Display driver IC market to reach $7.3 Billion in 2018

NPD has forecasted display driver integrated circuit (IC) market to reach $7.3 billion in 2018, up from $6.4 billion in 2012. Along with the increase in LCD panel shipments from smart phones to televisions, The other reasons for the growth includes demand for higher resolution, higher average selling prices, integrated functions, according to NPD. “With higher resolution displays demanding high channel display driver ICs, and the growing trend in smartphone display driver ICs integrated with touch controllers, display driver ICs continue to occupy semiconductor and foundry companies,” said Tadashi Uno, director of materials and components market research. The demand for gate drivers is reducing due to the trend where LCD panels use gate-on-array (GOA) technology, but the demand for source driver IC is increasing due to high resolution screens. NPD says the demand for smartphone panel source driver ICs is expected to triple between 2012 and 2018, and revenue is expected to grow from $139 million in 2012 to $325 million in 2018. Semiconductor makers are increasingly adding functions previously located in the processor to small and medium panel driver Ics, finds NPD. There is also shortage of display driver Ics due to the semiconductor chip foundry giving less priority due to the huge demand for SOC chips. So due to the shortage of production the driver IC and timing...