EUR 250 million


“close to the customers” production centres for LC-mixtures and continued efforts to optimize and harmonize processes and productivity will guarantee business continuity and contribute to the success of our customers.

General Statements on Merck`s Strategy – Production

Atsugi, Japan, 1981 Poseung,Korea, 2002 Kuan Yin, Taiwan, 2006


Quality is a key success factor for Merck. The company-wide establishment of “Six Sigma” will ensure the continuity of highest quality standards for our customers.

General Statements on Merck`s Strategy – Quality

New Innovation and QC Center in Atsugi, Japan


• Physical and chemical analysis of defects in LCD panels and panel components ensures fast response to customer requests and complaints.

• This also supports our LC mixture development in terms of display reliability.

• The development of tools to reproduce our customers’reliability problems and characterize them in a quantitative and qualitative way helps to elucidate their root causes.

• A close cooperation with other raw material suppliers helpsto solve problems fast and efficiently.

This Avoids problems before they arise!

General Statements on Merck`s Strategy – Display Reliability Labs


Customer Centric

Technology Driven



Future Trends in LCDs and theirImpact on Merck´s R&D

Impacts on LC mixture parameters have to be carefully evaluated by Merck taking into account the general evolution of the LCD technology.

• LCD TV: higher frame rates (200 Hz) for faster response, scanning backlights (LEDs), higher colour gamut

• Monitors: faster switching for game applications, also higher frame rates, multimedia content

• Notebooks: product trends: multimedia content, lower power consumption, wider operating ranges

• PIDs: ultimate reliability, also for outdoor use


Consequences: Shared Visions with Customers and OEMs

Mutual understanding about our technical abilities and the trends in the display market will lead to target-oriented R&D activities on both sides.

• Shared Visions with customers secure fastest progress for future LCDs.

• For optimum integrated solutions to today’s LCD performance targets, close collaboration between LCD manufacturers and Merck is indispensable.

• In a continuous effort, Merck is pushing the limits of mixture performance further. In order to do it “into the right direction”, it is essential to have a common understanding with LCD manufacturers about future LCD trends.


Summary

• Merck is market and technology leader in Liquid Crystals.

• The product portfolio of the LC Division comprises:– Liquid Crystals, OLED materials, Reactive Mesogens, Organic

Semiconductors and Structuring Materials

• Merck´s strategy as material supplier to the FPD industry:

• Customer Centric: – Merck has R&D and production centres close to customers

– Quality (6 Sigma) and reliability are key success factors for Merck.

• Technology Driven:– Merck closely monitors and follows all trends in the LCD industry.

– Shared visions with customers secure fastest progress for future LCD.


„Take it easy ...“

The truth about the manufacture of Flat Panel Displays


„Take it easy ...“

The truth about the manufacture of Flat Panel Displays


Vielen Dank für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit


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