14 DAY TRIAL // LCD panels productions has become one of the businesses in the technology world, Gen 8 fabs managing to become the preferred route taken by the LCD TV manufacturers, making Korea the main supplier of LCD panels in the world with a 52 percent share in Q3 2010.
These latest findings come from a DisplaySearch report, the market research firm claiming that 41 percent of LCD TV panels were production on Gen 8 lines in Q3 2010.
Furthermore, this share is expected to grow to 42% by the end of Q4 making, a giant leap if you consider that only 35% of LCD TV panels were produced in such facilities in Q2 2010.
“The evolution of fab generations in the TFT LCD industry is not only a shift to larger glass substrates but also involves moves to increase production efficiency.
For example, 32”W LCD TV panels were originally designed to be made in Gen 6 fabs, but more than 70 percent of the 32”W are currently produced in Gen 8 fabs and Gen 6 fabs have gradually shifted to LCD monitor panel production,” said Shawn Lee, senior analyst for TFT LCD production strategy at DisplaySearch.
According to DisplaySearch, production flexibility was further increased by the recent adoption of 0.5 mm glass substrates in Gen 6 and larger fabs, panel makers having now the ability to make notebook and monitor panels in Gen 6+ fabs using the same glass thickness as in smaller fabs.
Moving down the line, Gen 5 fabs dominate the production of netbook and tablet panels, including 10.1-inch and 9.7-inch iPad panels, 89 percent of notebook PC panels (ranging in size from 11.6-inches to 18.4-inches) being also built in Gen 5 fabs.
When it comes down to individual companies, LG Display dominated all the categories that DisplaySearch watches, the Korean company leading in input area, monitor panel production market as well as slate market.