Global Production Capacity of Large TFT-LCDs Rising Sharply
August 30, 2000 (TOKYO) -- Worldwide production capacity of large thin-film transistor liquid-crystal (TFT-LCD) display modules is expected to reach 300,700 sq. meters a month in the third quarter of 2000, up 44 percent from a year earlier.
The production capacity will likely continue to increase to 480,000 sq. meters a month a year later, in the third quarter of 2001, and to more than 500,000 sq. meters a month in the fourth quarter of 2001, Nikkei Market Access said.
Large TFT-LCDs defined here are those bigger than 10.4 in.
Taiwan's display makers will likely record the largest growth in the world, to make 139,000 sq. meters a month of the product in the third quarter of 2001, up a projected 167 percent on a year-on-year basis. Taiwan's production level will likely increase 174 percent to 160,000 sq. meters in the fourth quarter of the year. This will put Taiwan in a position similar to that of Korea, in terms of production capacity. In this quarter, Taiwan's makers will surpass the level of 30 percent in world market share of large TFT-LCDs.
In the second quarter of 1999, Taiwan-based makers began to operate production lines for large-size TFT-LCD modules. In the year since their market entry, the production capacity of the Taiwan-based makers has gained a market share of 17 percent, as of the third quarter of 2000.
The top maker in Taiwan, and the world's seventh largest is Acer Display Technologies Inc. (ADT), with a capacity of 15,000 sq. meters a month. ADT aims to bring its second large production line into operation in 2001. Its total production capacity will be 32,400 sq. meters a month in the third quarter of 2001, ranking it as the sixth largest producer in the world market.
As of the third quarter of 2000, two Taiwan-based producers, ADT and Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd. (CPT), are positioned among the world's top ten makers in terms of production capacity for large-size TFT-LCD modules.
Two other Taiwan-based makers, Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. and HannStar Display Corp., will make the grade too. Taiwan will thus have four makers ranked among the global top ten makers of TFT-LCDs in the third quarter of 2001.
Graph: Production of large TFT-LCD modules
(in 1,000sqm/month for production capacity, in percentage for year-on-year comparison)
* Figures from 3Q2000 onwards are estimates.
* The production capacity described here is that of large-size TFT-LCD module production lines in terms of consumption of mother glass units. Excluded are production lines at which 80 percent or more of production centers on small and midsize TFT-LCD modules of a size smaller than 10-in.
(Mayumi Amagai, Nikkei Market Access) |
