LTPS and IGZO Production to Grow 150% in 2012: NPD DisplaySearch

Taipei, April 25, 2012 (CENS)--Global production volume of high-level IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) and LTPS (low temperature poly-silicon) TFT (thin film transistor) panels will grow 150% this year to some 14.1 million square meters, while the production value of AMOLED (active matrix organic light-emit diode) panels will double to outstrip US$8 billion, according to NPD DisplaySearch.

The display-market research and consulting firm said that the explosive growth of smartphones and tablets has made high performance TFT technologies, particularly LTPS and IGZO, critical to production of the high-resolution displays used by these devices. These TFT technologies employ high mobility semiconductor materials, which allow panel manufacturers to shrink TFT dimensions and increase light transmission. Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) with greater than 230 ppi (pixels per inch) resolution, such as Apple's Retina Display, are enabled by high transmission because it minimizes power consumption, allowing mobile devices to run longer without recharging.

According to NPD DisplaySearch's previous report, high mobility backplane production is forecast to grow 150% from 5.6 million square meters in 2011 to 14.1 million square meters in 2012. Drivers for this tremendous growth include multiple 5th-generation (5G) and larger LTPS panel plants starting production in 2012, as well as expected IGZO production on existing lines by Sharp, LG Display and Samsung.

In conjunction with more and more cellphone vendors continuing to push low-price smartphone products, NPD Displayserach forecast that global shipments of smartphones would outstrip 600 million units, including about 100 million low-price models.