Sharp starts operation at the world's first G10 LCD plant
The highly integrated 10th generation LCD factory processes motherglass of 9.0 square metres (2,880 mm x 3,130 mm) which are 60 per cent larger than the sheets used in Sharp’s 8th generation LCD plant, Kameyama II.
Sakai, Hamburg, October 1, 2009 - Sharp Corporation started operations at its new LCD panel plant (Sharp Display Products Corporation) in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Construction on this state-of-the-art manufacturing complex for LCD pan-els and thin-film solar cells*1 began 1 in November 2007.
This LCD panel plant is marking a new era in large displays: it is the first facility in the world to adopt 10th-generation glass substrates. Using Sharp’s proprietary UV2A*2 photo-alignment technology, the plant is capable of producing high-contrast, en-ergy-efficient panels of 40 inches and larger.
“At the new manufacturing complex the unique concentration of specialists, know-how and leading-edge production facilities in one place will enable us to take vertically integrated production to a new level. Apart from significant time and cost benefits, this bears an enormous potential for innovation since significant improvements of LCD technology effects the whole process chain. The outcome is for example our new state-of-the-art LCD TVs,” explains Maximilian Huber, President of Sharp Microelec-tronics Europe.
The new manufacturing complex will bring the world two environmentally friendly product lines: energy-saving LCD panels and energy-creating solar panels, when the thin-film solar cell plant picks up operation in March 2010. In addition the new manufac-turing complex stets benchmarks in resource saving production. Besides implementing similar waste management and water recycling systems like the ones that have proven successful at the Kameyama plant, all factory roofs will be equipped with so-lar panel to generate 18 WM of electricity for the manufacturing complex. Furthermore approximately 100,000 LED lights for both indoors and outdoors will substantially cut down power consumption for illumination to the entire the complex.
*1 The thin-film solar cell plant is scheduled to start operation by March 2010.
*2 Abbreviation of Ultraviolet-induced multi-domain Vertical Alignment.
Overview of Sakai Manufacturing Complex
Location: 1 Takumi-cho, Sakai-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Land area: Approx. 1.27 million m2
LCD Panel Plant
Production capacity: 72,000 substrates per month
(36,000 substrates per month at start of operations)
Glass substrate size: 2,880 x 3,130 mm (10th-generation glass substrate)
Contact:
Sharp Microelectronics Europe
Service hotline: +49 (0)180 507 35 07 (0.14 €/min. from the fixed network of DTAG.)
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Note:
The availability of the products and components mentioned in this press release is restricted to the European markets. For availability of these products and components outside Europe, please check with the Sharp Device Sales Offices in the respective markets.
About Sharp Microelectronics Europe
Sharp Microelectronics Europe, Hamburg, Germany, is a divisional company of Sharp Electronics (Europe) GmbH, which is a subsidiary of Sharp Corporation, Osaka, Japan. Sharp is a worldwide developer of core digital technologies shaping the next generation of electronic ap-plications and products. With a portfolio of more than 2,000 components in the ranges of TFT LCDs in screen sizes up to 108 inches, high brightness white and colour LEDs, optoelectronics, CCD and CMOS camera sensors, photovoltaic components, RF-, IC- und LSI-components as well as advanced packaging and integration skills Sharp Microelectronics Europe offers groundbreaking solutions in particular for appli-cations in automotive electronics, mobile / communications technology, industrial automation, TV- and consumer electronics, e-signage and LED based lighting technology. Sharp is dedicated to the improvement of people’s lives and environmental protection through the use of ad-vanced technologies. Technology and product development at Sharp is strongly determined by innovation, quality, usability and saving of re-sources.
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responsible:
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Ralf Schäfer
Sonninstraße 3
20097 Hamburg
Phone: +49 (040)/2376-2487
Fax: +49 (0)40/2376-15-2487
E-mail: press.sme@sharp.eu
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