Abstract

Outlook for LED Backlight Development in 2008

Notebook PC Panels Pushing Growth in the LED Market

Advantages of LED backlights include their light weight, thinness, and their environmental friendliness, which also happen to be key features of notebook PC market development. As the yield rate of LED backlight use in notebook PCs increases and costs fall to within double that of CCFL, panel makers will become more aggressive in completely replacing CCFL in notebook PC panels with LED backlight modules. Companies including AUO and CMO have already announced that between 2010 and 2012 all of their notebook PCs will be equipped with LED backlights. Therefore, LED growth momentum will come mainly from the notebook PC segment.

LCD Monitor and TV Panels Need to Overcome Cost, Heat Dissipation Issues

LED backlight module costs for LCD monitors and LCD TVs are still 2.5 to five times higher than CCFL costs. As costs are therefore unable to fall, LED adoption in these two products is still low.

Meanwhile, in technology, LED lighting causes overheating. As panels for LCD monitors and LCD TV panels are relatively large, they need a large number of LEDs. A major technology challenge is to effectively dissipate heat generated by LEDs. If costs can be lowered and heat-dissipation issues can be resolved, LED backlights, which feature strong display qualities and are less taxing on the environment, will be better positioned to find large-scale use in LCD monitors and LCD TVs.

RGB LED Backlight Technology In Need of Improvements

Currently, white LED backlighting, which has become a mature technology, is mostly used. White radiation only requires fluorescent powder, and does not need color mixing technologies. Although RGB technology needs mixing color design, color display is better. CMO, Samsung, and others have started to upgrade LED technology. However, besides costs, another obstacle for RGB LED backlights is the degree of difficulty involved in applying this technology into a thin design. RGB LED backlight therefore still needs a period of time before it becomes mature.

Competition between LED and CCFL

LED backlight's advantages in terms of light weight, thinness, and energy saving have caught attention in the notebook PC market. This is especially true for the high-price, high-end market segment, in which LED backlights have become a key selling point for products. However, adoption in mainstream notebook PCs is still limited, while adoption in LCD monitors and LCD TVs is even lower. In 2008 CCFL are still expected to account for approximately 90% of all worldwide large-sized panel (10.4" and larger) shipments.

In terms of advantages and disadvantages of LED and CCFL, LED has the edge in thin and lightweight design and its environmental friendliness. However, CCFL technology is also being aggressively developed towards becoming more suited for thin and lightweight design. In terms of display performance, LED lifespan is not on the same level as LED brightness and quality of single diodes, and this is an area where LED still needs improvement. Therefore, CCFL and LED backlight technology both have room for improvement.

Currently, LED backlights are still unable to move forcefully to the forefront of the industry. Its most maligned problem is that of excessively high costs. In the future, when economies of scale are created for mass production, LED costs will have a chance to fall to the same level as CCFL costs. Only when that happens will makers' willingness to adopt LED technology increase significantly.

Currently, the market for LED backlight application in small- and medium-sized panels and notebook PC panels is better and continues to eat into the CCFL market share. However, in larger panels, such as those for LCD monitors and LCD TVs, it is not yet clear whether LED will be able to compete with CCFL and take away market share.