Can the iPhone6 ​​sapphire wave drive the LED industry?
A news about Apple's iPhone6 ​​will be officially launched on September 19 this year. This news machine has once again pushed this machine to the forefront. The iPhone6, which is highly concerned, may have a big change in size, and the use of sapphire on the iPhone. Also caused a hot discussion. I am not going to say much about the heat of the iPhone6 ​​today. Today's focus I put it on this news has caused a reaction to the LED field. As everyone knows, sapphire glass is not only a popular innovation of Apple, but also selected as the screen material of iPhone6 ​​and iWatch, but what everyone does not understand is that he rises in the LED industry. According to the 2014 global sapphire substrate market report, it is estimated that the proportion of non-LED market applications will reach 32 in 2014, of which the demand for handheld application devices will reach 21. The demand for LED and non-LED market will also bring brightening to the sapphire industry. Performance and prospects. This means that the use of LEDs is still the mainstream market for sapphire in recent years. Of course, the most important thing is the price. As an editor of the OFweek semiconductor lighting network, which is concerned about the development of the LED industry, I think that everyone in the industry is more concerned about this, which is a stepping stone to the sapphire market and what effect it can bring to the LED industry. The following small series will present this news to you in the LED industry. Apple sapphire material supplier GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) has reported that it has started to mass-produce sapphire in a small Chinese OEM partner in March, and is preparing to begin mass production in the second half of 2014. According to a research report by a professional organization, the supply chain survey shows that GTAT's sapphire plant in Arizona apparently started mass production of sapphire as early as March, but the initial production is not large. It is reported that only 100 crystal growth furnaces have been activated. In the second half of the year, the installed crystal growth furnace will add 1,500 units. The sapphire ingots shipped by GTAT to mainland China in March were only about 2,200 kg. Matt Margolis, an analyst who had previously reported GTAT's purchases of apple sapphire crystal growth furnace, said on April 30 that according to UBS's report, a 2,200 kg sapphire crystal rod can make about 100,000 to 115,000 pieces. Sapphire screens, while GTAT may set the price of these sapphire screens between $8.5 and $10 per piece. However, Stephen Chin believes that Apple's mainland China foundry partners should now use these limited sapphire materials to make the scratch-resistant protective layer of the iPhone5sTouchIDHome button and the protective cover of the camera lens. In addition, he also estimated in the report that GTAT's sapphire shipments in March were only about $1 million, and once the Arizona plant capacity is fully opened, Apple's mainland foundry partners can receive a total value of about $50 million per month. Sapphire material. According to market rumors, GTAT began to expand the operation of the Arizona Sapphire Plant in March, possibly to accommodate unknown components with rising production yields. In addition, documents submitted to the US International Trade Administration in January also showed that Apple will actively expand the production capacity of a key sapphire part by the end of February, and that part will be sent out of the United States for assembly. Under the demonstration effect of Apple's large-scale use, other consumer electronics giants are expected to use more sapphire materials. Apple is pressing a button that stimulates the outbreak of sapphire demand. According to authoritative data, there will be 1.658 billion smart phones in the world in 2016, and with other smart products, the sapphire application market will have a new space of $5 billion. On the news side, Apple announced in the fourth quarter of 2013 that it will cooperate with sapphire equipment supplier GTAT. The market is rumored that Apple will introduce more sapphire substrates in its devices. Recently, foreign media pointed out that Apple will start in the United States in February. The sapphire substrate plant in Arizona will produce important sub-assemblies at the plant. In early November 2013, GTAT announced the signing of a supply agreement for sapphire materials with Apple, injecting new catalysts into its share price. Industry insiders said that Apple's entry into the sapphire market will change the supply and demand situation of the industry to a certain extent, and the situation of overcapacity will be alleviated. At the same time, Apple will bring a strong follow-up effect, and some mid-to-high-end smart terminals will use sapphire as a standard in the future. Recently, LG Corporation of South Korea and some mobile phone manufacturers in China have launched smart phones with sapphire materials, which will greatly promote the demand for sapphire in the market. Although the sapphire heat wave is higher than the wave, but for now, LED is still the first demand driven by the sapphire industry. The demand for LED substrates accounts for 80% of sapphire applications, and the LED boom is basically synchronized with the sapphire cycle. From the research of the industry chain, the price of 2 inch (mm) sapphire crystal rod has increased from 3.5 US dollars at the beginning of the year to 4 US dollars; 4 inches has increased from 12.5 US dollars at the beginning of the year to 15 US dollars. In 2014, the lighting cycle was launched, and the supply and demand pattern is expected to return to the high point of 2010. Therefore, it is expected that the price of sapphire will continue to rise in 2014 and enter the industry cycle.