Q2 Fab Utilization to Be Highest in More Than 2 Years, Says DSCC

Display fab utilization remains strong in Q1, amid LCD panel prices at “multi-year highs and spot shortages in some display applications,” reported Display Supply Chain Consultants Monday. DSCC projects total Q1 glass inputs into the fabs to reach 79.6 million square meters (856.8 million square feet), about flat compared with Q4, but up 12% from the 2020 quarter. DSCC tracked about 100 facilities globally, finding fab utilization “particularly strong” in Taiwan and China, it said. Though utilizations in Taiwan are down slightly in Q1, they are expected to remain above 90% for the fifth straight quarter in Q2, it said. Worldwide utilization in Q2 is expected to hit 88%, its highest quarterly level since 2018's Q4, it said.