Asahi Glass volume producing 7.5G glass substrates in Taiwan

Asahi Glass Fine Techno Taiwan (AFT), a wholely-owned subsidiary of Japan-based Asahi Glass, began volume production at a new plant at the Tree Valley Park near the Tainan Science Park (TSP), Taiwan in April, according to the company.

The new plant is designed to have a full capacity of 200,000 square meters per month and has reached one third of the full capacity at present, AFT said. The new facility will mainly support the 7.5-generation (7.5G) LCD production from Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO). CMO already started producing 7.5G panels in small volumes, added AFT. CMO will have a monthly capacity of 50,000 substrates at the first-phase production at the 7.5G plant by year-end while second-phase volume production is scheduled in the second quarter of 2008, with a designed monthly capacity of 50,000 units, CMO said.

Although industry sources indicated substrate supply is currently running tight, AFT said its shipments are still at a normal level.