CSOT place orders for equipment to use in LCD production 

Chinese display maker CSOT has placed orders for equipment to use in the production of large liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, TheElec has learned.

The company has recently placed orders for use at its Gen 8.6 (2250x2600mm) oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) LCD production line at its T9 factory in Guangzhou, people familiar with the matter said.

Oxide TFT offers fast electron movement and is power efficient. The technology is used in high-end LCD panels __ low-end LCD panels use a-Si TFT. LG Display also sues oxide TFT for the production of its large OLED panels.

South Korean equipment makers Charm Engineering, Top Engineering and DMS have won orders for the project so far.

Charm Engineering said last month that it has won a supply contract worth 13.4 billion won from CSOT.

CSOT currently has very low shares in the LCD market for notebooks, monitors and tablets.

At its T9 factory, the company is planning to manufacture LCD panels for TVs, IT products and automobiles, which means it will be competing with market leaders BOE and LG Display in the sectors.

The factory is designed to have a total capacity of 180,000 Gen 8.6 substrates per month.

The first phase will have a capacity of 99,000 substrates per month; the second phase 81,000 substrates per month. CSOT is aiming to start operations of the factory next year. The first phase will be fully operational during the first quarter of 2024; the second phase during the first quarter of 2025.

CSOT is planning to spend 35 billion yuan on T9; construction began in June last year.