Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) was aiming to stand in the worldwide top-five LED player position.
TSMC noted, Royal Philips Electronics, Osram, Cree, Nichia and Toyoda Gosei were the top-five LED players in the world. And their top-five LED position was expected to change as the LED lighting market was developing. There would be more LED players entering the new top-five.
TSMC's LED R&D center would be completed at the end of 2010 and start mass production in the first half of 2011. TSMC would use silicon, without using sapphire substrate. The company, through a vertical integrated system, would focus on the cost advantages of mass production scales, producing own-brand LED light sources and light engine products and produce LED lighting products.
TSMC additional remarked, with the high price, LED-backlit TV market was expected to have a lower share compared to LCD TV backlighting in 2010 by most players. But LED-backlit TV market share would be able to reach 40% when its prices dropped significantly. So LED players actively expanded their MOCVD sets and developed LED-backlit TV.
However, players did not expect the usage of LEDs in TV backlighting to be reduced through design, resulting in reductions in LED chips. Once LED capacity exceeds demand, the LED lighting market would become the most important growth for LED players.