Meanwhile, large-area LED backlight shipments for all applications will grow from 84.9 million units in 2009 to 434.8 million units in 2013, when LED backlights will be used in 54.3% of 10"+ TFT LCD panels. Thus, LED backlights will become mainstream in the TFT LCD industry.
While LED backlights for LCD TVs are growing rapidly, notebook PCs are the leading application for large-area LED backlight units, and DisplaySearch forecasts that 100% of all new notebook models will have LED backlights by 2012.
The research company also forecasts that backlight units for LCD TV are expected to be the next growth opportunity for the LED industry, with leading brands such as Samsung, LG, Sharp and Philips all expected to mass produce LED backlit LCD TVs in 2010. As a result, LED backlight units for TVs will grow to 3.6 million units in 2009 and 15.1 million units in 2010.
Companies like Samsung are focusing on the development of edge-lit LED backlights, which can reduce the bill of materials by 30-40% compared to direct-lit models. "Edge-lit LED backlight units for LCD TV are a temporary solution to drive costs down to open market acceptance for ‘LED TV' as short-term marketing strategy," noted Luke Yao, DisplaySearch Research Director. "Consumers want a low-cost solution with acceptable picture quality, but aren't always willing to pay a higher premium—making edge-lit LEDs an ideal near-term solution."
