Novatek Microelectronics is expected to have monthly shipments of one million LCD driver ICs for handset applications in the fourth quarter of this year, as the LCD driver IC firm recently received product approval from Motorola, according to market sources.
Novatek began volume shipments of handset-use LCD driver ICs in the third quarter of 2004. In addition to the handset segment, Novatek is a leading global LCD driver IC supplier for monitor and notebook applications. Sources in the industry anticipate Novatek will grab a 20% share of the global LCD driver IC market in 2005, up six-percentage points from last year.
Merrill Lynch recently upgraded its rating for Novatek from “neutral” to “buy”, buoyed by a positive outlook for the firm’s TV- and handset-use driver IC segments. The firm led the large-size LCD driver IC segment in the second quarter of this year, with a 22.5% market share, Merrill Lynch estimates.
|
Novatek: Revenue contribution by LCD driver IC segment | |||||
|
|
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005e |
2006f |
|
Large-size TFT LCD panel |
52.5% |
65.6% |
64.1% |
72.7% |
72.8% |
|
Small-to-medium TFT LCD panel |
6.2% |
8.4% |
11.4% |
8.9% |
11.8% |
|
STN panel |
6.2% |
8.4% |
10.8% |
7.2% |
6.6% |
|
Total |
64.9% |
82.5% |
86.3% |
88.7% |
91.2% |
Source: company and Merrill Lynch estimates, compiled by DigiTimes, August 2005.
|
Large-size LCD driver IC market: Leading companies in 2Q05 | |||
|
Region |
Driver IC firm |
Monthly shipments (million units) |
2Q market share* |
|
South Korea |
Samsung Electronics |
30 |
19.5% |
|
Magnachip |
10 |
6.5% | |
|
Taiwan/ Hong Kong |
Novatek |
35 |
22.5% |
|
Himax |
20 |
13.0% | |
|
Winbond |
3 |
1.9% | |
|
DenMOS |
3 |
1.9% | |
|
Solomon |
1 |
0.3% | |
|
Japan |
NEC |
28 |
18.2% |
|
Sharp |
7 |
4.5% | |
|
Oki |
8 |
5.2% | |
|
Others |
10 |
6.4% | |
|
Total |
154 |
100.0% | |
Source: Merrill Lynch, compiled by DigiTimes, August 2005.
*Merrill Lynch estimate
|
Novatek: Market share in TV- and handset-use LCD driver IC market | |||
|
|
1H05 |
2005e |
2006f |
|
TV driver IC |
12-15% |
13% |
16% |
|
Revenue contribution |
- |
13.6% |
23.7% |
|
Handset TFT driver IC** |
1% |
0.6% |
2.8% |
|
Revenue contribution |
- |
2.8% |
5.7% |
Source: Merrill Lynch estimates, compiled by DigiTimes, August 2005.
* Based on 2005 shipment forecast of 263 million units and 514 million units for 2006
**Based on 2005 shipment forecast of 390 million units and 510 million units for 2006
Article translated by Jessie Shen and edited by Michael McManus
