February 5, 1998 (TOKYO) -- Tsugio Makimoto, Hitachi Ltd.'s senior executive managing director and electronics group president, said the company believes that the market for thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels will improve from the second half of 1998.

"The TFT-LCD market has been stagnant from November 1997. With the popularity of low-priced personal computers in the background, it is mainly super-twisted nematic (STN) types of LCDs that are supporting the LCD business," Makimoto said.

"Starting in the second half of 1998, we can expect the TFT-LCD market to improve, and TFTs will be leading the LCD business," he added.

Makimoto noted that the expected upward trend in the TFT-LCD market is due to larger screen sizes. As screens become larger, the number of panels taken from a base glass substrate will decrease, and thus a supply shortage of TFT-LCDs will likely develop.

(Nikkei Microdevices)