MUMBAI: Samsung Electronics, which claims to be the world's largest provider of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (LCD) panels is accelerating its plans to standardise on 40" and 46" LCD panels for the mass TV market.

Rallying behind the 40" and 46" sizes, Samsung will begin installing critical equipment at a new LCD production line, Line 7-2, to produce a glass substrate identical to the one at its nearby joint venture (S-LCD) production facility with Sony Corporation.

By replicating the substrate size (1870 x 2200 mm) of the S-LCD (Line 7-1) Line, the company is moving aggressively to assume a strong leadership position in large LCD panel supply worldwide through standardization of high definition LCD TVs targeting living room environments.

The 1870 x 2200 mm substrate is ideally suited for 40" and 46" TV panels. From a single plate, eight 40" panels or six 46" panels can be produced simultaneously. By committing to standardized state-of–the art 7G production, Samsung expects not only to lead standardisation of the large LCD TV market, including 40" and 46" TV panel sizes, but also to quicken its pace into a full-scale sales expansion.

With its embrace of 40" and 46" LCD TV sizes, Samsung is well positioned to provide a stable supply for its growing customer base, which demands high-quality, large LCD TV panels at very competitive price points. The company plans to begin mass production at Line 7-2, optimized for 40" and 46" LCD TV panels, in April 2006. When fully ramped, Line 7-2 will produce 45,000 sheets per month.

The new line, which will cost approximately $ 975 million to build, consists of a FAB facility area of 300,000 square meters and a module facility area of 93,000 square meters.