The panel will be manufactured at a 'fifth-generation' technology plant.

By 2005, the company will have two fifth-generation plants and one sixth-generation site to meet demand for LCD TVs, it said.

Construction of the sixth-generation plant started at the end of July and it is scheduled to begin mass production in the second quarter of 2005 with an initial monthly capacity of 60,000 panels.

The company's joint development program with Fujitsu Display Technologies, established at the beginning of this year, will underpin the development of LCD TV production, the company said.

Au Optronics, Taiwan's leading manufacturer of TFT liquid crystal displays, ranks third in the world after Samsung and L.G. Philips of South Korea.

AU Optronics's revenues in the six months to June amounted to 42.6 billion Taiwan dollars (1.22 billion US dollars).

SPACE.WIRE