Reflection - Learning Launch

Challenge:

All display customers use currently mainly established static PVD (physical vapour deposition)  systems for producing PVD layer on TFT array substrate. Main reason of selecting this system is  the expected lower particle generation, which is one main yield factor for the display  manufacturing industry (due to less amount of moving hardware during the deposition process).  For larger TVs and new PVD process is required, which required better layer uniformity, which is  not possible with static deposition. Therefore a dynamic deposition production system is asked by  customer, which has several challenges, which need to addressed and worked out to a sellable  and advanced production solution

Selection:

A team out of Marketing, Engineering and R&D was created in order to brain storm the main  challenges and disadvantages of existing dynamic platform, which are current used for similar but  less critical end user application. All design ideas to improve this platform were drafted and noted  in a simple excel file (visualization) and reviewed together within the managing team first. Initial  weighting were done company internally, but also evaluated and re-prioritized together with  several customers. Development roadmaps were generated and shared to several smaller  development teams with before defined goal, but without exact and defined solution to increase  the creativity

Application;

Every team worked out different approaches, which was reviewed within the team and tested in  the Lab in initial stage. Parallel several free or low margin upgrades where give to customer, who  prioritized this part higher, in order to get field validation in mass production environment as soon  as possible. Fast customer feedback, additional learning, which was not considered during design  phase and increase customer acceptance to the for this application new production platform were  the main driver of the parallel development. Different new developments were delivered to  different customer allowing quick parallel development.

Insights & Approach:

This close cooperation with customer had various advantages. Customer perceptive was  considered and re-adjusted in an early stage. Different opinion from different customer where  considered in order to work out market leading solution. Increased customer acceptance and  engagement with our product was an additional, positive side effect. But protect company and  design IP was one of the biggest challenges, which was observed, in order to protect the product  against that the competitor copying to worked out solution.

Summarized I believe the early learning launch is a great tool for customer better engagement,  fast and focused development and cooperation especially for very dynamic and fast changing  market segment, like the LCD & OLED display manufacturing, where this development was done.

