Due to strong global demand for LCD TVs, demand for LED backlight units (BLUs) has become robust since the second quarter of 2013 and the booming demand is expected to persist until November, according to Taiwan-based LED makers.
LED epitaxial wafer and chip maker Epistar has indicated that its production capacity for LED chips used in BLUs will be fully occupied in May and possibly in June as well, while fellow maker Formosa Epitaxy said that orders for LED chips used in TV BLUs have significantly increased since March.
LED chip packaging house Unity Opto Technology has obtained orders for BLUs with shipments scheduled through until June and many orders for LED lighting, with total demand approximately twice its existing production capacity, the company indicated. While its shipment proportion of BLUs used in edge-type LED LCD TVs is higher than that for models used in direct-type LED TVs currently, the balance will switch in the second half of 2013, Unity Opto said.
Lextar Electronics is expected to see increasing shipments of BLUs used in Ultra HD TV panels as its parent company AU Optronics will begin shipments in large volumes in the second quarter. An Ultra HD TV panel uses 20-30% more LED chips than a Full HD TV panel of the same size, Lextar noted.
