MIC (Market Intelligence Center), part of the Institute of Information Industry and Taiwan's IT industry-research and consulting company, reports that, in the fourth quarter of 2005, owing to end-market demand growth and enhancement in the output and yield rate of new production lines, the shipment volume of Taiwanese large-area TFT (thin-film-transistor) LCDs exceeded 40 million units. With the increased shipment share of larger panels boosting the average selling price, shipment value of these panels also topped the $5 billion mark, for more than 100% year-over-year growth.

Spurred by the strong demand from the notebook-PC market, shipment volume of notebook-PC panels recorded conspicuous growth. The slackening demand in the off-season curbed the growth in the shipment volume of LCD-monitor panels. Due to a large-scale increase in the output and yield rate of the enhanced fifth- and sixth-production lines of the Taiwanese large-area-TFT-LCD-panel industry, plus the higher-than-expected demand for LCD TVs in the end market, shipment volume of LCD-TV panels registered considerable growth.

In the first quarter of 2006, demand from the notebook-PC and LCD-TV markets remained strong. With the replacement cycle having reached its peak, plus the seasonal factor, growth momentum for the LCD-monitor market will slacken. In the second quarter, excepting the LCD-TV market, which should maintain strong growth, the market for notebook-PC and LCD-monitor panels will also slacken.