(iTers News) - TCL Group announced on Wednesday that it has joined forces with its subsidiary CSOT of China and Shenzhen City to invest 46.5 billion yuan (US$6.96 billion) to establish the world’s first 11th generation oxide TFT liquid crystal display, or LCD production facility in Shenzhen, China. The 11th G facility uses 3000m x 3320mm glass substrates.

Slated to start operation in July 2019, the new Shenzhen LCD facility will use oxide-based thin film transistor backplane, a matrix of rows and columns of oxide thin film transistors. Oxide TFTs are faster than current amorphous counterparts in terms of electron mobility, switching on and off pixels faster. The faster pixel switching translates into faster response time to video signal inputs, rendering video contents of lots of actions so fast that they leave little motion blurs.

CSOT 110-inch LCD TV



The faster electron mobility also translates into wider viewing angle. But, it also allows LCD makers to pack more of pixels in a given screen space, because it can shrink the pixel size further without compromising electron mobility. That makes it easier for the makers to produce 40-inch and larger 4K LCD TVs, the bread and butter segment of the global TV market.

According to market research firm IHS, the most prized and popular TV size are in the range of between 40-inch to 40.8-inch or even larger.

The 11th generation of glass substrates is well optimized to produce over 50-inch and larger displays in terms of costs. .

Using oxide TFT as backplane allow the makers to directly pack together gate driver ICs on the backplane itself in what’s called gate on array, or GoA. .

GoA is a technology that integrates gate driver ICs into TFT-Array process, coming with no external gate divers that are used to switch the backplane transistors on or off.

IFA 2012_TCL_ (6)



The integration of gate driver ICs can translate into lower production costs, as it can simplify manufacturing processes cutting short them. It is also a technology enabler to make displays thinner, allowing TV makers to produce narrower-bezel or bezel-less TVs.

The operation of the 11th G facility will give the Chinese LCD maker a chance to undercut Korean makers on costs, as the larger the glass substrate is, the more cost effectively it can produce panels. Ultimately, IHS predicts that Chinese TFT LCD industry will outgrow Korean counterparts as the world’s largest TFT-LCD manufacturing country.

The research firm expects China’s share of global LCD display market share will reach up to 42% in 2018, while Korea’s share will fall to 37%.

IFA 2012_TCL_ (1)

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