Sharp to make Igzo LCDs at Mie plant

Sharp Corp. said Thursday it will start producing small Igzo power-saving liquid crystal display panels for smartphones at its plant in Mie Prefecture by the end of the year.

Sharp, a supplier of LCD panels for Apple Inc.'s iPhones, is producing midsize LCDs for tablet computers and notebook computers, as well as larger ones for high-resolution monitors, at its Kameyama No. 2 plant.

So far, Igzo panels for smartphones have only been produced at its plant in Nara Prefecture. At the Kameyama factory, the struggling manufacturer will use large glass substrates, which will allow it to churn out smartphone LCDs more efficiently, it said.

Sharp has been making efforts to boost output at Kameyama No. 2, which has dwindled because of flagging sales of LCD TVs caused by fierce price competition.