Chinese display giant CSOT is continuing to postpone the installation of equipment at its T5 factory dedicated to Gen 6 liquid crystal display (LCD) panel production, TheElec has learned.
This is despite company chairman Li Dongsheng making a personal visit to South Korea during the summer when he asked CSOT’s South Korean display equipment makers for an understanding of the recent delays.
T5 is planned to manufacture Gen 6 (1500x1850mm) low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) thin-film transistor (TFT) LCD panels for use in high-end IT devices and automobiles.
CSOT is planning to build the factory in two phases, with each phase adding 15,000 substrates per month in capacity.
The company had placed orders for both phases, but the delivery and placement of equipment for the second phase is being continuously postponed.
CSOT had also planned to add a MicroLED backplane line with a capacity of 15,000 substrates per month but this plan has been postponed indefinitely, the sources said.
South Korean kit makers ICD and Viatron have been affected by the delay. ICD said back in September that the deadline for its 17.7 billion won contract with CSOT has been delayed.
Viatron said earlier this month that the deadline for its 14.6 billion won contract with the Chinese display panel maker has been pushed back from the end of this month to December of next year.
Sources said other South Korean equipment makers were also in talks for further postponement of deadlines.
CSOT is likely making delays due to the downturn in the global LCD market.
