韩媒：三星计划向印度或中国公司出售L8-1 LCD设备

据韩媒TheElec最新报道，从知情人处获悉，三星显示器计划向印度或中国公司出售LCD设备。

知情人称，来自印度和中国的公司都表示有兴趣购买三星显示器现已停产的L8-1 LCD生产线上的液晶显示(LCD)设备。据悉，三星显示器之前在L8-1工厂上生产电视和IT产品面板，但该生产线在今年第一季度暂停生产。三星显示器此前曾表示将退出LCD业务。从那时起，该公司就启动了对生产线上的LCD设备的招标程序。消息人士称，目前印度和中国的竞购者都没有明确的决定，不过其指出，由于印度政府计划促进LCD产业的发展，印度公司可能会更积极地购买设备。行业媒体Digitimes在5月时援引印度媒体的报道称，印度政府计划在LCD产业上投入200亿美元，希望为智能手机打造一条Gen 6(1500x1850mm)生产线，为其他产品打造一条Gen8.5(2200x2500mm)生产线。当时报道称，该政策的确切细节将在六个月后公布。不过由于缺乏支持该行业的基础设施，例如随时可用的电力和水，印度尚未在LCD领域取得有意义的进展。然而据印度蜂窝和电子协会 (ICEA)称，当地LCD需求预计将从目前的54亿美元增长到2025年的189亿美元。目前三星显示器在其位于韩国牙山的工厂仅运营一条LCD生产线L8-2，该公司最初打算去年退出LCD业务，但应三星电子电视业务的要求，一直在扩大生产，最后期限现已推迟到2022年。

三星显示器未来将专注于量子点(QD)显示器，例如QD-OLED面板。其L7-1和L7-2等产线分别在2016年和今年第一季度停止运营，L7-1已经更名为A4-1并转换为Gen6 OLED生产线，L7-2正在转换为另一条名为A4E（A4扩展）的第6代OLED生产线。此外，其在中国苏州的另一条Gen8.5 LCD生产线在今年3月出售给了中国企业华星光电。三星显示器L8-1于今年第一季度停产，韩国YMC公司已于7月开始着手拆除已安装的LCD设备。消息人士称，其可能要到明年才能完成其LCD设备的销售。

译自：TheElec

Samsung Display to sell unused LCD equipment to Indian or Chinese companies

Companies from both India and China have shown interest in buying Samsung Display’s liquid crystal display (LCD) equipment at its now-defunct L8-1 LCD production line, TheElec has learned.

L8-1 line was previously used by the South Korean display panel maker to manufacture panels for TV and IT products, but the line went offline during the first quarter of this year. Samsung Display has previously said it was exiting its LCD business.

Since then, the company has started a bidding process for the LCD production equipment at the line.

There is no clear favorite among the bidders from India and China at the moment, sources said.

However, companies from India are likely to be more aggressive in purchasing the equipment as the government there is planning to promote their LCD industry, they said.

According to a report by Digitimes in May, which cited Indian media, the Indian government is planning to spend US$20 billion on LCD projects.

The report at the time said the precise details of the policy would be announced six months later.

It said the Indian government was hoping to build a Gen 6 (1500x1850mm) line for smartphones and Gen 8.5 (2200x2500mm) lines for other products.

The LCD equipment at Samsung Display’s L8-1 line is for Gen 8.5 substrates.

China is currently the dominant country when it comes to the LCD industry, thanks to an aggressive push by companies there such as BOE and CSOT.

Meanwhile, India is yet to make meaningful inroads in the LCD space due to a lack of infrastructure that can support the industry, such as readily available electricity and water.

However, according to India Cellular and Electronics Association, local LCD demand is expected to grow to US$18.9 billion in 2025 from its current US$5.4 billion.

Samsung Display’s sales of its LCD equipment will likely be not wrapped up until next year, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the company is only operating one LCD line, L8-2, at its plant in Asan, South Korea.

The firm initially intended to wrap up its exit from the LCD business last year but had been extending production from the request of Samsung Electronics’ TV business.

The deadline for the exit has now been pushed back to 2022.

Instead of LCD, Samsung Display is aiming to focus on Quantum Dot (QD) displays such as QD-OLED panels.

Previously, other lines such as L7-1 and L7-2 halted operations in 2016 and during the first quarter this year, respectively. Since then, L7-1 has been renamed A4-1 and converted to a Gen 6 OLED line.

The company is currently converting L7-2 to another Gen 6 OLED line named A4E(A4 Extension).

L8-1, which is a Gen 8.5 line, halted production during the first quarter this year. Component company YMC had started dismantling the installed LCD equipment in July. The process will be wrapped up in May next year. L8-2 is currently manufacturing LCD panels.

Meanwhile, Samsung Display sold another of its Gen 8.5 LCD line at Suzhou, China, to CSOT in March.