INDUSTRY NEWS

DISPLAY WORKS 99

Tech meeting to tackle cost and substrate issues

Cutting production costs and moving to the use of larger and thinner substrates are just two of the hot topics slated for discussion during a manufacturing technology conference at Display Works 99. Conference participants gathering in San Jose for the fourth annual event will also have the opportunity to ponder throughput, increasing pixel densities, environmental issues, and CIM basics. The conference and trade show is set for February 1-5 at the city's convention center.

One session of the technology conference will focus solely on display substrates. LG Semiconductor and Lam Research will present a paper describing the use of dry etching to pattern aluminum-neodymium gate lines on large-area FPD substrates. A presentation from Corning will compare the strengths of 0.5- , 0.7- , and standard 1.1-mm display glass. Thin-film materials and deposition are additional topics on the agenda. Sang Wan Lee, senior executive managing director of Samsung Electronics, will deliver the keynote address. He will discuss the manufacturer's Cut Down 40 program, which was instituted to reduce the South Korean company's production costs.

The sponsors of Display Works 99—USDC, SEMI, and SID—expect more than 2500 industry professionals from around the world to attend the show. Approximately 100 equipment, services, and materials exhibitors will also be on hand. That total includes a few first-time exhibitors, SEMI says. In addition, display manufacturers such as Compaq, dpiX, Electronic Billboard, and Samsung will showcase their products. The exhibition is slated for February 3-4.

According to USDC, the global FPD market, valued at $13.8 billion in 1998, is predicted to increase to $20.6 billion by 2002. Despite the forecast, the consortium notes that last year was a rocky one for many display manufacturers. Citing market research, USDC says the annual value of LCD shipments declined for the first time because excess capacity caused display prices to plummet.

The industry's troubles have been compounded by the effects of the Asian recession. In particular, USDC says the expected ramp-up of plasma-display manufacturing has been delayed repeatedly because of the inability to reduce production costs and find capital to build high-volume plants. Related problems forced the closure of two North American manufacturers of custom military, aerospace, and industrial displays, USDC notes.

Cosponsor SEMI has a more upbeat assessment on the eve of the show. "The timing of this year's Display Works is excellent," declares Tom Reed, vice president of the trade association. He says the spread of flat-panel displays into mobile computer, telecommunications, and desktop computing "is driving near-term demand well beyond current capacity, signaling the potential for significant capacity buys in 1999."

Acknowledging that the U.S. industry is "still in its infancy," Reed says encouraging signs abound. Perhaps the most important was the November announcement that Candescent Technologies has begun construction in San Jose of the largest FPD plant outside of the Far East. Measuring 340,000 sq ft, the $400-million facility will be used to make Candescent's ThinCRT displays for desktop and notebook computers. Candescent will house its headquarters at the site, which the company says is the first advanced fab built in the Silicon Valley in more than 10 years. Initial capacity will be 350,000 14.1-in. displays annually, with the capability to reach 1 million in full production.

Additional highlights of this year's Display Works are:

• A business conference, titled Display Applications for the New Millennium, which will address future FPD applications. The keynote speaker is John Medica, vice president of worldwide procurement for Dell Computer. The conference is scheduled for 8 a.m.-5 p.m., February 2.

• Meetings hosted by SEMI's International Standards Program, February 1-2. Topics will include material handling and transport, glass substrates, and facilities and safety.

• A "special guest speaker" from Industrial Light & Magic, computer effects contributor to eight of the top 15 box office hits. The speaker will address the industry banquet scheduled for February 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Further information on Display Works 99 can be found on the USDC Web site at http://www.usdc.org or by calling 408/277-2400. The contact for conference information is Mark Goldfarb, 212/460-9700; fax, 212/460-5460. SEMI's URL is http://www.semi.org.

MicroHome | Search | Current Issue | MicroArchives
Buyers Guide | Media Kit