AU Optronics
Encyclopedia
AU Optronics was formed in December 2001 by the merger of Acer Display Technology, Inc.,(the former of AUO, established in 1996) and Unipac Optoelectronics Corporation. In October 2006, AUO merged with Quanta Display Inc.
to create a leading TFT-LCD manufacturer. Additionally, the amassed production of the company's G6 reached worldwide top 1. Now, AUO manufactures TFT panels for Samsung
, LG
, Dell
, Apple
, Viewsonic
etc who are world leaders in computer displays.
, the United States
, Japan
, Europe
, South Korea
, Singapore
, the Netherlands
and China
. Additionally, AUO was the first pure TFT-LCD manufacturer to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange
. In 2004, AUO was ranked 17th in Business Week's "Global IT Companies" listing. In 2008, AUO was ranked 53rd in Business Week's "Infotech 100" listing.
According to the Taipei Times, AU Optronics won a "gold" award for having a green factory. One of four factories in the world to comply with the LEED gold standard, the 8.5 generation facility boasts a water recycling rate of 90%, equal to 3 million tonnes of tap water a year. They have wind-powered generators built into ventilation shafts, and they have stated that they are willing to share this technology with other green-minded factories. They hope to become carbon-neutral next year. In addition, the company aims to recruit hundreds of employees from overseas to work on green technologies
.
manufacturer in Taiwan to mass produce TFT-LCD panels by means of G3.5, G4, G5, G6,G7.5 and G8.5 fabrications, and the G8.5 fab entered mass production in June 2009. As one of the leading TFT-LCD manufacturers, AUO is a technology innovator with strong emphasis on research and development on display technologies. Since 2002, AUO has been the leader in patent applications among Taiwan's flat panel industry. AUO extended its market to the green energy industry in late 2008, and formally founded its Solar Photovoltaic Business Unit in October 2009.
The company is also planning on building a 7.5-generation LCD
generation plant in Kunshan
, China
in an effort to set up production bases in China, and received government approval from Taiwan on December 17, 2010. Restrictions on investment in China were lifted in February 2010, as long as more advanced technologies are produced at home (such as AUO's 8.5-generation plant in Taichung
).
In December 2010, the EU fined AU Optronics for its part in an LCD
price fixing scheme, ordering the company to pay a €
116.8 million fine. Other companies fined included LG Display, Chimei InnoLux Corporation
, Chunghwa Picture Tubes Limited, and HannStar Display Corporation
.
The company has stated that it will appeal the fine, but does not expect the decision to affect its operations.
In 2010, the company built two more manufacturing facilities in the Czech Republic
and Slovakia
. It also formed joined ventures with TPV Technology, Ltd. based in Hong Kong
. In 2011, AU Optronics announced plans to recruit 3,000 employees for its solar technology
and display businesses. Following the earthquake in Japan
on March 11, 2011, the company suspended production at its Japanese solar wafer
unit, M. Setek Co., to assess potential quake damage.
In June 2011, two of the company's factories (a 8.5-generation factory at the Central Taiwan Science Park and a TV module plant in Suzhou
) became the first factories in the world to obtain ISO
50001 certification.
Quanta Display Inc.
Quanta Display Inc. is a Taiwanese company established in 1999, manufacturing thin film transistor-liquid crystal display panels. It was acquired for 2.2 billion USD in stock shares by rival LCD manufacturer AU Optronics for a 6% share on April 7, 2006. At the time of merger, the combined...
to create a leading TFT-LCD manufacturer. Additionally, the amassed production of the company's G6 reached worldwide top 1. Now, AUO manufactures TFT panels for Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
, LG
LG
LG may refer to:*LG Corp., a South Korean electronics and petrochemicals conglomerate*LG Electronics, an affiliate of the South Korean LG Group which produces electronic products* Lawrence Graham, a London headquartered firm of business lawyers...
, Dell
Dell
Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
, Apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
, Viewsonic
ViewSonic
ViewSonic Corporation is a manufacturer and provider of visual technology, specifically CRT monitors, liquid crystal displays, projectors, plasma displays, HDTV technology, and mobile products, including Mini and All-in-One PCs and wireless monitors....
etc who are world leaders in computer displays.
Overview
AUO provides a full range of panel sizes ranging from 1.2 inches (30.5 mm) to greater than 65 inches (1,651 mm). AUO generated US$14.8 billion in sales revenue in 2007 and now employs 43,000 throughout its global operations in TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Additionally, AUO was the first pure TFT-LCD manufacturer to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
. In 2004, AUO was ranked 17th in Business Week's "Global IT Companies" listing. In 2008, AUO was ranked 53rd in Business Week's "Infotech 100" listing.
According to the Taipei Times, AU Optronics won a "gold" award for having a green factory. One of four factories in the world to comply with the LEED gold standard, the 8.5 generation facility boasts a water recycling rate of 90%, equal to 3 million tonnes of tap water a year. They have wind-powered generators built into ventilation shafts, and they have stated that they are willing to share this technology with other green-minded factories. They hope to become carbon-neutral next year. In addition, the company aims to recruit hundreds of employees from overseas to work on green technologies
Environmental technology
Environmental technology or green technology or clean technology is the application of one or more of environmental science, green chemistry, environmental monitoring and electronic devices to monitor, model and conserve the natural environment and resources, and to curb the negative impacts of...
.
History
AU Optronics (AUO) is the first TFT-LCDTFT LCD
Thin film transistor liquid crystal display is a variant of liquid crystal display which uses thin-film transistor technology to improve image quality . TFT LCD is one type of Active matrix LCD, though all LCD-screens are based on TFT active matrix addressing...
manufacturer in Taiwan to mass produce TFT-LCD panels by means of G3.5, G4, G5, G6,G7.5 and G8.5 fabrications, and the G8.5 fab entered mass production in June 2009. As one of the leading TFT-LCD manufacturers, AUO is a technology innovator with strong emphasis on research and development on display technologies. Since 2002, AUO has been the leader in patent applications among Taiwan's flat panel industry. AUO extended its market to the green energy industry in late 2008, and formally founded its Solar Photovoltaic Business Unit in October 2009.
The company is also planning on building a 7.5-generation LCD
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
generation plant in Kunshan
Kunshan
Kunshan is a satellite city in the greater Suzhou region. Administratively, it is a county-level city within the prefecture-level city of Suzhou. It is located in southeastearn part of Jiangsu Province, China, adjacent to Jiangsu's border with the Shanghai Municipality.The total area of Kunshan...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in an effort to set up production bases in China, and received government approval from Taiwan on December 17, 2010. Restrictions on investment in China were lifted in February 2010, as long as more advanced technologies are produced at home (such as AUO's 8.5-generation plant in Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
).
In December 2010, the EU fined AU Optronics for its part in an LCD
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
price fixing scheme, ordering the company to pay a €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
116.8 million fine. Other companies fined included LG Display, Chimei InnoLux Corporation
Chimei Innolux Corporation
Chimei Innolux Corporation is a Taiwanese TFT-LCD panel manufacturer headquartered in Jhunan, Miaoli County, Taiwan.-Overview:The company is Taiwan's largest LCD maker. It produces many products including: TFT LCD panel modules, LCD display products, computer panels, AV and mobile panels, desktop...
, Chunghwa Picture Tubes Limited, and HannStar Display Corporation
HannStar Display Corporation
HannStar Display Corporation is a Taiwan-based technology company, primarily involved in the research and production of monitors, notebook displays, and televisions.-Overview:...
.
The company has stated that it will appeal the fine, but does not expect the decision to affect its operations.
In 2010, the company built two more manufacturing facilities in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. It also formed joined ventures with TPV Technology, Ltd. based in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. In 2011, AU Optronics announced plans to recruit 3,000 employees for its solar technology
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
and display businesses. Following the earthquake in Japan
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
on March 11, 2011, the company suspended production at its Japanese solar wafer
Solar cell
A solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
unit, M. Setek Co., to assess potential quake damage.
In June 2011, two of the company's factories (a 8.5-generation factory at the Central Taiwan Science Park and a TV module plant in Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
) became the first factories in the world to obtain ISO
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
50001 certification.