The rise of monolithic touch technology has shaken the touch panel market

Adhering to the technical know-how, the traditional touch panel plant has an uncertain future. Influenced by the possible gradual application of monolithic touch technology (including in-Cell, on-Cell, Touch-on-Lens, etc.), the past strengths of traditional touch panel manufacturers - the niche technology is expected to be possible It will gradually disappear and the operational prospects are uncertain.

Although the monolithic touch technology will be launched in mass production in the end, there are many opinions on the market, especially in the electronic interference and other technical aspects, there are still some controversies. However, panel makers who are actually responsible for production have emphasized the integration of TFT and touch-enabled monolithic touch panel products with sample certification, and are expected to introduce volume production and formal shipments in the first half of 2012 at the earliest. Panel makers have mastered the world's major mobile phone brand customers, monolithic touch technology, has shocked the touch panel market.

Market research firm IDC also believes that the single-chip touch panel technology invested by TFT-LCD panel makers may soon become a new trend in 2012. If brand manufacturers introduce monolithic touch technology as expected and in-cell or on-cell technology matures, traditional touch panel manufacturers who are good at fitting processes will suffer a lot.

At present, in the monolithic touch panel technology, the Touch-On-Lens technology is easier to implement, that is, the touch sensor is integrated on the surface glass, and the use of one ITO glass is reduced. Shenghua has already started mass production of Touch-On-Lens-related products this year, and TPK Yuhong is expected to deliver output in July 2012.

Although On-Cell and In-Cell, which are technically difficult, have different customizations from panel manufacturers and market research institutes, in short, touch sensors are respectively plated on color filters or TFT-LCD panels. The touch technologies, including Chi Mei Optoelectronics, AU Optronics, and Chunghwa Picture Tubes, all emphasized that they could mass-produce this type of product from the second quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of 2013.

Since the technology and production capacity of the traditional touch panel factory are almost completely concentrated in the post-fitting process, with the rise of monolithic touch technology, the niche of the touch technology is affixed from the rear section to the front section (mask, etc.). The process, for the traditional touch panel factory lacking the front-end process technology capabilities and equipment production capacity, the future product development and operation will face a severe test.

As for touch panel component manufacturers, they will also accept varying degrees of challenges in this wave of touch technology transition. For example, once the use of ITO glass is reduced, future orders from ITO glass suppliers, including Encore, Ching Tat, etc., may be somewhat affected.

In terms of surface glass, although many companies and analysts have stressed that touch technology needs surface glass regardless of its development, some brokerage companies have pointed out that as more and more new glass production capacities are opened, monolithic Touch technology has arisen, at least in the Touch-on-Lens section, after the surface glass has been machined (cutting, drilling, chamfering), glass strengthening, screen printing, and surface coating, a TouchSensor process is required, which may make The touch panel factory increases the proportion of in-House in surface glass and reduces external procurement.