The Display Group of Hitachi, Ltd. has decided to construct a new TFT LCD production
line (the V3 line) in Mobara-shi, Chiba Prefecture, in response to the rapidly expanding
market for these displays.
The V3 line will be used for volume production of TFT LCD products for growth
segments such as large LCD displays for desktop PCs, monitors for digital media
applications, LCD TVs and notebook PCs, and medium- and small-sized LCD for
portable information products.
To start with, around 14 billion yen will be invested in the second half of fiscal 1999 to
construct buildings and develop manufacturing equipment and systems. The V3 line will
be housed in a three-floor structure measuring 187 meters by 80 meters. Construction
will begin at the end of this October, and the new line is scheduled to start up in the
second half of fiscal 2001.
The demand for TFT LCDs with screen sizes over 36 cm (14 inches) is growing at a high
pace, fueled by the increasing use of large displays for notebook PCs and the rapidly
expanding market for desktop PCs with LCD monitors. With manufacturers holding off
on new investment in plant and equipment, the result has been a market shortage of such
products. From the fourth quarter of 1998, this shortage has been particularly marked
with respect to large TFT displays.
Hitachi has been responding to this situation by improvements in productivity to enhance
the production capabilities of the existing TFT LCD production lines (lines V1 and V2)
in Mobara-shi. In the first half of fiscal 1999, additional funds were invested in the V2
line, providing a major increase in TFT LCD production capability. Hitachi is currently
producing about 230,000 units a month (on an output basis). It was decided to build
the new line in order to expand production capacity to meet the future growth in demand.
From the standpoint of higher productivity, the V3 line will use the largest glass plate
size possible, using as a basis the technology developed with the 650-mm-by-830-mm
plates of the V2 line. At present, a plate size of 730 mm by 920 mm is being considered,
which is the industry's largest.
To differentiate its products, Hitachi is gradually incorporating its Super-IPS (In-Plane
Switching) technology into its large TFT displays, resulting in a very wide viewing angle
and fast response speed. To further expand and stabilize its LCD business, Hitachi will
also manufacture smaller TFT displays for portable information devices.
The V3 will be able to produce the smaller displays in addition to the large ones, giving it
the flexibility to meet the needs of various market conditions.
Provided that there is no major change in the market outlook, an additional investment of
some 20 billion yen will be spent on mass-production equipment in the first half of fiscal
2000, and the new line will start volume production in the second half of fiscal 2001.
Market conditions permitting, after the start of production further funds will be invested
in stages to increase production capacity. In accordance with these additional investment
plans, at full operations the input capacity will be approximately 40,000 glass plates a
month.
Outline of V3 line
Location: Mobara-shi, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Investment amount: 14 billion yen in the second half of fiscal 1999. Then,
depending on market conditions, an additional investment of
around 20 billion yen is planned for the first half of fiscal 2000.
Following the start of production, scheduled for the second
half of fiscal 2001, it is planned to invest more funds in stages,
again depending on the state of the market.
Start of construction: End of October 1999
Start of production: Second half of fiscal 2001
Input capacity: Approximately 40,000 glass plates a month at full operations
Production items: Large LCD displays for desktop PCs, monitors for digital
media applications, LCD TVs and notebook PCs, and medium-
and small-sized LCD for portable information products.
Hitachi's TFT LCD business
The V2 line uses what is currently the industry's largest glass plate size (650 mm by 830
mm). One plate is large enough to make nine 31cm (12.1-inch) panels, or six 38 cm (15-
inch) panels, or four 46 cm (18-inch) panels.
The Display Group has Chip on Glass mounting technology, used to meet the compact
form-factor requirements of notebook PCs, and makes a number of key components in-
house, including color filters, LCD drivers and backlights. This ensures Hitachi a stable
supply of high-performance components.
In 1996, the Display Group released the Super-TFT LCD, the first such display to
incorporate IPS, resulting in a wide viewing angle, and currently manufactures 36 cm (14.1-
inch), 38 cm (15-inch) and 46 cm (18.1-inch) models for use as desktop PC monitors. From
this October, the Display Group has started to produce Super-TFT displays that use Super-
IPS technology to provide a further improvement in the image quality by minimizing color
changes at all viewing angles, thereby also helping to differentiate Hitachi's TFT displays
from other companies' products.
|
