May 8, 2008 - Qualcomm's MEMS subsidiary and Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co. Ltd. (dba "Foxlink") say they are opening a new dedicated fab in Taoyuan, Taiwan, to make Qualcomm's "mirasol" displays. The plant is slated to become fully operational in 2009; Foxlink has formed a new business unit to support the new production.

"We have seen a strong response to mirasol displays and have made significant traction in the last year," said Jim Cathey, VP of business development for Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, in a statement.

John Chow, Foxlink's CTO and president of its microlink communications business units, systems group, added that the deal "presents us with the exciting challenges that come with manufacturing a true innovation."

Qualcomm says its mirasol displays, based on a reflective "interferometric modulation" (IMOD) technology, harness ambient light and require no backlighting, so they consume significantly less power than competing display technologies. They also allow users to view content in almost every environment, even bright sunlight.