Corning's Japan plant makes 6th generation glass substrates

27 June 2003 04:16  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (CNI)--Corning Inc is producing the world's first and only commercially available thin film transistor (TFT) grade Generation 6 glass substrates for active matrix liquid crystal displays (LCD), the company said on Friday.

Corning's Shizuoka facility in Japan is the first of several planned investments by the company in new Generation 6 substrate production.

The large sheets of glass measure approximately 1500mm by 1800mm, or roughly five feet by six feet, at 0.7mm and thinner. The industry-wide migration by LCD manufacturers to large generation substrates will drive adoption of LCD technology in the desktop monitor and television market segments, Corning said.

"Larger size glass substrates translate into increased output and streamlined production costs for display manufacturers, as well as enable the production of larger screen sizes demanded by the TV industry," said James Clappin, general manager of Corning Display Technologies.

Corning is now the leading supplier of Generation 5 glass substrates used in the production of LCD monitors, notebook computers and LCD televisions. Generation 6 glass has 90% more display area per substrate than Generation 5, which was introduced in 2002.

Two of the world's top LCD manufacturers have already said they will open new Generation 6 LCD fabricating facilities, or fabs, in the coming year. Sharp Corp in Japan will ramp-up the industry's first Generation 6 LCD fab starting in the second half of this year, followed shortly thereafter by LG Philips in South Korea. Several other manufacturers have also said they will open Generation 6 fabs in Asia by 2005.

Corning is already developing Generation 7,  approximately six feet by seven feet, size glass substrates for its customers.

To meet the increasing demand for LCD glass, Corning is adding manufacturing capacity in 2003 in Taiwan, Japan and the US. Taiwan's LCD industry has more than doubled in production volume over last year, making it one of the fastest growing markets for large LCD glass substrates worldwide, Corning said.

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