Sharp to increase latest LCD production

Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp Corporation plans to increase production bases for its latest liquid crystal display panels, called "IGZO", in an effort to maintain a market share in the global sales of LCD computer screens, local media reported Monday. The latest IGZO models, which are thinner than conventional LCD displays, require only 10 to 20 percent of the power used by conventional ones, are better put in for tablet computers as well as smartphones, according to the reports. The Osaka-based LCD panel maker, which secured 4.6 billion U.S. dollars in emergency loans from its banks in September, has been producing the power-saving panels with enhanced picture quality since April this year at its No. 2 plant in Kameyama City of Mie Prefecture.