Taiwan-based Darfon Electronics, an affiliate of the AUO (AU Optronics) Group, has stepped into PV silver paste and PV inverters, both used in making PV modules from crystalline silicon solar cells, and has begun production of the former and will do so for the latter in the third quarter of 2011, according to company president Andy Su at a March 4 investors conference.
The production is in line with AUO's PV business development and technically through applying in-house manufacturing know-how of TV inverters to making PV inverters as well as that of silver treatment in MLCC (multi-layer ceramic capacitors) production to making PV silver taste, Su explained. Shipments of PV silver paste will take off in terms of volume in the second or third quarter of 2011, Su noted.
Among existing product lines, Darfon remains as a leading supplier of illuminated notebook keyboards and external keyboards used in tablets and all-in-one PCs, with total shipments expected to increase from 60 million units in 2010 to 70 million units in 2011, Su indicated.
Darfon's 2010 operation generated net EPS of NT$1.81 (US$0.06), and the board of directors have decided to distribute a cash dividend per share of NT$1.50.
| Darfon: Financial performance, 2010 (NT$m) |
| Item | 4Q10 | 2010 | Y/Y |
| Consolidated revenues | 6,710 | 29,665 | 1.1% |
| Gross margin | 10.55% | 11.70% | down 0.11pp |
| Net operating profit | 39 | 798 | (31.0%) |
| Net profit | 10 | 601 | (30.3%) |
Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, March 2011