Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology (TMDisplay) has announced that it will invest about 30 billion yen (US$270 million) to install a new production line to produce LTPS LCD panels at Ishikawa Works to increase production capacity to meet growing demand.
TMDisplay first started operation of its new plant for production of LTPS LCD panels at Ishikawa Works (at Kawakita-machi, Nomi-gun, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan) in April 2006. The new production line will be installed in the new plant to keep pace with the growing demand for small- to medium-size TFT LCD panels, especially for the mobile phone and in-vehicle applications, the company said.
The new line is scheduled to begin operation in October 2007. Production will be steadily increased at Ishikawa Works until a monthly capacity of about 8.5 million LTPS LCDs (in terms of 2.2-inch handset panels) is attained in January 2008, TMDisplay said.
When combined with the operations at Fukaya Works, TMDisplay's total monthly capacity will reach approximately 15 million LTPS LCDs (in terms of 2.2-inch handset panels), the maker said.
In 2005, the market for small- to medium-size TFT LCDs reached 1.84 trillion yen, representing a 16% increase (based on data provided by DisplaySearch), and the market is expected to grow further in a wide variety of applications, including mobile phones, car navigation systems and other vehicle-mounted devices, the company said.
The new line will use a glass substrate measuring 730×920mm with a thickness of 0.5mm – a fourth-generation (4G), thinner glass substrate.
| TMDisplay: New LTPS plant | |
| Outline of project | |
| Location | 26-2 Aza Yamada-Senden, Kawakita-machi, Nomi-gun, Ishikawa Prefecture (within the premises of the existing Ishikawa Works) |
| Building construction | 4-story building of steel frame construction (the new plant construction building) |
| Total floor area | 34,245 square meters (the new plant building) |
| Start of construction | December 2006 |
| Start of operation | October 2007 |
| Substrate size (mm) | 730×920 |
| Additional capacity | >12,000 glass substrates per month; about three million 2.2-inch handset panels per month |
| Total capacity | >32,000 glass substrates per month; about 8.5 million 2.2-inch handset panels per month |
Source: Company, compiled by DigiTimes, November 2006.
Article translated by Rodney Chan and edited by Carrie Yu
