AUO takes delivery of 6-G color filter equipment

Taipei, Aug. 3, 2004 (CENS)--The first batch of the sixth-generation color filter production equipment procured by AU Optronics Corp. (AUO), Taiwan's No.1 thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panel maker, arrived in Taiwan late last week.

The four-meter high equipment and related parts were transported by an AN-225, the world's largest extra-large cargo aircraft, and a B 747-400 Jumbo freighter. AUO's new color filter equipment is the world's third, and Taiwan's first, sixth-generation ITO (indium tin oxide) sputter, which features the fastest operation and biggest capacity of its kind in the world.

To meet AUO's size requirement for its sixth-generation substrates (1,500mm x 1,850mm), the new ITO sputter was designed to be 40 meters long and 10 meters wide. The huge machinery can be transported only by the AN-225, which landed on the weekend in Asia for the first time for business purpose.

AUO rented 15 heavy-duty trailer trucks to transport all the body and parts of the equipment from the airport in northern Taiwan's Taoyuan to its sixth-generation TFT-LCD panel plant in Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP).

AUO's sixth-generation plant in the CTSP will use a total of 140,000 tons of steel bars, much more than about 80,000 tons for the Taipei 101 skyrocketing building, the world's tallest building currently. AUO started constructing the facility in late July last year; and completed the main structure six months later. It started constructing the clean-room in March and will kick off production at the new plant in the first quarter next year.

Industry sources said that the Antonov AN-225 is nicknamed as "Mriya" in Russian, or "Dream" in English. The world's largest freighter was designed to transport the Buran space shuttle made by formerly Soviet Union. The big-guy is equipped with six jet aircraft engines, with a length of 84 meters, wing length of 88.4 meters, and can carry 250 tons of cargo.