A. Developer News

·      Aixtron has sold a MOCVD platform to Shanghai LanBao for manufacturing blue LEDs.

·      Aixtron has sold a GaN MOCVD reactor to RPI for ultra high brightness LED research.

·      Bandwidth Semi has been acquired by Spire Corporation.

·      Carmanah and Dialight will jointly develop and market roadway and aviation LED lighting for North America's transportation market

·      Color Kinetics has received two new U.S. patents covering retrofit LED based lamps and LED-based architectural lighting systems.

·      CompoundSemi News has announced that Shuji Nakamura, John Edmund, Norman Schumaker, and Michael Shur will be among the recipients of the Pioneer Award for their work related to LEDs, GaN, and MOCVD.

·      Cree has announced first quarter 2003 revenues of $60.22 million, a 6% increase over the quarter ending December 2002.

·      Cree has received a $100 million LED chip order from Sumitomo.

·      Cree has been profiled in articles in Business North Carolina and the Triangle Business Journal.

·      GE researchers claim that they are close to launching a white light device that can produce 30 lumens per watt, according to an article in the MIT Technology Review.

·      Highlink Technology is growing due to demand in South Korea and Taiwan for Highlink's HB-LED epiwafers and die.

·      Kopin reports III-V revenues up 68.5% to $9.5 million in the first quarter of 2003, with revenues from the CyberLite LED reaching $1.3 million.

·      Lumileds' Frank Steranka discusses the company's plans for the future, which include doubling white LED efficiency and reducing costs.

·      Mitsubishi Electric & Electronic USA has formed a new Semiconductor Division in Silicon Valley.

·      Nichia's warm white LED, NSPL510S, has won the "Technical Innovation Award" and "Best of Category Award for Specialty Lamps Category" at Lightfair International 2003.

·      Nichia and Toyoda Gosei deny rumors of patent licensing agreements with Taiwanese manufacturers.

·      Nichia Corporation has received "The Nikkei BP Technology Prize".

·      Novalux nets $16 million in initial investment to develop blue spectrum laser diodes.

·      OptoLum has announced that it will be receiving US Patent No. 6,573,536, entitled "Light emitting diode light source."

·      Osram OS has assumed all worldwide sales responsibilities for its products from former distributor, Infineon Technologies AG.

·      Osram OS announced the opening of their new optoelectronic chip factory in Germany.

·      Sandia National Lab reports on a patented cantilever epitaxy growth process for sapphire/GaN substrates that reduces the number of dislocations, allowing for brighter, more efficient LEDs.

·      Seiwa Electric is targeting its white and blue LEDs at private sector companies.

·      Stocker Yale has received an $800,000 contract for LED illuminators for security systems.

·      Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. is expanding its holdings in the epiwafer industry through the development of two new companies located in Japan and the U.S.

·      Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has filed a lawsuit against AXT citing infringement on two Japanese patents.

·      Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. has announced the production of GaN wafers in volume.

·      The Tokyo Supreme Court has ruled that employees are entitled to adequate compensation for their inventions.

·      Toshiba plans a tenfold increase in production of white LED drivers.

·      Uni Light Technologyhas bought a large scale AIXTRON GaN Planetary Reactor.

·      The University of Illinois' Nick Holonyak will share The 2003 Global Energy Prize for his work with visible light LEDs.

·      Zia Laser and Emcore have announced a new manufacturing agreement.

  B.  New Products

·      AnalogicTech debuts high efficiency charge pumps for white LEDs.

·      Agilent has developed an intelligent light sensor for use in adjusting the brightness of LEDs used in display backlighting.

·      Enerledshas developed a new street lamp based on Lumileds HB-LEDs.

·      Fairchild has announced new white and blue LEDs and LED drivers.

·      Fairchild introduces new ultra-bright surface-mount LED lamps for interior automotive lighting applications, traffic signals and signage.

·      Gilway Technical Lamps announced the availability of ultra-bright LEDs with up to 5,000-mcd brightness.

·      Infineon Technologieshas developed "smart" textiles for industrial applications, which can incorporate sensors and LEDs.

·      Lamina Ceramics has created an affordable HB-LED package with increased heat dissipation capabilities.

·      Lumileds has announced a new warm white LED with a flux of 22 lm.

·      Lumilog has announced it will produce a novel Fe doped semi insulating GaN substrate.

·      Microsemi has debuted two new white HB-LEDs for backlighting applications.

·      Microsemi's new light sensor, which mimics a human eye, automatically adjusts LEDs used to backlight displays.

·      Omron has developed a new flat LED technology.

·      OptoLum, Inc. has debuted a solid-state "light bulb" that incorporates 24 LEDs from Lumileds with a flux of 800 lumens that emits over a 360-degree span, and a second product, an 800 lumen warm white light bulb using Lumileds' new Luxeon warm white emitters.

·      Osram OS has developed a new 1-watt LED line called "Golden Dragon".

·      Semtech has developed a new LED driver.

·      Tokuyama has developed an AlN substrate, which it claims is 25% more efficient at conducting heat than existing substrates.

·      Toshiba debuts bluish green and purple high luminosity LEDs incorporating Toyoda Gosei InGaN LED emitters.

·      Vishay Americas has introduced a new series of surface-mount power LEDs available in red, orange and yellow.

  C. Novel or Interesting LED Applications/Uses:

·      Carmanah Technologies has begun installing solar-powered LEDs in commercial airports in the US.

·      Carmanah Technologies delivers solar-powered LEDs to light airways in the Persian Gulf.

·      Color Kinetics has licensed its Chromacore® technology to Ambient Devices.

·      Color Kinetics has been awarded a patent for the incorporation of wireless networking in intelligent lighting applications.

·      Ford exhibits the GloCar concept car at a design show at the Cooper-Hewitt, with LED-laden exterior panels that allow the vehicle to change color.

·      Lawrence Berkeley National Lab has a research project dedicated to reducing energy use in hotels by using occupancy sensors and a LED nightlight.

·      Light BioScience has received a new U.S. patent "notice of allowance" for core technology for GentleWaves® LED therapy with living cells.

·      European nightclubs are using Lumileds' LEDs.

·      Lumileds' Luxeon LEDs have been used in "CircleLights", an art project showcasing LED performance in extremely cold environments.

·      Lumileds' Luxeon LEDs make possible solid-state forward lighting for automobiles.

·      The Chicago White Sox have installed a new Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision® LED scoreboard Display.

·      Perini Building Co. has completed the construction of the Colosseum at Caesar's Palace, which features North America's largest LED screen.

·      Shea's Performing Arts Center has replaced its marquee lights with LEDs.

·      Zumtobel Staff Lighting has developed a new line of lighting products using Color Kinetics' Chromacore® technology.

  D.  Market Information:

·      EE Times reports that pure gallium nitride wafers are likely to change the blue-violet laser market.

·      BCC has issued a report, "Light Emitting Diodes for Lighting Applications" current and projected market size figures for the HB-LED market are shared in a press release on this report.

·      The blue spectrum LED market is highly profitable, according to The McDonald Report in CompoundSemi News.

·      Optoelectronics Report has published an overview of the HB-LED market.

  E.  Overview Articles:

·      CompoundSemi News published an overview of recent advances in warm white LEDs, citing recent releases by Lumileds and Nichia.

·      Intertech Corporation has announced the availability of "The 2003 Directory and Source Guide for Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) for Lighting and Display Applications".

·      MIT Technology Review ran a feature article on solid-state lighting for general illumination in the May 2003 issue.

·      Nikkei Online reported on new LED applications that enhance digital devices.

  F. Research Results

·      Osaka University researchers have developed a new blue LED production technique that uses liquid GaN.

·      New epitaxial technique allows University of California, Berkeley researchers to grow single-crystal GaN nanotubes.

  G.  Selected Events of Interest:

·      Compound Semiconductor will host the conference Blue 2003-Behind the Hot Apps on June11-13, 2003, in Dallas, Texas.

  H. Government Activities and Funding News:

·      The AFRL has issued BAA-AFRL/SNH03-01 that includes funding for basic III-V materials research with applications to optronics.

·      The Army has issued a sources sought notice (DAAD19-00-R-0010) for the development of flexible display science and technology.

·      DARPA has issued SBIR 2003.2-Topic SB032-029, entitled "High-Efficiency 555-585 nm (Deep Green) Direct-Emission LED".

·      DARPA has issued SBIR 2003.2-Topic SB032-044, entitled "Wide bandgap semiconductor materials and devices".

·      DOE NETL has issued a sources-sought notice (DE-PS26-03NT41635) for R&D relating to energy-efficient buildings that includes funding for solid-state lighting devices.

·      NSF has an open SBIR solicitation that includes funding for such areas as optoelectronic materials and device research, power management, and wafer production technologies.

·      The US Army has issued SBIR 2003.2-Topic A03-217, entitled "Advanced thermal management of LEDs".

·      The US Army has issued SBIR 2003.2-Topic A03-057, entitled "High power, high efficiency diode sources for pumping eye-safe solid state lasers".

A.   Developer News