To: mike machi who wrote (624 ) 6/29/2000 12:41:00 PM From: mike machi Respond to of 2260
Corning Introduces High Performance Liquid Crystal Display Glass; EAGLE2000 is Lightest, Most Durable Glass On the Market CORNING, N.Y., Jun 29, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- From pocket PCs to laptops to cell phones, active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCD) are rapidly becoming a part of our daily lives. To keep pace with consumer demand, manufacturers of today's advanced displays and high-tech electronic devices have asked for an AMLCD glass that is lighter, thinner, larger and more durable. Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) is meeting this need by introducing Corning(R) EAGLE2000, a glass that will reduce manufacturing and systems costs for display makers, enhance display performance and enable new product and process innovations. Due to its unique, low-density composition, Corning EAGLE2000 is the lightest AMLCD glass substrate on the market. The new product allows Corning's customers to use thinner glass substrates, ranging from 0.4mm - 0.63mm in thickness versus the conventional 0.7mm product. In combination, these two attributes can reduce the weight of the display glass more than 35%, with minimal impact on the AMLCD manufacturing process. "We expect that Corning's new EAGLE2000 glass will help enable Dell to move to lighter, thinner, and higher resolution portable computers," said Mark Fihn, displays strategist, Dell Computer Corporation. "We are eager to see our AMLCD suppliers' implementation plans for Corning's new glass substrate." While Corning EAGLE2000 provides the lightest solution available today, it also provides additional benefits for rapidly evolving AMLCD manufacturing processes. The new glass substrate has the industry's lowest thermal expansion and the highest durability, creating an opportunity for Corning's customers to optimize their processes for increased yields and productivity, effectively reducing AMLCD manufacturing costs. With its combination of properties, Corning EAGLE2000 will strengthen customers' ability to manufacture larger, lighter, thinner and higher resolution displays more affordably. "As a market leader in AMLCD glass, Corning is once again setting the pace for the industry," said Donald B. McNaughton, general manager, Corning Display Technologies. "Growth of mobile liquid crystal display applications such as notebook PCs and cell phones, and flat panel computer monitors for the desktop have been driving the need for a new, advanced display glass that will enhance both AMLCD portability and manufacturability. Due to a focus on continuous innovation and strong manufacturing expertise, Corning is the only company that has been able to provide its customers with a product that meets these industry requirements." The global market for AMLCD glass is currently estimated at $1 billion and is expected to grow approximately 40% each year through 2002. Corning recently announced $500 million in capital expansions to meet this market demand. Corning's customers have already begun to qualify EAGLE2000 and commercial production is planned to begin later this year. Established in 1851, Corning Incorporated (www.corning.com) creates leading-edge technologies for the fastest-growing markets of the world's economy. Corning manufactures optical fiber, cable and photonic products for the telecommunications industry; and high-performance displays and components for television and other communications-related industries. The company also uses advanced materials to manufacture products for scientific, semiconductor and environmental markets. Corning's revenues in 1999 were $4.7 billion.