Witsview, a research division of TrendForce, indicates that most major LCD panel manufacturers are at Kansai region, Japan. Therefore, not much damage has been done to LCD panel manufacturers. In regard of relevant product chains of Japanese panel industry such as LCD panel, glass substrate, color filter and polarizer, their manufacturers are located in western Japan, including Osaka, Kobe, Kyushu, and Hiroshima areas.

 

Due to the fact that those areas are far from epicenter, no effects caused by the earthquake has been reported so far. Sharp’s TFT-LCD production line is working smoothly as well.

 

However, the effects caused by the earthquake in Kanto region may inevitably shut down PLD（origin IPS）six-generation fab , which is considered a closed supply chain on account of the fact it mostly supplies Panasonic with LCD TV panels. This IPS-a (a production line for Panasonic’s TFT-LCD), is a six-generation fab in Mobara. So far, every staff member is safe and the cell phone reception is available; only some factories have been affected. As for the effects caused by the earthquake, they are still yet to be estimated.

 

In addition, glass substrate manufacturer AGC owns an old furnace in Yokohama, Kanagawa, which the staff member responds that it needs to wait until March 14th to have an appraisal report regarding the state. The major concern among industry is about Corning Japan located in Kakegawa, Shizuoka, whose capacity accounts for 70% of total capacity of Corning Japan. But on March 11th, Corning issued an statement saying there is no damage regarding staff members and equipment and it should take about half a day to a day on examination before the production line restarts. As for color filter manufacturers Toppan and DNP, which own 3.5-generation ～ 4th-generation in Niigata and Saitama, the states are still indefinite. But due to the fact that they are old generation, it is expected that they will not affect industry supply chain much.

 

Witsview believes that as serious as the outcome caused by earthquake is, in general, it did not harm the core of TFT industry. Therefore, the damage it brings to the panel market is limited.