Side-light progressive LED large-size backlight mainstream

Xu Meiwen, IDC Global Display Industry Research Manager

TFT-LCD is the mainstream technology of display panel (Panel), and has been widely used in mobile phones, digital cameras, notebook computers, LCD monitors and LCD TVs. However, TFT-LCD panels cannot be self-illuminated and must be backlit. Module to provide the light source. In the direct-lit and side-lit backlight designs, the side-lit type has gradually become the mainstream of LED large-size backlights.

Longitudinal connection

In the industrial supply chain of LED (SupplyChain), in addition to the original LED chips and packaging manufacturers, the major panel manufacturers are also actively deploying upstream. For example, Samsung Electronics and Samsung Motor Samco jointly establish LED factory, LGD investment Innotek AUO invested in Ronda, Willie League, Chi Mei Investment, Qi Yao and Qi Ling. In addition, LED upstream and downstream cooperation is not uncommon, including AUO and TCL cooperation backlight module, Yiguang will cooperate with Ruixuan, LGDisplay joint venture LED packaging factory, Jingyuan Optoelectronics and UMC joint venture Shandong Guanhao Optoelectronics will be packaged by Lite-On. LED manufacturers have grasped the market opportunities for LCD panel backlights through upstream and downstream investment and strategic alliances. However, this move has also created barriers for LED manufacturers that have not yet entered the supply chain.

Low-consumption ultra-thin side light becomes a trend

Technically, the design of LED backlight modules can be divided into two main types, namely direct type and side light type. Since the direct type backlight module needs to use a large number of LED chips, it is better in brightness and color performance, but it is inferior to the edge-light type backlight module in terms of price, power consumption and thin design, so in recent years, the edge-lit backlight module is at a price. With the advantage of power consumption, it has gradually become mainstream.

The design trend of LEDlightbar (light tube) of backlight module is to gradually reduce the number of lamps, so that the number of LED tubes used in one backlight module is reduced from 6 to 4, and then down to both sides with a single strip. In the end, it is expected that the LED chip with high luminous efficiency will be reduced to one lamp on one side by the help of the light guide plate and the brightness enhancement sheet.

Green energy saving and environmental protection make LED jump mainstream

Driven by the trend of environmental protection and energy conservation, Light-Emitting Diode has replaced cold in the market of small and medium-sized panels and notebook computers (NotebookPCPanels) due to its advantages of light weight, no mercury and low power consumption. The cathode lamp CCFL (ColdCathodeFluorescentLamp) has become the mainstream backlight source. As the price difference between LED and CCFL backlight module panels is gradually narrowing, LCD monitors and LCD TV panel backlight modules will also adopt LED as the main light source in the next three years, which has become the main driving force for the development of LED industry in recent years. Notebook computers, LCD monitors, and LCD TVs have become the main markets for large-size LCD panel LED backlight modules.

Laptop PC (PortablePCMarket) is the earliest product in the large-size panel using LED as the backlight. It is expected that the proportion of LED backlight module will reach 96% in 2010, and will be replaced with the old notebook model (Model). The annual LED backlight module will account for 99% of the notebook computer market. In 2012, the proportion of LED backlight modules will be pushed up to 100%.

LCD Monitor Market (LCDMonitorMarket), current stage

18.5-inch LCD monitor panel with LED and CCFL backlight panel sales spread, has dropped from 5 US dollars at the beginning of the year to 3 US dollars, is expected to reach the goal of no price difference in 2010, so LED backlight module in the computer LCD monitor panel The proportion of shipments in the market is expected to increase substantially due to the reduction in the spread.

However, due to the shortage of LED chips in the first half of this year, it is likely that it will affect the production planning of LED backlights in panel manufacturers, resulting in lower than expected LED panel shipments.

LCD TV Market (LCDTVMarket), Samsung (Samsung) is the first to launch and strongly promote LED as a backlight source leader, Samsung's move has greatly driven the adoption of LED backlight modules by other mainstream LCD TV brands. Although the price difference between LCD TVs and CCFL backlight TVs in the retail market is still as high as 50%, the major brands of TVs have adopted LED as backlight in 2010 to consolidate their leading position and image. Source LCD TV. Although LED backlights accounted for only 1.9% of the global LCD TV panels in 2009, it is expected that this proportion will climb to 25% in 2010.

At present, the mainstream LCD TV market is 32 inches, 40 inches / 42 inches, and the shipping area is much larger than that of notebook computers or LCD monitors. Therefore, the number of LED chips required is also doubled, so the backlight module market of LCD TVs is It is regarded as the main driving force for LED growth in recent years.