Small is big business for Taiwan's flat panel industry.
Its shipment of flat panels under 10-inches accounted for nearly 60 per cent of global sales volume last year.
But to stay ahead of the game, the industry is planning on "downsizing."
Smartphones are getting thinner and thinner these days and new technology by Taiwan is promising to make smartphones thinner than a credit card.
Industrial Technology Research Institute display technology centre director John Chen said: "Our technology was built to be universally applicable to mainstream display products like the e-paper, e-reader, e-book and for mobile display like cellphone, notebook and tablet computer".
The super-thin screen is made using technology developed by Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute.
It places a layer of non-adhesive material between the plastic display and the glass base plate.
This allows the display to be easily lifted off from the glass upon completion, without causing any damage to the panel.
The idea actually originated from the making of traditional Taiwanese pancake on a hot Teflon pan.
This technology has won global awards and is now going into commercial production.
One of Taiwan's largest flat panel makers AU Optronics is going to be the first to use the technology to mass produce e-readers later this year.
"We hope this technology can in a way differentiate itself from our competing technologies. It may give us an opportunity to secure the intellectual property and upstream material equipment and downstream the process and manufacturing facilities," Mr Chen said.
Analysts predict the market for flexible displays will top US$2 billion this year.
And the technology is expected to put Taiwan further ahead of its rivals like South Korea and Japan in flat panel production.
But they warn that the recent rise of the Taiwan dollar may affect sales in the near term.
Taiwan's panel makers should also brace themselves for low-cost competition from China in 2013.
But to stay ahead of the game, the industry is planning on "downsizing."
Smartphones are getting thinner and thinner these days and new technology by Taiwan is promising to make smartphones thinner than a credit card.
Industrial Technology Research Institute display technology centre director John Chen said: "Our technology was built to be universally applicable to mainstream display products like the e-paper, e-reader, e-book and for mobile display like cellphone, notebook and tablet computer".
The super-thin screen is made using technology developed by Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute.
It places a layer of non-adhesive material between the plastic display and the glass base plate.
This allows the display to be easily lifted off from the glass upon completion, without causing any damage to the panel.
The idea actually originated from the making of traditional Taiwanese pancake on a hot Teflon pan.
This technology has won global awards and is now going into commercial production.
One of Taiwan's largest flat panel makers AU Optronics is going to be the first to use the technology to mass produce e-readers later this year.
"We hope this technology can in a way differentiate itself from our competing technologies. It may give us an opportunity to secure the intellectual property and upstream material equipment and downstream the process and manufacturing facilities," Mr Chen said.
Analysts predict the market for flexible displays will top US$2 billion this year.
And the technology is expected to put Taiwan further ahead of its rivals like South Korea and Japan in flat panel production.
But they warn that the recent rise of the Taiwan dollar may affect sales in the near term.
Taiwan's panel makers should also brace themselves for low-cost competition from China in 2013.
