Samsung’s QLED TVs Could Get Cheaper with New QD Sheet Structure

Samsung’s QLED TVs have grown in popularity in recent years, thanks to their impressive picture quality. To penetrate deeper into the market, the Korean company now aims to make these TVs more affordable. It is reportedly pursuing a new strategy to reduce manufacturing costs of the QD sheet, one of the key components of QLED TVs, by removing the expensive barrier films.

Samsung aims to reduce the manufacturing cost of the QD sheet

QD (Quantum Dot) sheet plays a big role in enhancing color reproduction on QLED TVs. The current structure of the QD sheet is “barrier film – PET – QD layer – PET – barrier film”. However, the inclusion of barrier film in the sheet increases the production cost by up to 40%. That’s why the company wants to remove the barrier film from the QD sheet entirely.

According to a Korean media outlet, TheElec, Samsung has teamed up with Hansol Chemical to develop a simplified QD sheet structure for its QLED TVs. The QD sheet structure currently under development is “PET – QD layer – PET,” removing the barrier films on both sides.

However, this sheet structure requires a new protection method as the QD layer will be exposed to air and moisture. In the current structure, the barrier films on both sides work as a shield, preventing moisture and oxygen from damaging the QD layer over time. To address this, Samsung is working on encapsulating individual QD particles, which is more cost-effective than incorporating barrier films.

“Samsung Electronics has been researching ways to remove the barrier film from existing QD sheets for years. The goal is to reduce manufacturing costs. However, it will take time until mass production,” an industry insider told the publication.

While this new technology is still in development and mass production may take time, it could be a major step toward lowering the price of QLED TVs in the future. If you are looking for a smart TV, you should check out Samsung’s 2025 Neo QLED 8K and 4K TV lineup that uses Vision AI technology to improve picture and sound quality.