(Image: LEDinside)

Taiwan-based sapphire substrate supplier Crystalwise Technology suffered a loss per share of NTD 2.99 in the past three quarters in 2017 mainly due to the low price of patterned sapphire substrates (PSS). The market has gone through a reshuffle and gradually turned healthy in recent years.

Crystalwise enhances production of filter devices in an attempt to enter the wireless communication market, in which the demand will grow as 5G will be adopted next year.

The company is also able to produce 6-inch polished wafers for Micro LED. With competitors gradually bottoming out, it seems to be the only one 6-inch wafer supplier in Taiwan. It has potential to secure the leading position when the market expands.

2017 is still a tough year for Crystalwise judging by its overall performance. It expects to see better performance in 2Q18.

The overall demand for LED sapphire substrates is steadily going up, most notably in the LED lighting market; while, the supply side sees an opposite dynamic. Since the price of sapphire substrate started to plummet, pressure on sapphire substrate suppliers became heavier. Many companies saw severe decline in revenue and chose to exit the market. After the radical reshuffle, the market returned to a healthy state.

Currently, 70-80% of Crystalwise Technology’s shipment are patterned sapphire substrates, most of which are in a size of 4 inches. The company will raise its production of 6-inch wafers to optimize its product mix. It also considers tapping into the Micro LED market as a supplier of 6-inch polished wafers.