LCD driver IC production which is mostly undertaken by 8-inch, 0.13-micron high-voltage process at foundries at present is experiencing tight capacity, but the situation is unlikely to be eased until foundries migrate the production to 12-inch, 0.11-micorn process in the second quarter, according to Steve Wang, president of Novatek Microelectronics.

Novatek and other Taiwan-based LCD driver IC design-houses including ILI Technology (Ilitek) and Orise Technology actually have begun to transition from 8-inch wafers to 12-inch wafers in order to cope with increasing demand for smaller ICs from the smartphone sector, according to industry sources.