Sapphire substrate related manufacturers are unable to meet increasing demands as the LED lighting industry enters peak season and Apple prepares to launch the new iPhone 6. Prices for upstream ingot and downstream substrate increased in 3Q14, with ingot prices up 5-10 percent. Rise in price has driven up business performance for sapphire substrate related manufacturers.

LED upstream key material PSS is in short supply with demands unable to be met. With supply unable to meet demands from LED manufacturers last year, production capacity is lacking by 50 percent, according to Economic Daily News. This had lead to a rise in price of around 5 percent for sapphire ingot, polished wafers, and PSS in March. Manufacturers including Crystalwise, Ridgetech, Aceplux Optotech, and Crystal Applied Technology are anticipated to benefit. PSS industry insiders are optimistic towards March operations.

According to the latest “2013 Global Sapphire Substrate Market Report” published by the LEDinside, a research department of TrendForce, sapphire ingot manufacturers have been in the state of “the big gets bigger” such that first-tier manufacturers with cost competitiveness have accounted for 80% of market share.