Sony Corporation announced the establishment of "ST Mobile Display Corporation"(hereafter STMD). This follows Sony's purchase of the LCD panel manufacturing business previously owned by International Display Technology (hereafter IDTech). The new company will produce low-temperature polysilicon thin film transistor liquid crystal displays (hereafter LTPS-TFT-LCD) panels for mobile products.

LTPS-TFT-LCD panels are used in various mobile products such as video cameras, digital still cameras and mobile telephones and Sony expects these markets to grow even further from now on. Following ST Liquid Crystal Display Corp (hereafter STLCD), a joint venture between Sony and Toyota Industries Corporation established in October 1997, Sony will position STMD as the second manufacturing base of LTPS-TFT-LCD panel for mobile products. It will address customer's various needs through the technological cooperation of STMD and STLCD.

The company will inherit production equipment, facilities, and personnel from IDTech's plant in Yasu-shi, Shiga prefecture in Japan. Sony will invest approx. 27 billion yen on equipment and facility modification and this will enable STMD to have a production capacity of 25,000 units/month (550x650mm circuit board base). The mass production of LTPS-TFT-LCD panels is scheduled to start from April 2006.

Furthermore, it has also been decided that Toyota Industries Corporation will be investing 20% of STMD's capital.