Aug 17, 2000

In an effort to meet increasing market demand in both information appliance (IA) and GPS (global positioning system) products, Acer Display Technology Inc. will begin production of 10-inch TFT-LCD panels soon, K.Y. Lee, chairman of the firm, said Wednesday.

The largest TFT-LCD manufacturer in Taiwan, Acer Display will reach a total production volume of one million glass substrates in the second half of August, with major product lines concentrating on 13.3-inch, 14.1-inch, and 17-inch TFT-LCDs. The production of 10-inch panels will further build up a full product line, Lee said.

Formal production of small numbers of 15-inch TFT-LCD panels will begin in November. The firm will also venture into the research and development of small-sized TFT-LCD panels, which are mainly sold by Unipac Optoelectronics Corp. and Prime View International Co. currently.

Beginning early in 2001, the firm will enter mass production of its 15-inch TFT-LCD panels. Other specifications will be debuted next year.

Acer Display has not yet set up a real production schedule for the production of its small-sized TFT-LCD panels, but anticipates that market demand for GPS panels will increase dramatically in the near future. The market demand for TFT-LCD panels ranging from 8- to 10-inch products will also grow sharply soon, according to Lee.