Top trends in large-area TFT-LCD panels

Cost-effective design, power savings and 16:9 aspect ratio remain top development trends in large-area TFT LCD panel manufacturing

DisplaySearch has indicated that cost-effective design, power savings including green solutions, and 16:9 aspect ratio panels for notebook PCs and LCD monitors are the three major development trends in 2009 in its latest Q1'09 Large Area TFT LCD Product Roadmap Report.

The company also reported that these three features are often combined in many new notebook and LCD monitor panels. For LCD TV panels, better image quality such as 120 Hz or 240 Hz frame rates and power-saving technologies are the major development directions.

The Q1'09 Large Area TFT LCD Product Roadmap Report indicated the following important trends in panel makers' product and technology roadmaps:

* Korean panel makers are combining double frame rate (100 Hz/120 Hz) with edge-type LED backlights to achieve power saving and better picture performance while limiting the added cost. Samsung's 40"W, 46"W, 52"W and 55"W, as well as LG Display's 32"W, 37"W, 42"W, 47"W and 55"W are all examples of this trend. Taiwanese panel makers AUO and CMO are following suit.

* Panel makers think monitor panels are moving to 16:9 formats, including 15.0"W, 15.6"W, 18.4"W, 21.6"W, 24"W and 27"W Full HD. Gen 6 or larger fabs were originally designed for making TV panels, so they have an advantage for these panel sizes.

* Samsung will produce 18.5"W and 21.5"W 16:9 monitor panels on its Gen 8 line from Q1'09, and 20"W will be produced in Gen 7. 18.5"W panels can be cut 50-up from a Gen 8 substrate; 21.5"W is 35 cut on Gen 8.

* To deal with monitor panels moving to 16:9 and Gen 6 production, all three Gen 5 owners in China (SVA NEC, BOE and InfoVision) are aggressively developing 16:9 notebook PC panels including 13.3"W, 14.0"W and 15.6"W, and 10.1"W for mini-note PCs.

* With the introduction of GIP (gate in panel) or so-called gateless technology for TFT LCDs, panel makers can remove gate driver ICs to reduce cost, as well as the border around the display—enabling Samsung to reach 18-up panelization of 16"W notebook panels on its Gen 5.

* Following TMD Display and HannStar, panel makers like Samsung, AUO, LG Display, CMO, CPT, BOE and InfoVision are developing 11.6"W 16:9 notebook panels.

* More panel makers will introduce LED backlights in monitor panels during 2009. Taiwanese and Korean panel makers are rapidly adopting LED backlights in 16:9 monitor panels. Samsung, LG Display and CMO will introduce RGB LED backlights for high-end models.

* Following Samsung, LG Display, AUO, CMO and CPT are all developing 20" W HD+ (1600 × 900 pixels) monitor panels. This format is gradually replacing 19"W panels for monitors. Meanwhile, in order to achieve power savings, such panels use two CCFLs, rather than four.

* Samsung continued to be the only notebook panel maker to develop 13.4"W 16:9 panels, as LG Display, CPT, AUO, CMO, BOE and InfoVision all chose 13.3"W 16:9 as the main size for the 13" notebook segment. Meanwhile, Samsung and LG Display are developing 17.3"W 16:9 panels aimed at desktop replacement notebook PCs.

* Panel makers are increasingly developing LED backlight monitor panels, including AUO, CMO, CPT, and Innolux at 18.5"; AUO, CPT and Innolux at 21.5"W; LG Display and CMO at 22"W; Samsung and Innolux at 23"W; Samsung and LG Display at 24"W; and AUO and CMO at 23.6W".