TFT LCD shipments exceed expectations

MARCH 17--DisplaySearch (Austin, TX), an FPD market research and consulting firm, revealed in its latest Quarterly Large-Area TFT LCD Shipment Report that large-area (10 in. and greater) TFT LCD shipments have risen 15% Q/Q and 27% Y/Y to a record high of 18.7 million units. The Q4'02 results surpassed the 12% Q/Q forecast by 535 K units. Shipments increased at the highest rate over the past four quarters on strong demand from all applications, supported by 20% Q/Q declines in pricing.

By application, Q4'02 resulted in record-high shipments in all applications except for notebook PCs, which were at the second-highest level to date. LCD TVs enjoyed the most dramatic growth at 54%, sequentially, followed by LCD monitor module shipments at 15%, and notebook PCs at 12%. LCD TVs also grew the fastest on a revenue basis, at 56% to $204 million sequentially. Despite strong unit growth and shifts to larger sizes, notebook and LCD monitor module revenues declined Q/Q in Q4'02 at 17% and 7%, respectively, due to 25% and 19% Q/Q ASP declines. The Other Application category, made up mostly of industrial panels, increased at 21% to $140 million.