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Samsung has begun mass producing a 128-gigabit (Gb), 3-bit multi-level-cell (MLC) NAND memory chip using 10 nanometer (nm)-class process technology this month. This chip will enable high-density memory solutions such as embedded NAND storage and solid state drives (SSDs).

“By introducing next-generation memory storage products like the 128Gb NAND chip, Samsung is extremely well situated to meet growing global customer needs,” said Young-Hyun Jun, executive vice president, memory sales & marketing, Device Solutions Division, Samsung Electronics. “The new chip is a critical product in the evolution of NAND flash, one whose timely production will enable us to increase our competitiveness in the high density memory storage market.”

Samsung’s 128Gb NAND flash is based on a 3-bit multi-level-cell design and 10nm-class process technology, which means a process technology node somewhere between 10 and 20 nanometers. It boasts the industry’s highest density as well as the highest performance level of 400 megabits-per-second (mbps) data transfer rate based on the toggle DDR 2.0 interface.

Utilizing 128Gb NAND flash memory, Samsung intends to expand its supply of 128-gigabyte (GB) memory cards, which can store as many as sixteen 8GB full HD video files. Samsung said they now will also increase their production volume of SSDs with densities over 500GBs for wider adoption of SSDs in computer systems, while leading the transition of main storage drives in the notebook market from hard disk drives (HDDs) to SSDs.

Demand for high-performance 3-bit MLC NAND flash and 128Gb high storage capacities has been rapidly increasing, driving the adoption of SSDs with more than 250GB data storage, led by the Samsung SSD 840 Series.

Samsung started production of 10nm-class 64Gb MLC NAND flash memory in November last year, and in less than five months, has added the new 128Gb NAND flash to its wide range of high-density memory storage offerings. The new 128Gb chip also extends Samsung’s 3-bit NAND memory line-up along with the 20nm-class 64Gb 3-bit NAND flash chip that Samsung introduced in 2010. Further, the new 128Gb 3-bit MLC NAND chip offers more than twice the productivity of a 20nm-class 64Gb MLC NAND chip.

Global flat-panel television shipments fell by 10 percent in February and by an estimated 4 percent in March compared to the same months in 2012 as Chinese demand plunged following the Lunar New Year buying season.

Global shipments of flat-panel display (FPD) televisions amounted to 12.6 million units in February, down from 14 million one year earlier, according to the Monthly Worldwide FPD TV Shipment Data Report from the IHS TV Systems Intelligence Service at information and analytics provider IHS. Shipments fell by another 4 percent in March, according to a preliminary estimate, as shown in the figure below.

flat panel TV shipments plunge

The FPD market consists of liquid crystal display (LCD) and plasma televisions.

“Worldwide television shipments usually decline in February compared to January because of the shortness of the month and the conclusion of the Chinese Lunar New Year shopping season,” said Jusy Hong, senior analyst, television research, for IHS. “However, global shipments in February this year also dropped sharply on a year-over-year basis because of the weak results in China. This drastic change illustrates the rising influence of the Chinese market on the worldwide television business. Chinese companies this year are expected to account for more than 20 percent of global LCD-TV production.”

Rising ratings for Chinese TV makers

Chinese-based companies in January shipped 31 percent of worldwide LCD TVs, marking the first time that the country surpassed South Korea to take the global lead. However, China slid back to second place in February, with its share dropping to 18 percent.

Read more: Global LCD TV shipments fall for the first time

LCD TV shipments by Chinese-based TV brands declined drastically in February after the end of one of the country’s biggest sales seasons ever. And despite strong sales for the Lunar New Year, inventory issues in the country remain a problem. This contributed to declining LCD panel procurement among Chinese TV makers in January and February.

Big TVs achieve bigger shipments

Global shipments of large-sized televisions are increasing very quickly, especially for the 50-inch and larger sets, based on analysts of shipments from the world’s top 14 brands.

Comparing February 2013 to the same month in 2012, worldwide shipments of 50-inch-and-larger-sized TVs increased to 10 percent, double the 5 percent last year.

In particular, the 50- through 55-inch segment also rose to 3 percent, up from zero during the same period. Moreover, 60-inch and larger size TV shipments are increasing rapidly. Shipments for this segment totaled 240,000 units so far this year, up 100,000 units from 150,000 units in 2012. These sets accounted for 3 percent of the total LCD TV shipments in February.

Read more: OLEDS and the beginning of the end for LCDs

“TV brands are aggressively expanding their lineups and shipments of super-large-sized TVs in order to improve the profitability of their TV businesses,” Hong said. “Panel manufacturers also are following suit, resulting in decreasing prices for both panels and TV sets.”

Midsize sets see mixed results

Meanwhile, medium -sized TVs in the 15- though 29-inch range lost share worldwide, with their portion of the market declining to 10 percent in February, down from 15 percent during the same month the previous year. The share of 32-inch sets, which account for the biggest portion of the global market, also dropped to 40 percent, down from 42 percent during the same period in 2012.

Meanwhile, new sizes such as the 39-inch and 50-inch made a successful entry into the worldwide TV market. The 35- through 39-inch segment, which includes the popular 39-inch size, doubled its portion of the market to 6 percent.

NikkoIA announces the production of several innovative organic image sensors, confirming the potential of its technology, and validates the technology building blocks that can be immediately implemented to build its product lines.

NikkoIA’s technology consists in depositing thin films of photosensitive organic materials onto active or passive reading substrates. Current products are mainly based on TFT backplanes on glass, with a sensitivity optimized in the visible and/or 700/900nm spectrum range. The first evaluation cameras based on these sensors have already been shipped to the company customers.

CMOS VGA organic image sensor
CMOS VGA organic image sensor

NikkoIA announces the application of its organic imaging technology to two new product families: 1. X-ray sensitive image sensors, based on 256×256, 98μm-pixels organic image sensors, coupled with a CsI scintillator optimized for 70-90keV energy; 2. VGA CMOS sensors with 15μm-pixels based on organic photodiodes and CMOS pixel arrays.

“The extension of the sensitivity to the X-rays range and the application of NikkoIA’s technology to various types of substrates (TFT or CMOS) enables, in the very short term, the production of large area visible, IR or X-rays image sensors at an extremely competitive cost structure compared to existing technologies, as well as the production of CMOS image sensors sensitive in the infrared beyond the cut-off wavelength of the silicon,” said Alain Jutant, President of NikkoIA SAS.

These developments especially enable the production of image sensors immediately interesting for dental radiography and some security applications. They also enable other combinations such as the production of small size, high resolution, SWIR-sensitive CMOS image sensors at a very low cost structure, opening up new imaging solutions in the medical or automotive markets.

“These milestones reinforce our technology potential and validate our development strategy. They represent significant achievements that can now be implemented in products dedicated to our target markets,” Alain Jutant added.

NikkoIA has a unique position in the market thanks to its worldwide and exclusive license agreement with Siemens AG, granting access to a strong intellectual property protected by several key patents. The company carries on its developments by the sensitivity extension beyond 1300nm while developing at the same time the first products dedicated to its target markets.

organic image sensors
Organic image sensors sensitive to X-rays, visible and near infrared spectrum ranges.

Picosun Oy, an Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) equipment manufacturer, reports that its PICOPLATFORM 300 ALD cluster tool has been selected by a key customer in Asia for new memory applications. The 300mm cluster design is based on the company’s fully automated, multifunctional PICOPLATFORM ALD deposition unit for parallel, simultaneous execution of several different processes for high-k and metal/metal nitride films.

The first models of the PICOPLATFORM ALD cluster tool entered the market the year 2008 and since then, this revolutionary versatile and efficient multi-chamber thin film processing system has gained praise from customers across the world.

 The fully automated PICOPLATFORM 300 ALD cluster unit is comprised of several individual PICOSUN P-series high throughput ALD reactors, capable of single wafer or batch processes. As all features in PICOSUN ALD tools, the control and automation software has been optimized to guarantee the ultimately simple, intuitive and user-friendly operation and programming of the tool. In addition to ALD reactors, also other thin film deposition units, pre- or post-treatment equipment or integrated substrate handling systems for complete cassette-to-cassette loading of wafers can be incorporated into the same PICOPLATFORM 300 ALD unit.

"PICOPLATFORM ALD cluster system design is solely based on the requirements of ALD, and thus provides distinct advantages over competing products. Realization of easy, cost-effective and clean production is the key for building successful ALD solutions for new memory applications. We are extremely proud and honored to be selected as the technology provider for the next generation of ALD-enabled memories," said Dr. Wei-Min Li, CEO of Picosun Asia.

Picosun Oy is a Finland-based, globally operating manufacturer of state-of-the-art ALD systems, representing continuity to almost four decades of pioneering, exclusive and groundbreaking ALD reactor design and manufacturing. Today, PICOSUN ALD systems are in daily production use in numerous prominent industries across the globe.

 Electro Scientific Industries, Inc. today announced it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Semiconductor Systems business of GSI Group, Inc., a supplier of precision photonics, laser-based solutions and precision motion devices to the medical, industrial, scientific, and electronics markets. Based in Bedford, Massachusetts, the Semiconductor Systems business provides products in laser marking and trimming of semiconductor wafers and hybrid circuits. The parties expect the transaction to close within thirty days.

Both ESI and Semiconductor Systems have decades of laser-based wafer processing experience. The Semiconductor Systems’ wafer marking products are positioned to capitalize on the industry-wide transition to 450mm wafer diameters and are complementary to ESI’s commitment to enabling 3D semiconductor packaging.

This acquisition will add approximately $20-30 million of annual revenue to ESI. It is expected to add $0.05 to $0.10 to non-GAAP earnings per share in the first year.

“The GSI Semiconductor Systems business is an excellent operational fit with ESI. The business brings a strong technical team, broadens our revenue base with our semi customers, and strengthens our Semiconductor Division,” stated Nick Konidaris, CEO of ESI. “With complementary capabilities but almost no product overlap, this acquisition broadens our product portfolio and allows ESI to provide a more complete set of laser-based manufacturing solutions to our semiconductor customers.”

“We are pleased to complete this transaction, which ultimately enables GSI to focus our growth investments on our OEM component businesses,” said John Roush, CEO of GSI. “We believe this outcome is the best result for customers, employees and shareholders of both companies. The GSI team will work closely with our counterparts at ESI to ensure a smooth transition of ownership of the Semiconductor Systems business.”

ESI is a leading supplier of innovative, laser-based manufacturing solutions for the microtechnology industry. Their focus is on developing the precise structuring of micron to submicron features in electronic devices, semiconductors, LEDs and other high-value components. Founded in 1944, ESI is headquartered in Portland, Ore., with global operations from the Pacific Northwest to the Pacific Rim.

Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. (AMEC) said today that it has developed a Single-Station Chamber Advanced Dielectric Etcher (SSC AD-RIE) capable of processing the most rigorous semiconductor applications. In less than 12 months, the Primo SSC AD-RIE system was qualified by a leading Korean semiconductor manufacturer for critical Flash applications at 20nm and below. The customer has since placed an order for the tool and is now qualifying it for 15nm applications. The new etcher embodies the innovations contained in AMEC’s dual-station chamber Primo D-RIE etch platform which is already well entrenched in leading memory and logic fabs across Asia.

The technology achievement marks an inflection point for AMEC—China’s largest provider of capital equipment for global manufacturers of semiconductors and LEDs. With operations and R&D centered in Shanghai, and global sales and marketing in Singapore, the company is led by a team of semiconductor equipment experts from Silicon Valley and Asia.

The extreme challenges of dry etching at 20nm and below has virtually excluded small etch players from the vendor pool, allowing just a few companies to dominate. The Primo SSC AD-RIE changes that dynamic and offers the industry an alternative new choice. AMEC is now preparing to engage in wafer demonstration runs. The company is also working with select customers on 15nm Flash memory and VNAND process development.

To support its Korean customers and further expand business in the region, AMEC Korea will establish a local Research and Development center this year.

AMEC Chairman and CEO Gerald Z. Yin paid tribute to the Korean customer for its close collaboration. Such collaboration is essential for the development of advanced technology that solves difficult technical problems. He added, “AMEC recognizes the importance of investing in a local hub to provide exceptional service to our Korean customers. With this in mind, we are accelerating our Korean localization plan and boosting it with elements that include intellectual property protection, as well as onsite product enhancement initiatives and responsive field support.”

Commenting further on AMEC’s localization strategy for Korea, KI Yoon, General Manager for Korea, added, “We’re diligently developing local supply sources and seeking reliable collaboration partners not just for Korea, but for the global market as well. This will enable us to provide supply pathways to Korean customers with fabs in Korea who are also constructing fabs in China. On the technology front, we continue to innovate solutions to address the technical priorities of our Korean customers and others worldwide. This includes development of a third-generation CCP oxide etcher and ICP etcher, as well as 450mm product lines.”

AMEC is a provider of advanced process technology to global manufacturers of semiconductors and LEDs. The company is a supplier of dielectric and TSV etch tools, focused on memory and logic devices at process nodes as low as 20nm. Today, more than 200 AMEC etch stations are positioned at leading-edge fabs across Asia.

Despite stronger-than-expected growth during the fourth quarter, 2012 was still a miserable year for the semiconductor market and suppliers, with only eight out of the Top 25 chipmakers managing to eke out revenue growth—but nine suffering double-digit declines.

Global semiconductor revenue in 2012 declined by 2.2 percent from 2011, according to final results from the IHS iSuppli Competitive Landscaping Tool (CLT) from information and analytics provider IHS. The preliminary forecast issued by IHS in December projected a drop of 2.3 percent.

The modest improvement in the final results came from year-over-year growth in the fourth quarter that came in slightly better than estimated, topping out at a 2.8 percent increase. The preliminary estimate had predicted a 1.9 percent expansion. 

Read more: When is the semiconductor industry expected to recover?

“The last three months were the only quarter in 2012 that generated a year-over-year increase in semiconductor market revenue, but that growth was too little and too late to salvage a terrible year for chipmakers,” said Dale Ford, senior director at IHS. “Even so, the stronger performance in the fourth quarter represents a positive signal for the semiconductor market, marking the beginning of a new growth cycle in the industry that will be sustained though 2013. IHS predicts global semiconductor revenue will rise by 5.6 percent in 2013, bringing an end to the slump of 2012.”

Semiconductor body count

Semiconductor industry growth in 2012 slipped from stagnation in the first half to a slump in the second half, widely affecting various players in the market.

Among the Top 25 suppliers, the only companies to expand revenue in 2012 were No. 2 Samsung, No. 3 Qualcomm, No. 9 Broadcom, No. 11 Sony, No. 14 NXP, No.15 nVidia, No.18 MediaTek and No. 24 LSI, as presented in the attached table.

The remaining 17 suppliers suffered revenue declines. Companies whose revenue fell by double-digit percentages were No. 4 Texas Instruments, No. 5 Toshiba, No. 6 Renesas, No. 8 STMicroelectronics, No. 12 Advanced Micro Devices, No. 16 Freescale, No. 17 Elpida, No. 21 Panasonic and No. 22 On Semiconductor.

“The semiconductor downturn had an extremely broad impact, as global economic uncertainty and weakness affected companies across all regions as well as the vast majority of products and application markets,” Ford observed. “Almost every major semiconductor product market suffered a decline in 2012, with double-digit drops in the major memory and discrete categories.” 

Merger dirge

With semiconductor suppliers’ financial condition so weak, merger and acquisition (M&A) activity among the top companies was nearly non-existent in 2012—a stark contrast to the high level of activity seen in 2011.

The only major purchase was Samsung’s acquisition of a 100 percent share of the Samsung LED business from Samsung Electro-Mechanics. The results of all other top companies were not meaningfully impacted by M&A activity.

Silver linings playbook

While there was plenty of bad news in the 2012 semiconductor market, the most dramatic change for any single semiconductor supplier was actually a positive development: Qualcomm’s nearly 30 percent surge in revenue.

Qualcomm’s revenue growth of 29.2 percent launched it to the No. 3 rank in the global semiconductor market in 2012, up from No. 6 in 2011.  Its share of the semiconductor market grew by a full percentage point to 4.3 percent, up from 3.3 percent.

“In two years, Qualcomm has risen from No. 9 to No. 3 in the semiconductor rankings,” Ford noted. “This is the strongest ascension through the top ranks by any semiconductor company in recent history. Qualcomm continues to capitalize on the robust growth of semiconductor sales to the strong market for wireless devices including smartphones and media tablets.”

Only two other companies among the Top 25 achieved double-digit growth: LSI, with 22.6 percent; and Sony, with 21.8 percent. These expansions were notable achievements in such a tough market environment.

Semiconductor surprises

The bright spots in an otherwise dismal year for semiconductor growth were found in CMOS image sensors, logic ASICs, LEDs, display drivers and sensors. Growth in CMOS image sensors hit 38.8 percent, followed by logic ASICs at 19.0 percent. LEDs also expanded in the double digits at 11.9 percent. Meanwhile, growth came in at 6.9 percent for display drivers and at 6.1 percent for sensors and actuators.

The only other categories to sustain increases were logic ASSPs and standard logic components.

“Robust growth in smartphones and media tablets was key to driving growth opportunities for logic ASICs, CMOS image sensors and sensors essential to enabling new and attractive features in the exciting wireless market. LEDs also have been boosted by their continued adoption in LCD TV backlight and general purpose lighting applications.”

Veredus Laboratories today announced that the current version of VereFlu detects the current subtype of H7N9 (Avian Flu) that is responsible for the flu outbreak in China. H7N9 is the latest mutation to cause concern and increased surveillance in the region. Launched in 2008 and built on the STMicroelectronics lab-on-chip platform, VereFlu run on Veredus’ VerePLEXTM biosystem is the market’s first test to integrate two powerful molecular biological applications, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and a microarray, onto a Lab-on-Chip platform.

Detect avian flu
Veredus uses STMicroelectronics’ lab-on-chip platform to detect avian flu.

VereFlu is a portable lab-on-chip application for rapid detection of all major influenza types at the point of need. Unlike existing diagnostic methods, VereFlu is a breakthrough molecular diagnostic test that can detect infection with high accuracy and sensitivity, within two hours, providing genetic information on the infection that traditionally could take days to weeks to learn. With its high level of automation, users outside the traditional lab environment can easily perform the tests at the point of need. In addition to the current H7N9 Avian Flu, VereFlu is proven to identify and differentiate human subtypes of Influenza A (H1, H3, H5, H7, H9) and B viruses, including the Avian Flu subtype H5N1, and the 2009 pandemic H1N1/2009, all in a single test.

“After learning of the outbreak in China, we have confirmed that our current VereFlu influenza panel is able to detect the subtype of H7N9 responsible for this outbreak in addition to other human flu A and B infections,” said Rosemary Tan, chief executive officer of Veredus. “This confirms our vision when we designed the panel for the need to have a multiplexed molecular test to detect not only the typical seasonal influenza subtypes but also novel emerging subtypes, including the current H7N9 subtype, capable of making the jump from animals to humans.”

Veredus specializes in the development, manufacture, and marketing of innovative multiplexed molecular solutions in the clinical, specialty, and custom testing markets based on STMicroelectronics’ proprietary Lab-on-Chip platform. The Lab-on-Chip platform, marketed as the VerePLEXTM biosystem, combines Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) with micro-fluidics to integrate multiplexed DNA amplification with microarray detection for rapid, cost-effective, and accurate analysis of biological materials.

From smart wristwatches that record heart rates, to intelligent armbands that track physical activities, wearable electronics and fitness monitoring devices are attracting increased attention from health-conscious consumers, causing shipments of MEMS sensors used in these products to more than quadruple in just five years.

Starting with a stable base in the $20.0 million range, revenue for MEMS motion sensors in wearable electronics and fitness monitoring is set to climb to $31.0 million this year and then jump 33 percent to $41.3 million in 2014, according to the IHS iSuppli MEMS and Sensors service from information and analytics provider IHS. An even larger increase, equivalent to 47 percent, will occur in 2015 when takings amount to $60.8 million.

“The biggest leap will occur in 2016 when annual revenue rises 50 percent to $91.5 million,” said Marwan Boustany, senior analyst for MEMS & sensors at IHS. “That means the market by then will have expanded by more than a factor of four from $20.8 million in 2011.”

The below figure presents the IHS forecast of global MEMS shipments for wearable electronics and fitness monitoring devices.

MEMS sensors in fitness monitoring devices and wearable electronics

Two trends are spurring demand for wearable and mobile health technology, in turn fueling the MEMS motion sensor market for wearable and mobile health devices, said Boustany. “One trend is the higher average life expectancy of people all over the world, coupled with the amplified prevalence of illnesses like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The second trend arises from greater awareness in the population of health, fitness and wellness issues—indicated by the rapid growth in demand for healthy nutrition, diet programs, gym memberships and even health-based mobile applications.”

Activity monitors such as the FitLinxx Pebble and Fitbug, for instance, are increasingly finding their way into consumers’ hands as employers seek to augment their corporate wellness strategies, noted Shane Walker, senior manager for consumer and digital health research at IHS. “In the United States, this is due in part to the growth of consumer-directed healthcare plans and the Affordable Care Act, which is incentivizing insurers. These corporate programs are opening yet another channel of distribution for new monitoring devices,” he said.

Market drivers and the top wearable electronics devices

“Several factors overall will help drive the market for wearable electronics and fitness monitoring devices,” Boustany said. “For one, the sensor technology has reached a state of maturity, having been introduced to consumers via smartphones and their use of accelerometers, gyroscopes and electronic compasses. The billions of sensors consumed by smartphones to date, meanwhile, have served to lower the average selling prices of the sensors and improved their production. A significant market stimulus also comes from patients diagnosed with health issues related to the lack of exercise, encouraged by their doctors—or in some cases, their employers—to track activity and manage their condition.”

Other important drivers are the proliferation and suitability of the Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 communication protocol, as are the efforts of sensor manufacturers in combining and miniaturizing sensor technology.

For the latter, sensor fusion technology conjoined with small combo sensors—such as 9-axis inertial measurement units from French-Italian maker STMicroelectronics, California-based InvenSense and Bosch of Germany—make it easier than ever to incorporate motion sensors in a wide range of wearable devices.

Development kits proposed by sensor suppliers like InvenSense have likewise stimulated the imagination of designers for sports applications. Here new products are emerging, such as ski and snowboard goggles with motion sensors to monitor jump heights and the speed of runs, as well as 9-axis motion tracking armbands to improve swimming technique.

Electronics ready to wear

At the end of 2016, the top wearable electronics device overall for MEMS motion sensors will be activity monitors. Already in big demand today, the device features a built-in accelerometer to monitor movement and provide feedback, such as for calorie consumption.

Pedometers will rank second, helping to determine the number of each steps a person takes and popular as an exercise measuring device; followed by smart watches and smart glasses as the next largest application. In the smart watch category, Apple is rumored to be launching an iWatch soon, and both Google and Samsung are also looking to enter the segment.

While all the pieces are in place for the wearable technology and mobile health market to prosper, the mass adoption of activity monitors and similar devices will depend on the success of companies to move to so-called true lifestyle products. The devices by that point will be fashionable, resemble jewelry being worn or remain inconspicuous, allowing the wearer to integrate the gadgets with normal clothing and other accessories. The products should also be easy to use, reliable and competitively priced in order to maximize penetration among consumers.

Growth of the wearable electronics and fitness monitoring market will, in turn, provide good revenue opportunities for MEMS motion sensor manufacturers.

U.S. television shipments are forecast to decline for a second year in a row in 2013, but growth will resume next year as the liquid crystal display television (LCD TV) segment regains some of the strength it had lost in the past year.

Shipments in 2013 of televisions into the U.S. market will amount to a projected 36.6 million units, compared to 37.6 million last year, according to an IHS iSuppli U.S. Television Market Tracker Report from information and analytics provider IHS. The anticipated 2.7 percent contraction will be smaller than the 5.8 percent slide suffered by the industry in 2012 when domestic TV shipments retreated from 39.9 million units in 2011. However, it will mean that shipments will have declined for two straight years by the time 2013 is over.

Despite the current negative picture, the industry is poised to see expansion return next year as shipments tick up to 37.8 million units, marking the beginning of at least a four-year run of steady growth, as shown in the below figure.

US TV market

“U.S. television demand is being hit by the double whammy of the plunge in both the plasma and LCD TV segments,” said Veronica Thayer, analyst for consumer electronics & technology at IHS. “After peaking in 2010, plasma sales now are on a terminal decline. Meanwhile, the mature U.S. LCD TV market contracted in 2012 as most consumers already own one or more sets.”

Plasma TV shipments last year shrank a steep 24 percent to 3.6 million units compared to their 2011 level, and LCD TV shipments descended 3 percent to 33.8 million units.

But while plasma shipments will continue to be down this year as part of an irreversible trend toward extinction, LCD TV shipments will be up 3 percent, reversing the losses of last year and coming close to the segment’s 2011 shipment level. LCD TV shipments will grow another 6 percent next year, pulling the overall U.S. TV space out of its slump.

Meanwhile, the introduction of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) televisions will start to work its magic on the industry, especially because the advanced sets will sport perfect black colors and much thinner profiles than already slim-based LED-backlit sets. South Korea’s LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics will lob the first volleys in the first half of 2013 by each launching 55-inch models—first previewed in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and vastly different from the tiny 11- and 15-inch OLED TVs shown several years ago.

A total of just 56,000 OLED TVs will ship cumulatively in 2013 and 2014, with sets commanding extremely high retail pricing because of a lack of large-scale manufacturing. But shipment numbers will grow quickly from 2014 onward, jumping to 370,000 by 2015, and then surging to 1.9 million units by 2017. Revenue from OLED TVs could reach as much as 21 percent of the total TV market revenue for that year.

Owing to the high retail price of OLED TVs, this display type will account for a larger percentage of revenue compared to shipments in the total U.S. TV market.