Recordable DVD pick-up head (PUH) production capacity is expected to increase significantly in the third quarter of this year, helped in part by increasing supply of laser diodes (LDs), according to DigiTimes. LDs have been in short supply due to low yield rates. However, Sharp, a major supplier, is gearing up to expand capacity and Mitsubishi Electric, another supplier, plans to expand monthly capacity to three million units in the third quarter from two million units in the second quarter, Taiwanese optical storage drive makers said.

Currently, Pioneer seems to produce the largest capacities of DVD PUH, followed by Sanyo, Hitachi, Ricoh and Philips.