TFT LCD glass substrate supply will continue to fall short of demand by 10-20% through 2005, according to Michael Wang, a Taiwan-based Photonics Industry and Technology Development Association (PIDA) analyst.
Total worldwide capacity for fifth-generation (5G) and more advanced glass substrates, estimated at an 80% yield rate to be 7.78 million square meters for the first quarter of 2004, will fall 13.6% short of estimated demand for nine million square meters for the period. Tight supply will persist through the fourth quarter of 2005, he said.
|
5G and above TFT LCD glass substrate supply*/demand gap | ||||||||
|
|
2004 |
2005 | ||||||
|
1Q |
2Q |
3Q |
4Q |
1Q |
2Q |
3Q |
4Q | |
|
Gap |
(13.6%) |
(19.7%) |
(18.3%) |
(20.5%) |
(12.9%) |
(17.1%) |
(19.5%) |
(23.3%) |
Source: PIDA, compiled by DigiTimes, January 2004.
*Based on an 80% yield rate.
|
Glass substrate makers | ||||
|
|
Furnaces |
2003 full-year capacity (million square meters) |
Expansion plan |
Expanded capacity (million square meters) |
|
Corning Glass |
20 |
30 |
Add 8-10 furnaces in Taiwan and about the same number in South Korea through 2005 |
54-60 |
|
Asahi Glass Company |
4 |
10 |
Add four million square meters of capacity in Yunlin County, Taiwan by the end of 2004 |
14 |
|
NH Techno Glass (NHT) |
6 |
9 |
Add 1.5 million square meters to total capacity by the end of 2004 |
10.5 |
|
Nippon Electric Glass (NEG) |
5 |
0.6 |
Expand to 0.8 million square meters in 3Q 2004 and one million square meters in 3Q 2005 |
1 |
Source: companies, compiled by DigiTimes, January 2004.
Article translated by Carrie Yu and edited by Richard So
