Solid-State Lighting Issue 16: Selected Business & Technology News (December 2002

ISSUE 16: BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS
(December 2002 - Mid-March 2003)

A selection of news appears in this section.

A. Developer News

B. New Products

C. Novel or Interesting LED Applications/Uses

D. Market Information

E. Overviews

F. Research Results

G. Selected Events of Interest

H. Government Funding News and Opportunities

Where possible, links to full-text articles and press releases have been included in the abstracts.� Click on the links in the table below to go directly to the abstract.

Table of Contents:� Business and Technology News

A. Developer News

� Aculight and Zia Laser demonstrated an external cavity laser containing a quantum dot-based gain chip.

� Agilent uses air layers to boost cavity mirror efficiency in VCSELs.

� Agilent cuts 11% of its workforce in the face of poorer-than-expected sales in its semiconductor and other businesses.

� Air Products has developed an ultra high-purity ammonia for use in LED applications.

� Bandwidth9 suspends operations and is seeking a buyer.

� Coherent has acquired Positive Light for an undisclosed amount.

� Color Kinetics has been contracted to provide its Chromacore® LED intelligent lighting technology to Intermatic (outdoor lighting products).

� Cree founder, F. Neal Hunter, has been named 2002 Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young.

� Creereported record Q2 sales, with revenues up 16% over the prior quarter.�

� Crystal IS has hired a new COO and CTO.

� Daktronics has received an order for four large ProStar® LED video displays from Dixie Stampede.

� Emcore has acquired the product lines, inventory and intellectual property of Alvesta Corporation.

� EpiWorks announced the availability of high-performance 808nm AlGaAs/GaAs laser wafers.

� GELcore has published patent application WO 02/099902 "Broad-spectrum terbium-containing garnet phosphors and white-light sources incorporating the same".

� GE's CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, has changed the way research is conducted at the GE Research Center, �according to an article in the New York Times.

� Harvard University has installed a Thomas Swan 3x2" CCS GaN MOCVD.

� Hitachi Cable will begin mass production of 2-inch GaN substrates.

� IEEE has awarded its 2003 IEEE Medal of Honor to Nick Holonyak, Jr. for pioneering contributions to the field of semiconductors, including visible light emitting diodes.

� Intersil has introduced the Elantec^tm EL7513 step-up regulator for driving up to 12 white LEDs in backlighting applications.

� Kobay Technology (Malaysia) forms KYM Electronics, an R&D house for designing and developing solid-state lighting systems.

� Kopin announced that its blue CyberLite LED has been qualified by a packaging customer in Asia.

� Kopin reports on future plans for its Nanopocket^tm technology at January "Needham Growth Conference".

� Lumileds details recent agreements with manufacturers in the entertainment lighting industry.

� Motorola has shuttered Thoughtbeam, Inc., its GaAs-on-silicon manufacturing subsidiary.

� NanoTem (Japan) develops device for precision cutting of sapphire used in white LED substrates that reduces diffused reflection from ragged cross sections.

� National Central University has announced the successful test of a new electrically pumped violet laser diode. < /span>

� Nichia and Sony have agreed to jointly develop and mass-produce blue-violet laser diodes for use in optical disk recorders and players.

� nLight has introduced a new line of high power GaAs and InP solid-state laser diodes.

� NMRC (Ireland), CRHEA-CNRS France and Infineon Technologies Germany have announced green LEDs that will maximize transmission distances in plastic optical fiber.

� Omron has begun marketing a standard, lead type, high brightness Double Reflection LED; a high power version was anticipated to begin production in January 2003.

� Osram Opto Semiconductors applied for WIPO protection for its GaN-based LED.

� Oxford Lasers has developed a chemical scribing system that it claims improves the yield of blue laser diodes from semiconductor wafers.

� Permlight and Ceramics Process Systems plan to jointly develop an advanced thermally managed LED lighting system.

� Philips Electronics and BenQ have jointly established an optical storage company.

� Rohm will build a fab for molded diodes, chip LEDs and semiconductor lasers in China.

� Sanyo will begin production of a high-power 35 mW blue-violet laser diode for use in optical disk systems.

� Seiwa Electric has acquired an Emcore E300 GaNzilla^tm MOCVD to increase production of its HB-LED line.

� South Epitaxy has purchased two Emcore GaNzilla MOCVD platforms.

� TDI announced new semi-insulating substrates for nitrides.

� TIR Systems will provide ChipStrip products to 175 BP stations in Australia.

� Toyoda Gosei plans to increase its LED capacity by 70% during 2003.

� Uniroyal Technology Corporation's Sterling Semiconductor company has been purchased by Dow Corning.

� United Epitaxy has acquired another AIXTRON MOCVD reactor to increase production of III-nitride ultra-HB-LEDs.

� UCSD, Cree, and LBNL will collaborate on a solid-state lighting project.

� University of South Carolina researchers have achieved shorter wavelengths and higher output power for UV LEDs.

� Zia Lasers has obtained $5.4 million in Series B financing, led by Prism Venture Partners and RWI Group. < /span>

B.� New Products

� Advanced Analogic Technologies has introduced charge pumps that maximize performance for white LED applications.

� Agilent has developed a new tricolor ChipLED surface-mount LED that can mix separate red, green and blue light sources.

� Citizen has developed a new white HB-LED, the "CITILIGHT," for use in still or motion picture photography with cell phone cameras; claims brightness 1.6 times higher than conventional LED lamps.

� LEDdynamics has launched its "EverLED Flashlight", a LED replacement bulb for standard flashlights.

� Lumileds and Mitsubishi have developed three TFT-LCD modules backlit by Lumileds' Luxeon HB-LEDs.

� Microsemi has debuted a six-channel LED sink driver for controlling the brightness of an array of LEDs.

� Microsemi has developed the Aviation White^tm LED designed for use in airplanes, and has signed an agreement allowing WAMCO to distribute the product.

� Nichia has announced a new white LED with a luminous efficacy of 60 lm/W.

� ON Semiconductor has introduced two white LED drivers featuring a serial data input pin and a phototransistor feedback.

� Permlight has introduced a new line of HB-LEDs for applications with short strokes and tight returns.

� Rohm unveils white SMD LEDs.

� Rohm has expanded its blue LED lineup to include blue LED numerical displays for games and other devices.

� Seiwa has developed a white LED using a blue LED and a YAG-based phosphor.

� Texas Instruments has developed a new white LED driver for backlighting applications.

� United Epitaxy has released a 10-Watt high-power LED.

C. Novel or Interesting LED Applications/Uses:

� B/E Aerospace wins FAA approval for LED wash lighting used on business jets and offers two new products for cabin interior lighting.

� BioScan uses LED technology to promote healing.

� Laser Reflections uses LED spotlight illumination for holographic displays.

� Light BioScience develops a LED-based non-thermal photorejuvenation procedure for damaged skin.

� Lumileds "Luxeon V Dental" will replace halogen lamps in dental curing applications.

� Lumileds announces a "cool" LED light beam surgical lamp developed by RIMSA using Lumileds' Luxeon V LED technology.

� The Medical College of Wisconsin has receiveda $1.2 million DARPA grant to study the healing properties of LEDs.

� Nichia's high-brightness white LEDs are finding their way into medical technology.

� Osram Opto Semiconductors' "LINEARlight" Flex modules debuted as a key costume element at the State Theater in Munich (Germany).

� Permlight has introduced FoamLight^tm, a new sign lighting technology for use with GatorFoam ® signs.

� Protiveris has developed a 1x64 VCSEL module for use in a protein biochip system.

� Prudential Financial's new Times Square sign combines fiber optic lighting, metal halide lights, neon lights, LEDs and static spotlights.

� Quantum Dot scientists, along with Genentech researchers, have demonstrated the use of quantum dots in detecting breast cancer markers.

� Rensselaer conducts research indicating blue LED radiation may help Alzheimer's sufferers sleep better.

� Royal College of Art (UK) graduate uses LEDs to create jewelry that reveals the emotional state of the wearer.

D.� Market Information:

� Kline & Company predicts that the market for consumables, such as substrates, epiwafers, and precursors, will double in the next five years.

� Nikkei Online has published an analysis of the blue and white LED markets following the settlement of patent lawsuits by Nichia and its competitors.

� Strategies Unlimited anticipates a nearly 6-fold increase in the market for HB-LEDs used in lighting between 2002 and 2007.

� Taiwanese LED makers project strong revenue growth this year.

E.� Overview Articles:

� EE Times has published a review article on white-LED drivers for color handheld devices.

� IEEE Spectrum publishes 2003 Technology Survey; white LEDs are named as among the most important technological developments in the next five years.

� NE Asia Online has published an overview of the trend towards extreme thinness in all parts of mobile devices, including backlighting components.

� An article in The New York Times reviewed the current status of LEDs for general illumination.

F. Research Results

� Boston College researchers have created carbon nanotube photonic crystals using self-assembly nanosphere lithography.

� Researchers at National Taiwan Normal University and Academy Sinica have fabricated 3D macroporous structures of II-VI and III-V semiconductors.

� Scientists at Philips Research have invented an electroluminescent polymer-metal complex that generates both red and green light.

� Researchers at RIKEN have developed a fabrication method for the assembly of 3D photonic crystal structures at microscopic scales.

� Sensor Technologies and Crystal IS have observed deep UV stimulated emission under optical excitation in AlGaN/AlN-based quantum well structures; further development of this research will be funded by a DARPA SBIR grant.

� Strathclyde University researchers have developed the world's largest microLED array.

� University of Cincinnati researchers have created laterally patterned red-, green-, and blue-emitting regions on a single GaN substrate using a lift-off processing technique.

� University of Science and Technology of China claim blue light emission from porous silicon.

G.� Selected Events of Interest:

� Rensselaer's Lighting Research Center holds the LED Lighting Institute, April 3-4, 2003.�

� DisplaySearch announces agenda for the 5th annual US Flat Panel Display Conference 2003.

� The 2003 Phosphor Global Summit held in Scottsdale, AZ on March 19-21.

H. Government Activities and Funding News:

� DARPA issues BAA 03-10 for extremely high efficiency diode sources for pumping solid-state lasers.

� The House Science Committee has introduced a new comprehensive energy R&D bill, HR 238.

� LLNL is seeking a licensee to commercialize a process for the vacuum deposition of powered phosphors on optical surfaces.

� The US AFRL has issued a sources-sought notice for research and development in the area of Multifunction Electro-Optical Photonics.

� The US DOE invited grant applications for the 2003 EPSCoR program.

� The US NRL issued BAA 56-03-06, entitled "Optical Sciences R&D".

� The US NRL has issued BAA 63-03-04, entitled "Materials Science of Energetic Thin-Film Deposition Processes".

A. Developer News

�        Aculight Corporation and Zia Laser have demonstrated a quantum dot external cavity laser.� The laser can be tuned over a 100 nm range with a maximum CW output power of 3 mW.� The laser combines Zia's GaAs-based 1300nm QD gain chip with Aculight's external cavity design.� The laser can be adapted to include access to several wavelength regions, rapid tuning, coupling to single-mode or multi-mode fibers and the generation of broadband output.� The device was debuted at the Photonics West conference. [ Article in CompoundSemiconductor.Net ]

�        The creation of longwave VCSELs has been hampered by the lack of material combinations for high-quality thin-film mirrors, according to an article in Laser Focus World.� Agilent's Michael Tan and colleagues are developing InP-based VCSELs fabricated with mirrors that contain three or four air layers in a simple structure that achieves the high-reflectivity that up until now has been so hard to achieve (see article for detail).� Agilent is also working on ways to get around the problem of the low characteristic temperatures associated with standard quaternary materials, which causes thresholds to rise quickly with temperature (one approach is to go to an AlInGaAs active region) and looking into how to reduce the voltage across the laser's tunnel junction. [ Article in Laser Focus World ]

�        Agilent has cut 4,000 more jobs, or about 11% of its workforce, to reduce expenses.� In the first quarter, Agilent has seen weaker-than-expected demands for its products, in particular its semiconductor equipment, test and measurement, and chemical analysis businesses.� Agilent expects modest improvements in second quarter sales due to a rebound in semiconductor equipment and seasonally higher semiconductor orders. [Article in Photonics.com� ]

�        Air Products announced the development of White Ammonia^tm, a new ultra-high purity ammonia product for use in white LED manufacturing. The company says that the product is 99.9999+% pure and does not require downstream purification. [ Press release ]

�        Poor market conditions for tunable transmitters is the cited cause for suspension of operations at Bandwidth9.� Bandwidth9 is actively seeking a buyer. [ Article in CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

�        Coherent is to acquire Positive Light for an undisclosed cash sum in a transaction anticipated to close at the end of March 2003.� Positive Light will continue to manufacture its solid-state lasers at its facility in Los Gatos, California. [ Article in Optics.org, Press Release ]

�        Color Kinetics has agreed to provide its Chromacore® LED intelligent lighting technology to Intermatic.� This agreement will enable Intermatic to expand its outdoor lighting lines with the ability to create rich colored light and exciting color changing effects, according to a press release.� Intermatic manufactures landscape lighting and other broad product lines.� [ Press release ]

�        Cree's co-founder, F. Neal Hunter, was named the 2002 National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the technology category.� "Neal Hunter's hard work is a true example of how the entrepreneurial ideal improves our lives," Gregory Ericksen, global director of Entrepreneur of the Year for Ernst & Young, said in a press release.� "Cree's products are advancing the modern conveniences that have become essential to our way of life."� [ Press release ]

�        Cree has reported Q2 FY2003 revenues of more than $56.7 million, the highest quarterly revenues in the company's history.� Quarterly revenues were up 16% over the prior quarter and 38% over the same quarter a year ago.� [ Press release ]

�        Crystal IS Inc. has hired Dr. Keith Evans as its new Chief Operating Officer. Dr. Evans is an expert in the field of advanced epitaxial crystal growth with his experience including work with the Air Force Research Laboratory. Dr. Jon Whitlock, most recently of Litton Airtron, has been appointed Chief Technology Officer at Crystal IS.� Dr. Whitlock's previous work focused on the SiC substrate program at Litton Airtron.� [ Press release archived at CompoundSemi Online, Article in CompoundSemi News ]

�        Daktronics has received an order for four large ProStar® LED video displays from Dixie Stampede.� Dixie Stampede will install the displays in its entertainment facilities in Branson, Missouri, and Orlando, Florida.� The value of the agreement exceeds $1 million.� Installation is scheduled for Spring 2003. [ Press release ]

�        Emcore has acquired the product lines, inventory, and intellectual property of Alvesta Corporation.� Alvesta specializes in parallel optic transceivers for fiber optic communication networks.� [ Press release, archived at CompoundSemi Online ]

�        EpiWorks Inc. has announced that they have begun manufacturing an 808nm AlGaAs/GaAs laser wafer. With this product, EpiWorks expands its existing GaAs edge-emitter product line. When GaAs diodes made from these new wafers are incorporated into a laser bar with 46 emitterson an 80 mm stripe width and with a 1 mm cavity length, the laser bar had an output power of 20 Watts, slope efficiency of 1.1 W/A and a threshold current of 7.5 A. EpiWorks customers report negligible performance degradation after 1200 hours of life testing. [ Press release ]

�        GELcore has published "Broad-spectrum terbium-containing garnet phosphors and white-light sources incorporating the same" (WO 02/099902).� The claim covers a garnet phosphor, containing terbium and rare-earth ions that absorbs in the near UV to blue region and emits from 490nm to 770nm.� GELcore plans to incorporate the garnet phosphor in a white LED. [ Article in Optics.org ]

�        GE's CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, has changed the way research is conducted at the GE Research Center in Niskayuna, NY.� Under Immelt, the budget for long-term research has been increased to $91 million (about 26.5% of the total research budget), up from $28 million two years ago (just under 10% of the research budget).� Next year, the long-term research budget is estimated at about $104 million, or almost 30% of GE's $349 million research budget.� Immelt is also taking a much greater interest in the direction of research at the Niskayuna facility, ensuring that GE's research is focused on projects that will bring major technological breakthroughs to the marketplace.� [ Article in The New York Times ]

�        Harvard University's Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Research center has installed a new Thomas Swan 3x2" CCS GaN MOCVD. The CSS MOCVD system will be used for the growth of a broad range of nitride based nanoscale photonic and electronic structures. [ Press release, archived at CompoundSemi Online ]

�        Hitachi Cable will begin marketing their new GaN substrates this spring for the commercial blue spectrum LED and laser diode markets. Their production capability is projected to reach approximately 300 "units" per month in 2004. The new substrate is created by the "lift off" technique or "Void Assisted Separation" that was described in Japanese Journal of Applied Physics v(1A/B):L1 (2003 Pt.2). [ Article in CompoundSemi News ]

�        IEEE has awarded its 2003 IEEE Medal of Honor to Nick Holonyak, Jr. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne).� Holonyak was recognized for his pioneering contributions to the field of semiconductors.� Holonyak's major contributions have come in the areas of semiconductor alloys, heterojunctions, visible light-emitting diodes, and injection lasers.� [ Press release ]

�        Intersil has introduced a new step-up regulator for driving up to 12 white LEDs in backlighting applications.� The new regulator, the EL7513, is a high frequency pulse width modulation step-up regulator tailored to the low power requirements of portable hand-held displays.� The EL7513 can boost up to 18 volts, features soft-start and dimming control, and offers +/-4% LED diode current accuracy.� The EL7513 operates from 2.6 volts to 5.5 volts, with a standby mode of just 1 micro amp maximum. The EL7513 can achieve up to 89% efficiency when driving a 30 mA load and up to 75% efficiency at 5 mA. [ Press release, Data sheet ]

�        Kobay Technology (Malaysia), a company specializing in high precision engineering and automation, has formed the KYM Electronics group.� The new group will function as a R&D house for designing and developing solid-state lighting systems using HB LEDs.� The group has already received orders from a local company for SSL systems for street lighting.�� [ Article in the Star (Malasia), not available online ]

�        Kopin Corporation has announced that its blue CyberLite LED has been qualified by a tier-one packaging customer (unnamed) in Asia.� Kopin announced that, as a result of the qualification, it would begin mass-producing the LED in the first quarter of 2003. [ Article in CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

�        Kopin Corporation reported on its plans for marketing its LEDs based on patent-pending Nanopocket^tm technology at Needham's "Fifth Annual Growth Conference " in January.� The presentation, made available on the web, reports that its Cyberlite^tm blue LEDs, ideal for portable applications, are already being actively sampled by customers.� The LEDs exhibit "great reliability and ESD protections."� The company expects to ramp up to volume production sometime in 2003.� The blue LED can be combined with a yellow phosphor to produce white light, and Kopin is targeting lighting for portable electronic devices; automotive, medical and traffic signal industrial/commercial applications; and solid-state lighting for the future.� According to an item in the January issue of Solid State Technology, the blue LEDs, smaller than a grain of sand, are as bright as 3.3 V commercially available devices, yet can be driven by less than 2.9 V using 20 mA of current and still have 100 mC brightness.� CyberLites have achieved ESD resistance > 4000 V compared to about 2000 V for commercially available LEDs.� Kopin's work was done in cooperation with Jagdish Narayan of North Carolina State University.� Nanopocket technology is already being used by the company for displays and HBT transistors.� The process provides confinements for production of light away from defects. The nanostructures,� naturally formed as a result of internal strains, are spaced less than the separation of material defects, such as dislocations. The company's process significantly reduces the number of atomic-level defects. [ Presentation, Article in Solid State Technology ]

�        Lumileds issued a press release detailing recent agreements with manufacturers to use the Luxeon LEDs in entertainment lighting.� Among companies using the Luxeon in its products are [ Press release, Article in CompoundSemi News ]:

� Space Cannon, in its Metamorphosis indoor luminaire, which provides dynamic color-changing capabilities in architectural applications;

� Color Kinetics, which uses the Luxeon series in its ColorBlast® 6, ColorBlast® 12, and ColorBurst^tm 6 intelligent color changing fixtures;

� OptiLED, which develops replacement LED lamps for incandescent and halogen medium-base, screw-base and MR16 lamps.

�        Motorola has closed Throughtbeam, Inc., the year-old subsidiary specializing in GaAs-on-silicon wafer development.� According to articles appearing in Semiconductor Business News, both technical and commercialization issues were related to this development.� Thoughtbeam researchers have been moved back to Motorola, including Thoughtbeam's General Manager, Padmasree Warrior, who was promoted to the post of Chief Technology Officer at Motorola in January 2003.� [ Main article and follow-up article in Semiconductor Business News ]

�        NanoTem (Japan) has developed a device for precision cutting of sapphire used in white LED substrates.� The device incorporates diamond particles in a ceramic material, which are bonded with the blade material.� Conventional cutting methods leave ragged cross sections, creating diffused reflection of LED light.� NanoTem's increased precision cutting has reduced this diffused reflection.� The device can be used with a variety of cutting methods.� NanoTem expects to begin polishing and cutting work for LED manufacturers as early as April of this year. [ Article in Asia Pulse, no URL available]

�        National Central University (NCU) has announced the successful operation of electrically pumped violet laser diodes. These violet laser diodes in next generation DVD drives will enable reading and writing functions on Digital Versatile Discs that can store up to 27GB.� NCU's laser diode emits at 410 nm and shows lasing above threshold currents of 10kA cm2. The device consists of a 5�m x 1000�m index guided ridge wave-guide laser structure, which is grown directly on a sapphire substrate. The buffer layer consists of 2�m GaN and 1.5�m AlGaN (xAl ~ 8%). [ Press release ]

�        Nichia Corporation (Japan) and Sony Corporation (Japan) have agreed to jointly develop and mass-produce blue-violet laser diodes.� Under the agreement, the companies will jointly develop 405 nm high output blue-violet laser diodes for "Blu-ray Disc".� Sony and Nichia will both manufacture and sell products using the new diodes.� Production is expected to begin in spring 2003.� The collaboration began in June 2002 but was not made public until December 2002. [ Press release ]

�        A new line of high power solid-state laser diodes has been introduced by nLight at the Photonics West expo in January 2003.� The diodes are based on both GaAs (780-1000 nm) and InP (1300-1700 nm).� The broad selection of package options includes high power water-cooled stacks and conductively cooled fiber coupled packages. [ Press release ]

�        The photonics group at the NMRC in Ireland has transmitted 200 Mbits of data through 100 m of plastic optical fiber using a new InGaN/GaN laser emitting at 509 nm. The NMRC, working in collaboration with the Centre de Recherche sur l'H�t�ro�pitaxie et ses Applications in France and Infineon Technologies in Germany, fabricated InGaN/GaN LEDs with a total output power of 1.2 mW at 20 mA.� The sources exhibited a wavelength shift of just 0.042 nm K and a power variance of --0.28 % K at 20�C.� At a transmission wavelength of 509 nm, the fiber's attenuation loss was 0.13 dB/m, down from 0.18 dB/m at 650 nm. [ Article in Optics org ]

�        Omron Corporation has announced that it started selling a standard, lead type, high brightness Double Reflection LED in December 2002.� The double reflection structure uses a mirror to redirect outwards all the light reflected into the device by the LED.� The reflection doubles the light output for a given current input compared to other LED devices.� The standard type devices operate on a forward current of 20 mA and come in red (630 nm, 2.2 V), orange (608 nm, 2.0 V), yellow (590 nm, 2.2 V), green (530 nm, 3.4 V), turquoise (503 nm, 3.4 V), and blue (470 nm, 3.4 V).� A high power version was slated to begin production in January 2003.� These LEDs operate on a forward current of 200 mA and are expected to be available in red (623 nm, 2.0 V), yellow (589 nm, 2.0 V) and turquoise (501 nm, 3.3 V). [ Press release (includes product specifications) ]

�        Osram Opto Semiconductors (Germany) as applied for WIPO protection for its GaN-based LED.� The device has an n-type GaN layer below and a p-type GaN layer above the light-emitting layer.� The n- and p-type layers differ in composition from the light-emitting layer.� The WIPO claim is entitled "Gallium nitride-based LED and a production method thereof" (WO 03/009399). [ Article in Optics.org ]

�        Oxford Lasers (UK) has developed a novel scribing system for cleaving sapphire crystals.� The system uses a frequency-doubled copper source operating at 255 nm, which makes deeper cuts than the standard diamond technique.� The company claims that the deeper cuts make cleaving more predictable and accurate.� A paper quantifying the increased yields is being written by scientists at Oxford Lasers and their collaborators at Strathclyde University. [ Article in Optics.org ]

�        Permlight and Ceramics Process Systems have formed an alliance to develop a system for reducing LED temperatures and thereby increasing lighting system brightness and lifetime.� The companies hope to be able to increase thermal conductivity 10x over industry standards and to drive LEDs at 3-4x their normal current. [ Press release ]

�        Philips Electronics (Netherlands) and BenQ (Taiwan) have jointly founded the optical storage company Philips BenQ Digital Storage, to cooperate in the areas of new optical standards, research, and particularly in the definition of product roadmaps, product development, manufacturing of products, and customer support of optical storage devices for data applications.� The new company will be based in Taipei and will begin operations in March 2003. [ Article in Optics.org, Press release ]

�        Rohm Co. (Japan) has announced plans to build a new semiconductor fab in Tianjin, China.� The subsidiary, Rohm Electronics Wako (Tianjin) Co. Ltd. (REWT), will manufacture molded diodes, chip LEDs, and semiconductor lasers.� Rohm will also move its Rohm Electronics (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. (RET) subsidiary from elsewhere in Tianjin to the same site as REWT.� RET will produce glass diodes, LED lamps, and transistors.� To establish the production bases, Rohm will make an initial investment of about 6 billion yen. [ Press release ]

�        Sanyo has scheduled the production of a high-power 35 mW blue-violet (405 nm) laser diode targeted at the optical disk system market.� The first samples of the GaN-on-GaN diodes are expected in May 2003.� The diode has a threshold current of 40 mA and an operating current of 75 mA. [ Article in EE Times ]

�        Seiwa Electric has purchased an Emcore E300 GaNzilla^tm MOCVD for use in the production of HB-LEDs.� Seiwa plans to use the machine to expand production of its blue, green and white LEDs. [ Press release ]

�        South Epitaxy (Taiwan) has purchased two Emcore E300 GaNzilla^tm MOCVD reactors.� One has been installed and another is on order.� South Epitaxy is a supplier of GaN epiwafer materials to the open market for the volume production of blue HB-LED devices. [ Article in CompoundSemi News� ]

�        TDI introduced their new semi-insulating substrates for Group III Nitride GaN devices. This new product consists of a 20 micron thick single crystal AlN film deposited on a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate. Two inch diameter samples of the new material are currently available, at less than $1,700 per wafer, with larger size wafers in production. These substrates have been developed for ultra high power AlGaN GaN HEMTs and high power blue spectrum and UV light emitters, LEDs and LDs. [ Press release ]

�        TIR Systems has received a contract to provide LED lighting to 175 BP stations in Australia.� The $1.7 million contract from BP Australia will involve the installation of TIR's ChipStrip product in petroleum canopies and retail convenience stores as part of BP's global re-imaging program. [ Press release ]

�        Toyoda Gosei has announced plans to increase its LED capacity by 70% in 2003, to 150 million units per month.� This increased capacity will be made possible by 1.5 billion yen (about $13 million) worth of improvements to Toyoda Gosei's plant in Aichi Prefecture. [ Article in Compound Semiconductor� ]

�        Dow Corning has acquired Sterling Semiconductor from Uniroyal Technology Corporation (UTC) for $11.2 million.� The sale has enabled Sterling to pay off its secured creditors and those creditors whose contracts Dow Corning has assumed.� The claims of Sterling's remaining creditors will be resolved as part of Sterling's Chapter 11 reorganization proceedings.� [ Article in CompoundSemiconductor.Net ]

�        United Epitaxy Company (UEC) has purchased an AIXTRON AIX 2600G3 HT MOCVD Planetary Reactor.� This purchase brings the number of MOCVD platforms used in UEC's HB-LED production to ~30, about half of which are AIXTRON devices.� [ Article in CompoundSemi News ]

�        University of California-San Diego professor Joanna McKittrick has received a $50k grant from the William J. von Liebig Center for Entrepreneurism and Technology Advancement for a "Development of a Solid-State Lamp" project.� McKittrick, in collaboration with Cree and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory will build a compact solid-state white-light source that can be used for solid-state lighting. The device to be demonstrated will lead to a high-performance, white LED, using several phosphors to simultaneously generate different colors which, in combination, will produce white light, and/or by simply using the single-phase composition approach.� McKittrick and her team at UCSD have recently developed mixtures of three compositions of red, green, and blue phosphors; as well as single-phase white-emitting phosphors. The blends and compositions can be activated efficiently with gallium-nitride (GaN) radiation. [ Press release; see also McKittrick Group webpage ]

�        University of South Carolina researchers are using AlN/AlGaN superlattices to reduce defects for shorter wavelength, higher output power UV LEDs.� Flip-chip-packaged 325-nm LEDs on sapphire substrates produced continuous wave powers and pulsed powers of 0.84 and 6.68 mW.� Continuous wave power increased to 1.5 mW at 10 degrees C.� Other work reduced nonradiative recombination, allowing the LED, fabricated using a pulsed atomic layer epitaxy deposition process, to achieve a pulsed power of 3 mW at 278 nm.� In another effort, the researchers grew AlN epilayers and AlGaN quantum wells on sapphire that showed strong room-temperature photoluminescence at 208 nm for the epilayers and 228 nm for the quantum wells.� These quantum wells were undoped and the researchers believe that silicon doping should screen the build-in electric field and boost the intensity of photoluminescence.� [ Article in Laser Focus World� ]

�        Zia Lasers has announced that it has obtained $5.4 million in Series B venture capital funding.� The round was led by Prism Venture Partners and RWI Group.� Zia will use the funding to continue the development and commercialization of its quantum dot laser technology.� Zia recently received ISO 9001 2000 National Quality Assurance certification and has begun sampling small quantities of its laser technology to customers. [ Article in Compound Semiconductor ]

B. New Products

�        Advanced Analogic Technologies, Inc. has introduced two new charge pumps that use fractional (1.5x) conversion to maximize performance for white LED applications. Named AAT3113 and AAT3114, they need only 4 small (1µF) external capacitors and provide 32-level logarithmic brightness control through the use of a one-wire bus. Both modules produce constant current levels up to 20 mA for each output from 2.75 V to 5.5V input, thereby ensuring uniform white LED brightness. The devices are targeted for backlighting applications in small battery-powered devices, such as cell phones.� [ Press release ]

�        Agilent Technologies has developed a new tricolor HSMF-C118 ChipLED surface-mount LED that permits next-generation handset and PDA designers to mix separate red, green and blue light sources in any combination.� It features three die in a triangular matrix at the center of the package and diffused optics.� This combination allows for a smooth spatial radiation pattern and effective color mixing.� The high-efficiency LED chips are AlInGaP for red, and InGaN for blue and green.� The HSMF-C118 is intended primarily for use in handheld devices such as cellphones and PDAs.� It measures 3.2 mm (L) x 2.7 mm (W) x 1.1 mm (H).� [ Press release ]

�        Citizen Electronics has developed a new HB-LED, the "CITILIGHT^tm," which can be used for illuminating in low light conditions for taking motion or still pictures with cameras built into cellular phones.� The new CL-590 series is claimed to be 1.6 times brighter than conventional 3-die LED products and features greatly improved performance and cost efficiency, according to the company.� Three LEDs are mounted in a package measuring 5.0 x 5.0 x1.5 mm.� It is designed as a surface-mountable, compact and thin chip-type component.� The reflector inside the package is designed so that the light emitted to the side and rear by the LEDs is redirected toward the front.� Mass production was scheduled to start in February at a rate of 1 million units per month, with a planned increase to 3 million units per month within the year. [ Press release ]

�        LEDdynamics Inc. has introduced a LED replacement bulb for standard flashlights.� The new bulb, the "EverLED Flashlight" model, will work with any flashlight using a standard flange flashlight bulb and requiring from 1-6 cells. The EverLED has a rated lifetime of 10 years if operated continuously and is available in 6 colors: white, blue, teal, green, yellow, and red. [ Article in CompoundSemi News ]

�        Lumileds and Mitsubishi have developed three TFT-LCD modules that are backlit using Lumileds' Luxeon line of high-brightness LEDs.� The new monitors are designed for multimedia, medical and point-of-sale/factory automation monitor applications.� The new modules were unveiled at the 9^th International Display Workshops in Hiroshima, Japan, in December 2002.� The modules are mercury-free. [ Press release ]

�        Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. has developed a new white LED light source, according to a February 27th report in AsiaPulse News.� The LED light source generates 120 lumens of light by combining 64 LEDs together in a 2 cm square space on a (nondisclosed) substrate with excellent heat radiation properties.� The light source is only 3 mm thick (about one-fifth the thickness of existing devices).� Matsushita says its new substrate is more than 200 times better at radiating heat away from LEDs� -- each 1-watt increase boosts the temperature by only 1.2 degrees C, which allows the LEDs to handle 8 watts (vs. 0.1 watt) and makes the entire LED array brighter.� The lifetime of the light source is about 10,000 hours. [ Article in AsiaPulse News, no URL available]

�        Microsemi Corporation has debuted a six-channel LED sink driver for controlling more than 100, or as few as 6, standard red, green or yellow LEDs from a single� chip four millimeters square.� The device, designated the LX1991^tm, is a programmable circuit that features dual mode dimming and controlled current switching time.� Brightness ratios of up to 1000:1 can be achieved.� The device has a 43-volt breakdown capability and is compliant with a wide voltage range.� The LX1991 is targeted at the automotive in-dash display market. [ Press release ]

�        Microsemi Corporation has announced the development of "Aviation White^tm LEDs" for use in interior and exterior aviation lighting.� These are HBLEDs that incorporate Microsemi's new Optomite^tm package and are manufactured using Microsemi's Powermite® packaging technology.� The Aviation White LED ( UPWLEDxx) features a wide viewing angle and low thermal resistance.� It has a dominant wavelength of 488 nm and a peak wavelength of 460 nm.� Microsemi also selected WAMCO as its distributor for the Aviation White LED product. [ Microsemi press release1, press release2, WAMCO press release ]

�        Nichia has announced that its newest white LED has a luminous efficacy of 60 lm/W, a level reported as twice as high as that of the latest products on the market.� The LED, which has an external quantum efficiency of 34.9%, uses Nichia's GaN-on-sapphire blue LED combined with a YAG-phosphor.� In order to increase the performance of the LED, concavity/convexity has been introduced to the GaN-sapphire interface, which has the effect of scattering more light out of the device. �In addition, "windows," made of metal materials in the electrodes, emit more light toward the surface of the LED.�� Nichia plans volume production of this new LED in 2005. [ Article in Nikkei Electronics (NE Asia Online) ]

�        ON Semiconductor has introduced two new white LED boost drivers.� The drivers deliver uniform brightness, occupy 15 square mm of board space, and operate in current-loop-control mode to drive LEDs.� The input range is 2.7 to 6 V and the devices can operate directly from 1-cell lithium ion batteries or 3-cell NiMH batteries.� Up to four white LEDs can be connected in a series, or up to 10 total.� The devices feature a serial data input pin that allows LED brightness control by a microcontroller.� One of the drivers, the NCP5009, features a phototransistor sense feedback pin that provides automatic adjustment of LED brightness in response to changes in ambient light. [ Press release ]

�        Permlight has introduced the DirectLight 3 (DL3) HB-LED system.� The system features a small footprint design and patented thermal management technology.� The company claims that this system is ideal for applications with short strokes and tight returns.� The DL3 is available in amber, clear red and ruby red. [ Article in Compound Semiconductors Online ]

�        Rohm Electronics has introduced a new range of white SMD InGaN-on-SiC LEDs that offer typical brightness of 35 mcd / 5 mA or 120 mcd / 20 mA.� (No further details available) [ Article in RDSL Europe, no URL available]

�        Rohm Co. (Japan) has developed blue LED numerical displays, featuring one or two digits, for use in alphanumeric LED displays.� Rohm will be making four models, which differ in terms of character height and number of characters displayed.� All four models will have a peak emission wavelength of 470 nm.� A model with a peak emission wavelength of 430 nm is under consideration.� Samples were made available in December 2002.� Initial mass production of 100,000 units per month was anticipated to begin in January 2003. [ Press release ]

�        Seiwa Electric has developed yellow fluorescent materials and combined it with a blue LED to produce a white LED.� Sample shipments are targeted for the spring of 2004, and the company targets LED sales to be 10 billion yen within 5 years.� Seiwa uses less calcium in the LED base material than the conventional YAG, and says that it can produce thinner silicon chips because less calcium is used.� [Article in Japan Chemical Week, no URL available]

�        Texas Instruments has developed a new 28 V white LED driver that it claims improves the quality and brightness of LEDs in portable applications.� The TPS61042 high frequency white LED driver has a 1.8V to 6V input rangeand supplies output voltages up to 28V.� It can drive up to eight white LEDs with a constant current.� The current can also be pulsed to control white LED brightness. [ Press release ]

�        United Epitaxy Company has released a 10-Watt AlGaInP high-power LED made using a proprietary "metal bonding" technique.� The LED is grown on a GaAs substrate, with a grid-pattern ohmic contact metal layer and a high-reflectivity metal layer deposited on top of the LED epiwafer.� The metal layers of the LED epiwafer are then bonded to a silicon substrate and the GaAs substrate is removed, leaving a diode consisting of a silicon substrate soldered to the metal layers, overlain by the AlGaInP LED wafer.� The output of these "metal bonded" AlGaInP on-silicon LEDs increases linearly with drive current up to 5 A.� The total flux from a single 2.5 x 2.5 square mm emitter is more than 200 lm at 12 W input power, with luminous efficiencies around 18 lm/W.� Compared to AlGaInP-on-GaAs LEDs, metal bonded AlGaInP-on-silicon LEDs are twice as bright at 150 mA due to their greater heat dissipation and light extraction capabilities. [ Article in CompoundSemiconductor.net � page 1, page 2 ]

C. Novel or Interesting LED Applications/Uses

�        B/E Aerospace has received approval from the FAA for its LED wash lighting product for use on Gulfstream-IV business jets.� It also announced the addition of two new products for interior cabin lighting.� One is the Full Spectrum Digital Mood Lighting System, which uses solid-state light units to produce both natural white light and a multitude of colors, with a wide range of programming options for dramatic color changing effects. The system replaces fluorescent lighting.� The other product, the 5620 LED Dome Light, provides general overhead illumination for aisle, lavatory, galley and cargo areas. [ Press release ]

�        BioScan Inc. (Placitas, NM) creates light therapy products using infrared and near infrared or visible red generated by LEDs to speed healing of injuries and wounds. The equipment is approved by the Food and Drug Administration and the therapy is approved for coverage by Medicare and Medicaid.� Bioscan started business 13 years ago with horses.� The founder, Nadine Donahue, came up with an early form of LED light therapy for an ailing horse, and has been working with this type of light therapy ever since.� Three years ago, BioScan expanded to include human applications as well as equine, and three months ago added a treatment clinic called Signature Series Light Therapy by Energy Applied Research.� BioScan products are used on racehorses at several race tracks around the world.� Major sports teams, such as the Phoenix Coyotes, the Montreal Canadiens, and the Philadelphia Eagles, also use the products.� [Article in The Albuquerque Journal, no URL available]

�        Laser Reflections, a company in San Francisco that makes display holography (mostly portraits), has converted from halogen to LED spotlight illumination after encountering a new LED spotlight produced by OptiLED.� The company finds that a LED produces a crisper, clearer image resulting from the small emitter size and the relatively narrow spectral output.� The depth of field is optimized and the display has higher contrast. The company hopes to extend the use of LEDs from high-definition reflection holography into other areas, such as abstract backlit panels of up to 24 x 20 inches.� They believe that such displays will gain commercial acceptance anywhere a clear glass pane can be made entertaining, such as in restaurant booth dividers and storefront windows.� The solid-state illumination design produces no significant stray light and virtually no heat, important in many retail applications such as nightclubs, commercial lobbies, and point of purchase environments.� [ Article in Laser Focus World ]

�        Light BioScience has debuted its GentleWaves^tm treatment for photo-aged and environmentally damaged skin.� GentleWaves is a non-thermal photorejuvenation procedure designed to improve the appearance of damaged skin through the application of non-laser LEDs operating at selected parameters which are thought to photoactivate or photoinhibit normal cellular activity in cells.� According to the company, recent clinical research conducted by Johns Hopkins University researchers demonstrates the efficacy of this treatment.� The product is expected to be on the market in early 2003.� [Press in Medical Laser Insights ]