DisplaySearch announced that strong demand for high performance smartphone displays is driving rapid expansion of Low-Temperature Polysilicon (LTPS)-based LCD and Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED) panel manufacturing capacity.
For more information visit: www.displaysearch.com
Unedited press release follows:
Manufacturing Equipment Spending for LTPS-Based FPDs Forecast to Explode in 2011
Rapid Demand Growth for High-Performance Smart Phone Displays Encouraging Panel Makers to Make Unprecedented Investments in LTPS
Santa Clara, California, February 8, 2011—Low Temperature Polysilicon (LTPS)-based flat panel displays have long been a technology looking for a “killer application.” According to the DisplaySearch Quarterly FPD Supply/Demand and Capital Spending Report, strong demand for high performance smart phone applications is now driving rapid expansion of LTPS-based LCD and AMOLED capacity. Subsequently, spending on equipment used to make LTPS-based displays is expected to surge to an all-time high of $2.4 billion in 2011.
Figure 1: LTPS FPD Manufacturing Equipment Market Revenues
Source: DisplaySearch Q4’10 Quarterly FPD Supply/Demand and Capital Spending Report
“LTPS is an enabling display manufacturing technology, and currently is the only method of mass producing AMOLEDs. LTPS also enables high resolution LCDs with higher transmission and lower power consumption,” explained Charles Annis, DisplaySearch Vice President of Manufacturing Research. “The success of Samsung’s AMOLED-based Galaxy phones and Apple’s LCD-based iPhone 4 have pushed the performance standard of high-end mobile displays to a level that currently only LTPS can meet.”
In 2011, supply of both AMOLEDs and LTPS LCDs are forecast to be extremely tight. Although panel makers are rushing to build new factories as fast as possible, they cannot add capacity fast enough to fulfill demand this year. Much of this year’s new LTPS capacity expected to be added in 2011 won’t ramp to full mass production until next year.
“Not only is the number of new LTPS-related investments extraordinary, but leading panel makers are for the first time ever scaling LTPS technology to Gen 5.5 and larger substrates. The higher cost of specialized tools used to fabricate LTPS on large glass is also a significant contributing factor to the spike in LTPS-related equipment spending,” Annis added.
Looking ahead, DisplaySearch forecasts that LTPS capacity expansions and equipment spending will remain relatively high. How long the trend will continue will likely be determined by the next killer application and by whether LTPS will also enable AMOLEDs to penetrate the large-area TV market.
Discussion of these topics and much more can be found in the DisplaySearch Quarterly FPD Supply/Demand and Capital Spending Report. The report is a comprehensive guide to all the most important metrics used to evaluate supply, demand and capital spending for all major FPD technologies and applications. The report features an enormous amount of analysis critical data in user friendly Excel pivot tables and detailed interpretation of market and technical trends in PowerPoint. For more information about the new and improved DisplaySearch Quarterly FPD Supply/Demand and Capital Spending Report, contact Charles Camaroto at 1.888.436.7673 or 1.516.625.2452, e-mail contact@displaysearch.com, or contact your regional DisplaySearch office in China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan
About DisplaySearch
Since 1996, DisplaySearch has been recognized as a leading global market research and consulting firm specializing in the display supply chain, as well as the emerging photovoltaic/solar cell industries. DisplaySearch provides trend information, forecasts and analyses developed by a global team of experienced analysts with extensive industry knowledge. In collaboration with the NPD Group, its parent company, DisplaySearch uniquely offers a true end-to-end view of the display supply chain from materials and components to shipments of electronic devices with displays to sales of major consumer and commercial channels. For more information on DisplaySearch analysts, reports and industry events, visit us at www.displaysearch.com/. Read our blog at http://www.displaysearchblog.com/ and follow us on Twitter at @DisplaySearch.
About The NPD Group, Inc.
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