Samsung SDI Co., an arm of the giant Samsung group, is preparing to mass produce new high-tech computer screen panels under a technological tie-up with American Universal Display Corp., industry sources said Sunday.

The new panels to be made with Universal's patented organic light-emitting diode (OLED) are four times more efficient than "regular" fluorescent materials and make them ideal for portable electronic appliances such as mobile phones.

Industry sources said that Samsung SDI has recently singed a patent sharing contract with Universal, allowing it to begin mass production of the product in 2006. The contract will remain effective until 2010.

Universal Display, which specializes in OLED technology, has a good track record in research and development in this field, according to Samsung SDI officials.

"Because the OLED's 'response speed' is 1,000 times faster than thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), the new technology can improve the quality of moving pictures on handsets and other electronic home appliances which is comparable to that of television," an industry expert said.

The expert also said that the OLCD panel is a third thinner and that much lighter than existing TFT-LCDs.

Industry officials said the mass production of OLEDs is expected to cause a major shift in the global display market. They estimated that the OLED market, which stood at $251.0 million in 2003, grew to $408.0 million in 2004 and could top $616.0 million this year.