News

LG.Philips LCD Announces Start of Mass Production at Its Sixth-Generation TFT-LCD Factory; New 'P6' Fab is First in World to Use 1500 X 1850 mm Substrates (28/9/2004)

LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LPL, KSE: 034220), one of the world's leading manufacturers of thin-film-transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) technology, today announced that its new sixth-generation TFT-LCD fabrication plant, "P6", began mass production last month.

Located in Gumi, South Korea, "P6" will produce TFT-LCDs for large and wide LCD TVs and desktop monitors, with a strong focus on 32- , 37-, and 42-inch wide screens for TV applications as well as large and wide PC monitors, such as 17-inch. Currently in the first phase of ramp-up, "P6" will reach its full-production capacity of 90,000 sheets per month, which represents approximately 250,000 square meters of input glass, by the third quarter of 2005 -- reinforcing LG.Philips LCD's position as one of the world's leading suppliers of large-sized TFT-LCDs. The state-of-the-art "P6" is the first factory in the world to use 1500 x 1850 mm glass substrates, which will increase factory productivity and panel throughput of large and wide TFT-LCD production.

According to LG.Philips LCD, the new "P6" plant is equipped with the latest cutting-edge LCD manufacturing equipment. Amongst many of its world firsts, the fab is the first sixth-generation factory to apply new technologies including one-drop fill (ODF) technology without pre-cutting the substrate glass.

"We are excited about the ramp-up of our new 'P6' plant," said Ron Wirahadiraksa, chief financial officer of LG.Philips LCD. "The plant, which began depreciation in August, is the first sixth-generation factory to exist outside of Japan. This fab represents a significant step forward in manufacturing and innovation, and follows a tradition of record-setting production ramps that LG.Philips LCD experienced in its world's first fourth- and fifth-generation factories in 2000 and 2002, respectively. With 'P6' online, LG.Philips LCD will be able to realize better efficiency in producing large and wide TV panels and continue to deliver the highest-quality products to our leading consumer electronics customers around the world.

"We believe that LG.Philips LCD's past, proven ability in and ongoing commitment to cost reduction is critical in an environment where we see prices continue to decrease faster than anticipated. We are continuing to work closely with our customers and maintain our commitment to manufacturing excellence," concluded Mr. Wirahadiraksa.

www.lgphilips-lcd.com