Solid-State Lighting Issue 23: Selected Business and Technology News (Early May

ISSUE 23: BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS (Early May-Early July 2004)

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

� Alfalight has developed a high-power pump laser diode with 65% efficiency and an output of 3 Watts.

� Aixtron and Genus, Inc., a supplier of atomic layer deposition technology, are planning to merge.

� Aixtron and Lumileds sign a purchase order for Aixtron Planetary Reactors.

� Amtech Lighting will replace some 34,000 incandescent traffic lamps with LED units in the Cities of Dallas and Arlington, Texas.

� Arima Optoelectronics planned to start volume production of high-luminance blue LEDs in mid-June.

� AXT cut 45 jobs at its California headquarters as part of $1.3 million restructuring plan aimed at increasing focus on its China operation.

� Color Kinetics offers 4,000,000 shares of common stock at $10 per share, down from its initial estimated $11-$13 per share price.

� Color Kinetics signed an OEM agreement with Main Light, permitting Main Light to use Color Kinetics technology in its SoftLED LED-based drapery product.

� Cree's Chuck Swoboda delivered the keynote address at Blue 2004, focusing on markets, consolidation, and defense of patent rights in the nitride LED industry.

� Epistar will invest $212 million to expand production of four-element LEDs and nitride-based LEDs.

� Recent GELcore activities related to Europe are profiled; company plans to introduce its GE LED Illuminated Street Sign System to Europe later this year.

� A Japanese consortium announced it would create general-use white LED lights in three years.

� LED lightbulb designer Lighting Science was acquired by the Phoenix Group.

� Lighting Science selected Fulham to market its LED floodlights and spotlights.

� Ligitek plans to increase SMD LED production 10-fold to 30 million units per month by year's end.

� Lumileds has received an R&D contract from the U.S. Display Consortium to develop LED-based illuminators for projection displays

� Lumileds will open a new plant in Malaysia to produce Luxeon LEDs.

� Lumileds selected Marubeni Corporation to market its LED chip products in Japan.

� Mitsubishi Chemical will head a consortium to develop equipment for fabricating large single crystals of GAN and ZnO for blue lasers and illumination sources.

� In FY 2003, Nichia enjoyed a 56% increase in sales and pretax profits of 94.8 billion yen, according to a CompoundSemi News McDonald Report entitled "Catching up with Nichia."

� Nichia plans to increase its LED production capacity at its Tatsumi fab.

� Nichia is exploring licensing its technology to "certain Taiwanese LED manufacturers".

� Nichia introduced labeling to mark products containing its white LED chips.

� Nichia announced a Taiwanese company acknowledged patent infringement and halted sales of LED-application products.

� Nichia America has sued Sharper Image to prevent it from selling products with white LEDs that infringe on Nichia's US patents.

� Nichia sued an unnamed Taiwanese company and its South Korean customer for patent infringement.

� Nichia requested a preliminary injunction against E&E Japan Co. in Tokyo District Court over infringement of one of Nichia's white LED patents, JP No. 2927279.

� Opto Tech plans to expand LED production and samples "advanced" flip-chip LED.

� Osram OS has received the Bavarian Energy Award 2004 for its sustainable energy concept for the infrastructure for manufacturing LEDs.

� Osram OS sued Dominant Semi for infringement of patents covering white LEDs and LED electrical connection structures.

� Procomp Informatics has filed for "restructuring" in the Taipei district court seeking relief of "cash bind."

� Quintessence Photonics claims to have developed 2D surface-emitting diode arrays made from a single piece of semiconductor.

� Rohm turned a profit of ¥63.72 billion (up 20.2% over the previous year) in March 2004.

� Sandia National Lab filed international patent application WO 2004/049764, "Photonic crystal light source."

� Sandia National Lab receives a "R&D 100" award for cantilever epitaxy process.

� Sanken has filed a WIPO application (WO 2004/042832), "Semiconductor light-emitting substrate."

� Compound Semiconductor reviewed recent progress in HB-LED manufacturing in South Korea.

� StockerYale's COBRA™ 500 LED Line Illuminator has been named product of the month by Photonic Tech Briefs.

� Sumitomo has agreed to purchase $160 million of LED chips from Cree in the fiscal year ending June 2005.

� Tekcore has completed its Fab 2 Facility and is ramping up production of high brightness blue, green and UV LED chips.

� TIR Systems received the Emerging Company of the Year award from BCTIA.

� Toyoda Gosei has rebranded itself "Toyoda Gosei", dropping the TG moniker used in its regional headquarters in the USA and Europe.

� Toyoda Gosei plans to invest $140M in the construction of a second factory for GaN-based LEDs.

� Tyntek is ramping up its AlGaInP LED manufacturing capacity in an effort to compete with its Taiwanese rivals.

� University of Illinois professor Nick Holonyak was profiled in Investor Business Daily

B.� New Products:

� AnalogicTech announced two new high efficiency charge pumps for white LEDs.

� Agilent debuted a series of extra-bright InGaN LEDs targeted for the outdoor electronic sign and signals market.

� BivarOpto debuted the SMTP RGB Series LEDs for use with BivarOpto's Flexible Light Pipes.

� China Fangda has developed high-power GaN-based LEDs with 1.5cd brightness and lifetimes over 80,000 hours.

� Cree introduced two new green LEDS, the XT-290™ LED and XB-900™ LED.

� Cree announced the XT-21™ their newest addition to the Xthin™ product line.

� Cree announced it had recently demonstrated a 57 lm/W white LED.

� Cree announced three new blue spectrum LED products for the mobile appliance market.

� Dialight offered its 586 series of wedge-based LEDs for use in illuminating switches, panel indicators and reels in gaming equipment.

� Dionics debuted the "Silicon Light Chip", a tri-color white LED device targeted at the architectural and other lighting markets.

� The Fox Group began production of mid-brightness GaN-based blue LEDs using HVPE growth techniques.

� Hui Yuan Electronic Factory is offering super-flux LEDs with luminous intensities of 3cd to 10cd.

� Microsemi showed off its new LED drivers at SID 2004.

� Nichia announces prototypes of two new white LEDs 1.7 times brighter than conventional products.

� Osram OS debuted its long life White Power TOPLED at SID 2004.

� Permlight introduced the Enbryten Portrait series of LED luminaires for general illumination applications.

� Seiwa Electric announced a "natural-looking" white LED.

� SiCrystal AG announced the availability of its high-quality 2" 6H-substrates.�

� Sipex announced the SP6683 charge pump for driving up to 8 white LEDs in parallel.

� Stanley Electric announced the UVGB1306L surface mount tri-color LED.

� Stanley debuted the XW1147B surface-mount white LED with a luminous intensity of 0.4 cd to 0.5 cd at 20 mA.

� Supertex introduced a universal HB-LED driver integrated circuitry with >93% efficiency.

� UEC announced a high-brightness glue-bonding AlGaInP LED processing chip.

� Vishay launched the TLMx320x series of SMD LEDs in a PLCC-3 package for backlighting, traffic signal, and signage applications.

C.� Novel or Interesting LED Applications/Uses:

� Arlington High School (Mass.) students invented an illuminated crosswalk system utilizing weight-activated solid-state lighting.

� Carmanah's solar powered LED lights illuminate buildings in downtown Baghdad.

� Coca Cola unveiled a 2.6 million LED display in New York City's Times Square.

� Flambeau will market LED-lighted fishing-tackle boxes developed by Brooks and Baker LLC.

� The International Contemporary Furniture Fair featured LED-based wall hangings by Divvali and Element Labs.

� K-Tronik introduced the E-Plug Residential Emergency Lighting Module, which uses LED lighting technology.

� Researchers at MIT, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Brigham and Women's Hospital, tested quantum-dot-based medical imaging of lymph nodes.

� NEC-Mitsubishi Electronics Display has debuted prototype LCD displays using Lumileds Luxeon LEDs.

� Osram OS red and white LEDs are used in a timeline spanning the River Danube, running along the Stone Bridge in Regensburg, Germany.

� Osram OS has provided 8500 LED lights for "UFO" displays at the Dubai International Airport.

� Osram Opto Semiconductors announced its TOPLED LED will be used in the tail lamp of the 2004 Aston Martin DB9.

� Osram OS's White Golden Dragon LEDs will be used in headlights in Ford Australia's "Focus Concept" car.

� OSRAM SYLVANIA donated LED technology for a doorway lighting project along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, NY.

� The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership has lit Strawberry Way with artistic lighting displays and illuminated signage, in part powered by red LED lighting.

� The US Army NAC lists fuel cells, LED spotlights and advanced communication technologies as part of future homeland security CRADA projects.

� University of Maine researchers used GaN-based UV LEDs to sterilize water spiked with bacteria.

D.� Market Information:

� ATIP published "Chinese LED R&D and Industry," a report summarizing current trends and players in China's solid-state lighting R&D community.

� The growth of MOCVD manufacturing capacity of Taiwanese LED manufacturers was reviewed in Compound Semiconductor.

E.� Overview Articles:

� Automotive applications for compound semiconductor devices, including LED lighting, were reviewed in Compound Semiconductor in the article"Compound semiconductor devices offer new driving experiences".

� A brief history of the founding of AXT and its commercialization of VGF technology developed at Bell Labs appeared in CompoundSemi News "The McDonald Report."

� Compound Semiconductor magazine covers GaN substrate manufacturing in the July issue in the article "GaN substrates offer high performance at a price."

� Compound Semiconductor published an article titled, "Samsung and Toyoda Gosei unveil progress in violet lasers," reviewing progress in violet lasers, and UV, blue and white LEDs.

� Opto & Laser Europe featured Taiwan and photonics, in several articles in their July/August issue.

� The article, "Lighting: the progress and promise of LEDs," summarizing progress in LEDs was published in the May 2004 issue of III-Vs Review.

� Salon.com published an article titled "Saving the world by building a better light bulb," on energy efficient lighting technology, including solid-state lighting.

F.� Research Results

� Research advances in UV LED R&D by participants in DARPA's SUVOS Program were reviewed in the May issue of Compound Semiconductor.

� LANL and Sandia researchers announced indirect-injection quantum well light-emitting nanocrystal quantum dots.

� Researchers at Tsinghua University and LSU have developed a carbon nanotube filament replacement for tungsten filaments in incandescent bulbs.

� Universidad Aut�noma de Madrid researcher Francisco Garcia-Vidal has authored a review of research into the transmission of light through sub-wavelength apertures in metallic films.

� University of Florida researchers show thin sheets of carbon nanotubes are effective transmitters of light into LEDs.

� University of Toronto researchers have created the world's first tungsten inverse opal capable of excluding almost all light at certain wavelengths.

G.� Selected Events of Interest:

� Compound Semiconductor Week, a new conference combining the CS-MAX and CSICS conferences, will be held October 24-28, 2004 in Monterey, Calif.

� The Materials Research Society has announced its program for its Fall 2004 meeting to be held November 29-December 3, 2004 in Boston, Mass.

� The Materials Research Society will hold its 2004 International Workshop on Nitride Semiconductors on July 19 - 23, 2004 in Pittsburgh.

� SPIE�s European Workshop on Photonics in the Automobile, held November 29 � December 1 in Geneva Switzerland, will include lighting and display considerations.

� SPIE�s Photonics Asia will be held November 8 � 12, 2004, in Beijing, China.�

� SPIE�s Photonics West 2005 will be held January 22 � 27, 2005 in San Jose, California.

� The 31^st International Symposium on Compound Semiconductors (ISCS-2004) will be held in Seoul, Korea, September 12 � 16, 2004.

H.� Government Funding News and Opportunities:

� Aixtron is part of a joint project, funded by the German government, to establish a semiconductor optoelectronics R&D training center in China.

� Crystal IS received over $750k in follow-on support for AlN substrate development from the DARPA SUVOS and RF/Microwave/Millimeter-wave Technology programs.

� DOE formally announced the SSL product development funding opportunity in May; the competition closed on July 8, 2004.

� DOE has selected a proposal from the Next Generation Lighting Industry Alliance in response to their solicitation for a "Solid State Lighting Partnership."�

� Fiberstars received a $1 million DARPA grant to develop LED-based high efficiency distributed lighting (HEDlight) systems by December 2005.

� LRC and Evident Technologies have received NYSERDA funding to jointly develop and demonstrate efficient quantum-dot nanomaterial white LEDs.

� The US Army issued the solicitation SBIR 2004.3-Topic A04-068, entitled "ZnO Based Light Emitters for UV/Blue Applications."� Proposals are due August 12, 2004.

A. Developer News

�        Alfalight announced a high-power pump laser diode with a wallplug efficiency of 65% producing 3 watts of usable light.� The achievement was supported by the DARPA Super High Efficiency Diode Sources (SHEDS) program, under which Alfalight was to deliver 65% efficient laser bars to DARPA by March 2005.� The emitted light has a wavelength of 970 nm.� The high efficiency of the device was achieved by improving the internal injection efficiency through strain adjustments to the quantum well barriers and by reducing the device's overall built-in voltage through modification of the doping profile of the laser's separate confinement heterostructure layer.� Alfalight is currently seeking to further improve device efficiency through a reduction in threshold losses either through the use of quantum-dot-based gain media or by growing quantum wells on (110)-oriented GaAs wafers.� The goal of the SHEDS program is to develop a 480W diode stack with 80% wallplug efficiency by the end of September 2006.� Other industry participants in the SHEDS program include JDS Uniphase, which has developed a 64% efficient laser diode using an asymmetric waveguide configuration, and nLight Photonics. [ Press release, Article at Compound Semiconductor.net ]

�        Aixtron and Genus,Inc. (a Sunnyvale , California based supplier of atomic layer deposition technology) are planning to merge to create "a world leading supplier of nano deposition technology to the semiconductor industry." ��Atomic layer deposition technology is required in the production of advanced semiconductors and hard disk drives. �The companies believe they are highly complementary and have an excellent strategic fit in a number of areas. �Aixtron plans to acquire all outstanding Genus shares in a stock-for-stock transaction. [ Press release ]

�        Aixtron and Lumileds have signed a long-term purchase order for a "significant number" of AIXTRON Planetary Reactors® for Lumileds� Luxeon products.� Lumileds is anticipating an epi system capacity ramp-up in the next four years.� [ Aixtron Press release ]

�        Amtech Lighting has been awarded a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract with the City of Dallas and the City of Arlington, Texas, to retrofit incandescent traffic lamps with LED units.� Signal retrofits will be done at over 1,100 metered intersections throughout Dallas, resulting in the replacement of over 22,000 incandescent traffic lamps.� In Arlington, 243 metered intersections will be renovated, with approximately 11,800 incandescent traffic lamps being retrofitted with LED units.� Amtech estimates the energy costs to operate the signals will be reduced by approximately 85-90% over the lifetime of the agreement. [ Press release ]

�        Arima Optoelectronics announced that it would begin volume production of high-luminance blue LEDs of handset backlight modules in mid-June.� In addition, the company plans to increase its monthly production of standard (non-high-luminance) blue LEDs from its 70 million units to 100 million blue LEDs/month by the end of the year.� Arima also continues to receive orders for laser diode packaging from SONY and will begin shipments to another Japan-based customer in the second half of 2004. [ Article in Digitimes (registration required) ]

�        AXT announced that it has cut 45 jobs (35% of its workforce) at its Fremont, California, manufacturing facility and will take a $1.3 million restructuring charge in the second quarter.� The moves are part of AXT's efforts to consolidate substrate manufacturing at its production facility in China. [ Press release ]

�        Color Kinetics announced the pricing of its IPO of 4,000,000 shares of its common stock at $10 per share.� This per share price is less than the anticipated $11 to $13 per share price.� Color Kinetics hopes to raise $40 million with the IPO as compared to the $51.8 million officials estimated in the SEC registration.� Following the stock sale, Color Kinetics will have a market capitalization of $190 million. � [ Press release, Article in Boston Business Journal ]

�        Color Kinetics signed an OEM agreement with Main Light that allows Main Light to incorporate Color Kinetics technology in its SoftLED LED-based drapery for entertainment applications.� The Soft-LED drapery is composed of programmable points of light that can be used as dynamic backdrops at a variety of venues, including theaters, tradeshows, casinos, theme parks, concerts and corporate events.� Incorporation of Color Kinetics' LED control technology will allow Main Light to individually control each tri-color LED in the drapery, enabling the drapery to display complex shapes, patterns and lightshows. [ Press release ]

�        Cree President and CEO Chuck Swoboda delivered the keynote address at Blue 2004.� His presentation, entitled "Nitride LED industry perspective: the road to consolidation," focused on future trends in the nitride LED market.� He predicts this market will grow at about 30% per year over the next two years, although this estimate may be conservative given the emerging applications in automotive lighting and LED backlights for large scale LCDs.� He also foresees considerable consolidation in the industry, with the winners being companies which are "financially strong, possess clear access to comprehensive IP portfolios and have world class technology and development resources."�Swoboda also emphasized that Cree will be vigorously defending its IP portfolio right down to the level of retail stores that market products containing blue or white LEDs that infringe in whole, or in part, on Cree patents.� Swoboda drew parallels between Cree's stance and that of its competitor Nichia, which has published a statement clearly outlining its intent to vigorously defend its white LED patents and has already brought retailer Sharper Image to court for patent infringement. [ Press release, The McDonald Report in CompoundSemi News ]

�        Epistar (Taiwan) announced plans to invest $212 million to expand production of its four-element LEDs and its nitride-based LEDs.� Production of four-element LEDs will increase to 600 million units per month.� Production of nitride-based LEDs, which currently stands at 120 million units per month, is expected to rise to 200 million units.� Epistar also announced it expected its monthly shipment of blue LEDs to reach 80 million units in the second quarter and 130 million in the third quarter, driven by demand in the mobile phone market.� Epistar also plans to raise production of its AlGaInP LEDs to 550 million units per month in the third quarter, up from 430 million units in the first quarter.� Recently, the company acquired a building from Chipbond Technology Corp. for $3 million and it plans to construct an additional fab on the building site.� Epistar also plans to purchase at least 6 MOCVD machines in the first half of 2004, each capable of producing 10 million ITO-based LEDs. �[ Article in EETimes Asia, Article in EETimes Asia ]

�        CompoundSemi News has provided an update on GELcore, "What�s New at GELcore?", that covers the company�s activities in the European market and their introduction of the GE Tetra LED system, including white lighting, aimed at signage applications. �The company views Europe as "the new frontier for LED traffic management products and solutions" and notes that its traffic product business in Europe grew 150% over last year.� It also plans to introduce its GE LED Illuminated Street Sign System to Europe later this year, which is an all-weather, low-maintenance light engine for directional and marking applications in road, retail and airfield settings.� The system, according to the company, thrives in any climate and is rated to operate within this range:� -40� F to 122� F (-40� C to 50� C); and delivers a rated life up to 50,000 hours.� [ CompoundSemi News�item, GE press release, GELcore press release ]

�        A Japanese consortium announced that it would develop energy-saving white LED lighting equipment in the next three years.� Consortium members intend to offer it as an alternative to incandescent and fluorescent lighting.� The white LED will consist of a near-UV emitting LED with a fluorophor.� Consortium members include Stanley Electric, Showa Denko, Omron, Mitsubishi Cable Industries, Asahi Rubber, Mitsubishi Electric Lighting, and Kasei Optonix.� The consortium will receive up to 50% of development costs from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).� Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) will be tasked with heading up the development plan. [ Article in New Materials Japan (subscription required) ]

�        LED light bulb designer Lighting Science has been acquired by the Phoenix Group through a stock swap.� Lighting Science is "preparing to introduce LED light bulbs for both commercial and residential applications" in late 2004.� Phoenix Group chairman Ron Lusk commented, "We are excited to be part of a revolutionary product launch that has the potential to replace existing light bulbs with a new low cost, environmentally friendly solution that will play an important role in power conservation efforts."� Lighting Science sees in the merger the potential for a much wider distribution of its product. [ Press release at Business Wire ]

�        Lighting Science has selected Fulham Co. Ltd. (Hong Kong) to exclusively market its LED floodlights and spotlights.� Lighting Science's LED light bulbs are claimed to be 20% cheaper to manufacture than "previous technology" due to the use of LEDs and Lighting Science's patent-pending electronic drivers.� The LED lightbulbs are also claimed to "provide the same light output as incandescent bulbs, due to a 40% increase in light output vs. previous LED technology", and the bulbs are dimmable.� Other product features are "super low energy consumption", long life and environmentally friendly.� Fulham will offer this product in all four of its world markets - United States, Hong Kong (International), China, and Dubai (Middle East) - with sales scheduled to begin in September of this year. [ Press release at Lycos]

�        Ligitek (Taiwan) announced plans to increase monthly production of SMD LEDs 10-fold by the end of the year, from 3 million units to 30 million.� The company expects this move to increase its revenues from NT$775 million ($23 million) in 2003 to NT$925 million ($27.7 million) this year. [ Article at �CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

�        The U.S. Display Consortium (USDC) has awarded a R&D contract to Lumileds to develop LED-based illuminators for projection display applications.� The $2-million project will be cost-shared equally between the USDC and Lumileds. The goal of the project is to create a compact LED illuminator for development of a projection system with a longer lifetime and better color rendition.� Technical issues to be addressed include component design, development and testing, packaging and thermal management, and systems integration and functional testing. Sample illuminators will be provided to USDC member companies for testing purposes at the end of this 18-month project. [ Item at Laser Focus World ]

�        Lumileds Lighting announced that it is opening a new plant in Malaysia this summer to manufacture Luxeon LEDs.� The new 200,000 sq. ft. facility, which will effectively triple its Luxeon output, will replace its current facility in Penang.� Lumileds expected to more than double its manufacturing workforce when the new facility comes online beginning in the end of April 2004.� The facility will produce the full Luxeon product line, including the first volume production of Luxeon warm white LEDs. [ Press release ]

�        Lumileds chose Marubeni Corporation to be its distributor of LED chip products in Japan.� Marubeni will market the products to major electronics companies that will create 5mm, 4-pin, surface mount, and chip-on-board LED packages for sale to manufacturers in a variety of industries.� The AlInGaP and InGaN chips sold by Marubeni will be blue, traffic green, green, red, red-orange and amber. [ Press release at Lycos ]

�        Mitsubishi Chemical (Japan) will head up a consortium to develop equipment for the fabrication of large, single crystals of GaN and ZnO that can be cut into 2" substrates.� The crystals are being targeted at applications in blue lasers and illumination sources.� The consortium hopes to have the equipment ready in five years.� Members of the consortium include Tokyo Denpa, Japan Steel Works, Nippon Kasei Chemical, Furuya Metal, and Intelligent Cosmos Research (an R&D firm affiliated with Tohoku University).� [ Article in Asia Pulse News, URL not available ]

�        Recent financial and business strategy news from Nichia was reviewed in a CompoundSemi News McDonald Report titled "Catching up with Nichia."� Nichia is reported to be enjoying a ratio of pretax profits to sales in excess of 50%, driven in 2003 by sales increases of 56% (to 181.1 billion yen) and pretax profits of 94.8 billion yen.� Sales for 2004 are projected to be 220 billion yen.� Nichia also claims a 70% market share in white LEDs, and anticipates doubling its output of white LEDs and blue laser diodes when its new fab in Tatsui is completed.� Nichia's profits have risen sharply despite a 20% decline in white LED prices over the last 6 months.� However, analysts report that these price drops have occurred primarily in the market for the lowest-end white LEDs ('scrap' LEDs used in toys, keychain lights and similar applications).� Significant price drops do not appear to be occurring in the primary markets served by Nichia:� the high-end white LED market (LEDs used in headlamps and light fixtures) and the "medium demanding" markets (backlights, traffic signals, signage).� The report also notes that U.S.-based Optronics acknowledged that it used Nichia-patent-infringing Taiwanese white LEDs in its products (see Nichia Press release).� Optronics will stop marketing the infringing products and change to new products using non-infringing white LEDs.� The new products will be labeled as containing a Nichia white LED. [ The McDonald Report in Compound Semi News ]

�        Nichia plans to double its LED production capacity at its Tatsumi fab.� The company plans to construct a six-storey building at a cost of approximately �4 billion ($360 million) and install approximately �20-30 billion of new equipment.� The increased production is an attempt to counter Asian competition.� Nichia currently has a 70% share of the global LED market.� By increasing production, Nichia hopes to be more competitive, particularly in the lower-end markets, such as LEDs for lighting cellphone keypads. [ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

�        Nichia is exploring licensing its technology to "certain Taiwanese LED manufacturers."� Nichia believes that such arrangements would secure growing global demands for its products.� In announcing this move, Nichia reiterated its patent position that it will "continue to pursue an aggressive legal approach against other companies, which are manufacturing and/or using infringing products." [ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net� ]

�        In another bid to solidify its market and IP positions, Nichia has announced labels to mark products containing its white LEDs.� The label also includes the precise patent number of the device inside.� Nichia claims this move is in response to requests by customers and represents the company's brand and the distinguished performance of its white LEDs.� A picture of the label accompanies the Nichia press release. [ Article in CompoundSemi News, Press release �]

�        Nichia announced that an unnamed, Japanese-affiliated company in Taiwan has ceased to market its LED-application products.� Nichia had determined that the white LEDs in the products were made in Taiwan using technology that infringed on Nichia's patented technology.� The company in Taiwan acknowledged the infringement and agreed to stop marketing the products.� Furthermore, they agreed to substitute white LEDs made by Nichia in future versions of the products. [ Press release ]

�        Nichia America has sued Sharper Image to prevent it from selling and marketing a key ring flashlight and other products incorporating Taiwanese white LEDs that infringe on Nichia's US patents.� Nichia alleges that the white LEDs in the flashlight infringe on the claims of US Patent No. 5,998,925 (entitled "Light emitting device having a nitride compound semiconductor and a phosphor containing a garnet fluorescent material").� This patent covers Nichia's standard white LED structure, consisting of a blue diode coupled with a YAG phosphor.� Nichia also seeks damages from Sharper Image. [ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

�        Nichia filed a lawsuit against an unnamed Taiwanese company and its South Korean customer, based on Nichia's "reasonable belief" that the two companies have been conducting activities infringing on Nichia's LED patents.� Nichia seeks to bar the Taiwanese company from importing to and selling in South Korea products that it claims illegally use Nichia's patented technology.� The patent in dispute covers technology that induces vapor growth of GaN-based semiconductors used in manufacturing LEDs and for which Nichia holds a valid patent in South Korea. [ Press release ]

�        Nichia has gone to Tokyo District Court to request an injunction against E&E Japan Co., a joint venture of Epistar and Everlight Electronics.� Nichia claims E&E has infringed on Nichia's Japanese patent JP No. 2927279, a key white LED technology patent covering "the obtaining of white color emission by combining a semiconductor device and a phosphor that is excited by the light emitted from the semiconductor device."� Nichia believes that E&E white LEDs with model numbers 99-215UWC/TR8 and 67-21UWC/S400-A4/TR8 infringe on this patent.� Nichia had had a similar patent dispute with Epistar in 1999 over Nichia patent JP No. 2900928, which Nichia claims was resolved by "the undertaking Everlight Japan gave for no more infringement on Nichia's patent."� Epistar, in a press release on its website, says these Nichia statements are false and the 1999 dispute was resolved when Nichia failed to post the security bond required by Taiwanese courts to make the preliminary injunction permanent.� The press release goes on to state "Everlight regrets to learn that Nichia continues to distribute false statements concerning the preliminary injunction order on its website after the expiration of the order.� In this regard, Everlight reserves all its rights as against Nichia. ...� Everlight will continue its policy of respecting the intellectual property rights of others and providing to its customers products that are free from any infringement of intellectual property rights."� Nichia is standing by its firm patent stance, stating in its press release that it "plans to continue to take appropriate worldwide actions toward any possible infringing company so as to safeguard its patents and other intellectual property rights in the future." [ Article in Compound Semi News, Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net, Nichia Press release, Everlight Press elease ]

�        Opto Tech (Taiwan) announced plans to expand production of LEDs.� The company expects monthly substrate production capacity to reach 20,000 substrates in 2005, up from the current 5,000 substrates.� Opto Tech also announced it had developed an "advanced" flip-chip LED, which will begin production in July, with a monthly capacity of 20 million units.� The new LED has an 8KV antistatic ability, which is higher than the typical 1KV to 2KV antistatic ability of ITO LEDs.� Opto Tech is currently shipping samples to customers, including China Semiconductor, Everlight Electronics, Lite-On Technology, Bright LED Electronics, KingBright Electronic, Unity Opto Technology, and Harvatek (an Opto Tech subsidiary).� Opto Tech also plans increased production of its OLED devices. [ Article at Global Sources ]

�        Osram OS has received the Bavarian Energy Award 2004 for its sustainable energy concept for the infrastructure for manufacturing LEDs in the new optical chip factory in Regensburg/Burgweinting.� Osram OS has as two of its stated corporate objectives "systematic energy savings" and "economical use of resources".� The Burgweinting facility exemplifies these objectives.� For instance, the production of semiconductors requires high-purity water preheated from 10�C to 20�C.� To reduce the energy consumed in heating the water, the facility utilizes waste heat produced by generating compressed air and at various process cooling stages.� Two heat exchangers are used to capture this waste heat and pass it to the preheating circuit.� Savings are estimated to be in the region of 3 million kWh per year, amounting to an annual reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of approximately 500 tons. [ Press release ]

�        Osram OS has sued Malaysian LED manufacturer Dominant Semiconductors Sdn. Bhd.� for infringement of nine US patents held by Osram.� Osram seeks to both enforce these patents as well as obtain injunctive relief to end the infringement.� Osram not only seeks to keep Dominant from importing the infringing LEDs and products containing them, but Osram has also asked for a general order preventing any other infringing LEDs, and products containing them, from being imported into the United States.� One group of patents covered by this complaint covers Osram's single-chip white LED technology typically used in backlighting applications.� The other group of patents being litigated covers technology for the electrical connection structure used in many LEDs, including high-power LEDs typically used in automotive interior lighting and rear combination light systems. [ Press release ]

�        Procomp Informatics Ltd. (Taiwan) has filed for "restructuring" in the Taipei district court.� The company is seeking the court's receivership ahead of a default on a nearly NT$3 billion European convertible corporate bond payment due June 17.� The default comes because the company only raised half of the US$117 million the company expected to raise from an overseas share sale.� As a result, the chipmaker decided to suspend the share sale.� The action affects at least three other LED companies, including Prolight, Huga, and the Procomp-Sumitomo joint venture Supra Opto.� A follow-up Taipei Times article ("Procomp case shows reforms are needed soon") raises the specter of financial wrongdoings at Procomp.� Issues raised include "questions concerning whether funds have been temporarily appropriated for private use or taken out of the company, the abnormal trading in the company's shares before and after the restructuring announcement, the transfers on the day restructuring took place, and even whether financial reports are deceptive or false."� According to the article, Procomp had "planned to issue global depository receipts to make up for financial deficits, but a conflict over insider trading arose between the company and the underwriting bank, CitiBank."� Questions were also raised regarding whether the bank had provided false information.� The article concludes by saying "It still remains to be seen whether any illegalities have occurred." [ Article in Compound Semi News, Article in Taipei Times, Article in Taipei Times ]

�        US start-up, Quintessence Photonics Corporation (QPC) in California, claims to have developed 2D surface-emitting diode arrays that are made from a single piece of semiconductor.� The surface-emitting prototype promises cheaper, more powerful laser-diode arrays.� When making the wafer of edge-emitting laser diodes, QPC uses a method that etches a series of 45� mirrors next to the diodes to reflect light out of the surface of the wafer.� As a result, 2D arrays of laser diodes can be made from a single piece of semiconductor without the need for cleaving the wafer into a series of discrete bars. �[ Item at Optics.org]

�        Rohm Company of Japan reported a group net profit of ¥ 63.72 billion, up 20.2% from ¥ 53.00 billion a year earlier.� Rohm's profitability was due to demand for LEDs, LCD modules, and semiconductor lasers for use in mobile phones and DVD recorders.� Price competition and increased competition reduced the profitability of Rohm's other chip ventures.� Annual group sales increased only 1.5% to ¥355.6 billion.� Rohm plans to focus its resources on manufacturing high-end customized chips for mobile devices and automobiles.� At the same time, it will continue its cost-cutting and other restructuring measures. [ Article in CompoundSemi News, Article at CompoundSemconductor.net ]

�        Sandia National Laboratories filed international patent application WO 2004/049764, entitled "Photonic crystal light source."� The WIPO application covers a light source based on a stacked-log lattice structure that has an enhanced photonic density-of-states over a specific band of frequencies.� Enhanced light emission is seen at these frequencies when the device is heated.� Spectral properties of the light source vary with modifications to the crystal structure and materials.� Color mixing can be achieved through the addition of photonic crystals that emit at different bands of frequencies. [ Article at Optics.org ]

�        Sandia National Laboratories has won R&D Magazine�s "R&D 100" award for cantilever epitaxy, a process of growing gallium nitride on an etched sapphire substrate.� The new cantilever epitaxy process reduces the numbers of dislocations, giving the potential for longer-lived and better performing LEDs. �It also means that LEDs grown on the patterned sapphire/GaN substrates can produce brighter, more efficient, green, blue, and white lights than previously accomplished. �[ Press release]

�        Sanken has filed a WIPO application ( WO 2004/042832), "Semiconductor light-emitting device and method for manufacturing the same," covering a multiple quantum well LED grown on a low-resistance silicon substrate.� The device has a buffer layer, n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a p-type semiconductor layer.� The active layer consists of a plurality of InGaN barrier layers, first auxiliary AlGaInN layers, InGaN quantum well layers, and second auxiliary AlGaInN layers.� The auxiliary layers prevent evaporation or diffusion of the In. [ Article at Optics.org ]

�        Compound Semiconductor magazine has published a review of South Korea's progress in HB-LEDs entitled "Korean manufacturers focus on white LEDs" (Jun 2004 issue).� The authors argue that falling blue LED prices have caused Korean companies to focus more on white HB-LED applications such as phone backlighting, camera flash units, outdoor billboards and illumination.� While Korean companies are competitive on quality, price and delivery, profitability is seriously hampered by poor development of technology relating to wafer and materials manufacturing.� The lack of R&D in this area means that Korean companies have to import about half of their wafers from Japan, Europe and Taiwan.� Korea also depends on imports for its key manufacturing equipment - for instance, more than 80% of HB-LED manufacturing equipment in Korea comes from Japan, while most epi-growing equipment is imported from Japan and Europe.� Among the companies discussed in the article are Samsung Electric, Seoul Semiconductor, LG Innotek, Lasemtech, Photron, and EST.� The article includes a table on LED chip and epiwafer manufacturing in Taiwan, Korea, and China.� Additional points of interest in the article include:�

� Seoul Semiconductor has "thrown down the gauntlet to industry-leading companies such as US-based Lumileds." Seoul Semi claims to have HB-LEDs with 150 lm brightness, a 25+% improvement on Lumileds' devices.

� EST wants to widen its market share by replacing incandescent and fluorescent lamps with LEDs. It plans to set up an offshore factory in China in the next year.

� Korean manufacturers have started to target the local automotive market. [

� [ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net, Article in CompoundSemi News, Table ]

�        StockerYale's COBRA™ 500 LED Line Illuminator was named the April 2004 Product of the Month by Photonic Tech Briefs.� It was also chosen as one of eight finalists nominated to compete for Photonic Tech Briefs' 2004 Product of the Year Award.� The COBRA (chip-on-board reflective array) 500 LED Line Illuminator can deliver up to 500,000 lux of "extreme brightness and intensity."� It can be applied to both one- and two-dimensional arrays.� StockerYale introduced the COBRA technology in August 2003.� [ Press release ]

�        Sumitomo has agreed to purchase $160 million of LED chips from Cree during Cree's fiscal year ending June 2005.� The purchase will likely cover Cree's full line of LED products, including standard, mid- and high-brightness devices, including MegaBright® XBright® and XThin™ LEDs. �Cree and Sumitomo will also extend their current distributorship relationship through Cree's fiscal year ending June 2007. �The agreement, which is the largest purchase commitment in Cree's history, is subject to end customer demands and other terms and conditions. In April 2003, Sumitomo committed to purchasing $100 million of chips during Cree's fiscal year 2004 ending in June.� Sumitomo sells Cree's LED chips to packaging companies in Japan. [ Press release, Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

�        Tekcore (Taiwan) completed its Fab 2 facility in Nantou, Taiwan.� It is now in the process of bringing its new MOCVD tools online.� The potential combined output of Fab 1 and 2 is in excess of 250 million high brightness blue, green and UV LED chips per month.� According to company president Nithi M. Nithipalan, production is expected to reach 120 million per month by the fourth quarter of 2004.� The new fab will also accommodate their "Technology Development Center" with its own dedicated MOCVD and chip process line. [ Article in Compound Semi News ]

�        TIR Systems received the Emerging Company of the Year award from the British Columbia Technology Industries Association (BCTIA).� The BCTIA Annual Awards are the most significant for technology in British Columbia.� "I was delighted to accept this award on behalf of all TIR employees and their families", said Leonard Hordyk, President and CEO. "Not only does it reinforce our determined business strategy, it shows that we have been recognized by the industry for our contribution to technology, in developing the key technologies that are seeing Solid State Lighting replace conventional lighting."� [ Press release ]

�        In honor of its 55th anniversary , Toyoda Gosei has consolidated all of its branches under the name "Toyoda Gosei", including the regional headquarters in the USA and Europe that had operated under the "TG" name.� Only the Asian regional headquarters will operate under a different name: it will remain "Toyoda Gosei Asia Co. Ltd."� According to the company, "the purpose of unifying the worldwide brand is to create a sense of unity and pride among employees, and to give customers a better sense of Toyoda Gosei's capabilities as a global leader in the industry." [ Press release at Automotive.com ]

�        Toyoda Gosei plans to invest $140 million in the construction of a second factory for manufacturing GaN-based LEDs in Takeo City, Saga Prefecture, Japan.� Construction began in April, and LED production is scheduled to start in May of 2005. �The new plant will operate as the Optoelectronics Division (Kyushu Branch).� The 1.4-hectare site will contain a plant having 3,300 square meters of floor space after initial construction, with scheduled expansion to 7,800 square meters by 2006.� [ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net]

�        Tyntek is increasing its manufacturing capacity for AlGaInP LEDs in order to compete with Taiwanese rivals Epistar, Arima Optoelectronics, and United Epitaxy Co.� Tyntek's collaboration with Visual Photonics Epitaxy Co. (VPEC) will see volumes double to 80-100 chips per month. [ Item at CompoundSemiconductor.net� ]

�        University of Illinois professor Nick Holonyak has been profiled in a May 7, 2004 article titled "Nick Holonyak - simply brilliant," appeared in Investors Business Daily.� The article provides a concise biographical sketch of Holonyak, along with career accomplishments beginning with his invention of the first practical LED while at GE in the early 1960s.� The article also mentions that Holonyak is both a 2002 National Medal of Technology Laureate and winner of the 10th annual Lemelson-MIT Prize for inventing. � [ Article in Investor's Business Daily (registration required) ]

B. New Products

�        AnalogicTech has debuted two new high efficiency, low noise, constant frequency charge pumps for white LEDs.� The two devices, the AAT3131 and the AAT3134, allow for independent control for two separate banks of LEDs from a single power source.� The AAT3131 supports four outputs:� three with current levels up to 20 mA and a fourth with 30mA, to drive LEDs from a 2.7V to 5.5V input.� The AAT3134 supports six outputs with current outputs up to 20 mA and allows independent control in two groups of four and two.� In both devices, the outputs can be operated independently or in parallel.� [ Press release ]

�        Agilent Technologies introduced a new series of InGaN LEDs designed for the outdoor electronic sign and signals market.� The HLMP-Cxxx circular-pattern and HLPM-Hxxx oval-pattern are the company's brightest LEDs.� They are available in blue (470 nm), green (521 nm), and cyan (505 nm), and in 15-, 23- and 30-degree circular viewing angles.� The blue and green versions are also available with 40-degree by 100-degree oval viewing angles and are intended for full-color video and passenger information signs.� According to the press release, these InGaN lamps are supplied in 5 mm through-hole packages, with the dies attached within a reflector cavity and the cavity encapsulated by Agilent's proprietary epoxy blend. � [ Press release, Data sheets -- HLMP-Cxxx, HLMP-Hxxx ]

�        BivarOpto introduced a new RGB Surface Mounted LED designed for use with its Flexible Light Pipes.� The new LEDs eliminate the need for through-hole PCBs typically required for the installation of light pipes, as well as costly secondary post-reflow operations.� These are accomplished by integrating the adapter and LED into a single surface-mountable package.� The LEDs are available in both RGB and bi-color styles.� Each individual LED module can be used as an individual full color pixel in either fixed or moving messages in a display ranging in length from 2.5" to 328 ft (100 m). � [ Press release ]

�        China Fangda (China) has developed GaN-based LED chips with a brightness of up to 1.5 cd and operating lifetimes exceeding 80,000 hours.� The company has obtained an independent IP right for the GaN chip.� The company reports an annual production capacity of 35,000 GaN epitaxial wafers. [ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

�        Cree has introduced two new green LEDs: the XT-290™ LED and the XB-900™ LED.� The XT-290 emits at 527 nm with a typical radiant flux of 9mW at 20 mA and a typical forward voltage of 3.2V.� It is the thinnest, brightest, and lowest-power-consumption standard size green LED chip made by Cree.� The XB-900 comes in two versions: the 527 nm version has a typical radiant flux of 30 mW at 350 mA; the 505 nm version has a typical radiant flux of 45 mW at 350 mA.� Cree is targeting these new LEDs to RGB white light applications, traffic signals, and signage.� Press release ]

�        Cree announced a brighte r Xthin™ LED product, the XT-21™.� The XT-21 features an increased radiant flux with a brightness of 21 mW minimum and is commercially available in blue (460 nm).� XT-21 is targeted at white LED applications, including LCD backlighting for mobile applications and digital camera flashes. [ Press release ]

�        Cree announced it had recentl y demonstrated a 57 lm/W white light from its XB900 class power LED chip operating at 350 mA.� The same device produced 142 lumens on 1 amp of drive current.� Cree states that they believe that thes are the highest reported results for a high power packaged LED chip to date.� Further details of the device were not made public. � [ Press release ]

�        Cree announced three new blue spectrum LED products for the mobile appliance market: the UT230 for keypad backlighting; the XB500 for digital camera flash units, and the XT290 for LCD backlighting.� The UT230 offers two radiant flux levels at 20 mA: for the blue keypad market, it offers 5.5 mW minimum; for the white keypad market it offers 8.0 mW minimum.� The UT230 has a forward voltage of 2.9V typical at 5 mA and 3.3V typical at 20 mA.� The XB500 power chip for digital flash units is offered in both blue (460 nm, radiant flux of 44 mW at 125 mA on forward voltage of 3.5V) and green (527 nm, radiant flux of 20 mW at 125 mA on a forward voltage of 3.6V) versions.� Finally, the XT290 product is expanded to be compatible with a wider range of packaging processes.� All three products are available for immediate delivery. � [ Press release ]

�        Dialight Corporation announced the availability of its 586 series of wedge-based LEDs for use in illuminating switches, panel indicators and reels in gaming equipment.� The LEDs mount into industry-standard sockets and are intended as replacements for many subminiature and miniature incandescent lamps.� The products use AlInGaP and InGaN technology in a multi-LED design and are available in white, warm white, red, green, amber and blue. [ Press release ]

�        Dionics debuted its "Silicon Light Chip", a tri-color white and multi-colored light LED for architectural and other lighting markets.� The device is composed of red, green and blue LEDs in what Dionics calls a "higher-efficiency" design.� The specifications page details the characteristics of the colored LED chips making up the Silicon Light Chip, but provides no information on the quality or other characteristics of the white light that can be emitted from the device. [ Press release at Planet Analog, � Specifications ]

�        The Fox Group, a start-up LED manufacturer in Ripon, California, has begun production of mid-brightness GaN-based blue LEDs using hydride vapor-phase epitaxy (HVPE).� The AlGaN/GaN 460 nm FoxBlue™ LEDs, which are manufactured at a plant in Montreal, Canada, began shipping in May.� The devices feature typical intensities of around 1,000 mcd for narrow-beam-angle LEDs and up to 3 mW for dies.� HPVE allows the Fox Group to produce wafers that consistently emit at a dominant wavelength of 460 +/- 1 nm "across each wafer, from wafer to wafer, and from week to week," according to VP, Barney O'Meara.� The HPVE technology used by the Fox Group is licensed exclusively from Technology and Devices International (TDI). [ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

�        Hui Yuan Electronic Factory (China) debuted a new line of "super-flux" LEDs with luminous intensities ranging from 3 cd to 10 cd.� The devices have a reverse voltage rating of 5V, a forward current of 20 mA and a reverse current rating of 10�A.� The LEDs are available in white, blue, green, red, and yellow.� The 10KH56-F white (465 nm to 470 nm) LED has a forward voltage of 3V to 4V and a luminous intensity of 3 cd to 10 cd.� The 10KH42-F blue (465 nm to 470 nm) LED features a rated voltage of 3V to 4V and a luminous intensity of 3cd to 6 cd.� The 10KU11-15-F green (512 nm to 525 nm) LED features a rated voltage of 3V to 4V and a luminous intensity of 7cd to 9cd.� The 10KU4FC-F red (625 nm to 630 nm) LED has a rated voltage of 1.8V to 2.2V and a luminous intensity of 3cd to 5cd.� Finally, the 10KU3YC-F yellow (580 nm to 590 nm) LED has a rated voltage of 1.9V to 2.1V and a luminous intensity of 3cd to 5cd. � [ Article in Global Sources ]

�        Microsemi showed of its new LX1994 and LX1995 LED drivers at the Society for Information Display (SID) 2044 International Symposium.� The LX1994™ and LX1995™ were displayed, along with the recently introduced LX1691™ multi-mode controller for CCFL backlighting in notebook computers, monitors and automotive displays, and the LX1695™ supervisor integrated circuit that provides a low-cost way to add advanced digital dimming and fault protection functions to the conventional inexpensive switch Royer inverter modules found in low-cost monitors and LCD TV applications.� Additional information about the LX1994 and LX1995 drivers was not made available by Microsemi. � [ Press release ]

�        According to an article at Nikkei Electronics Asia , Nichia:

� Announced prototypes of two new white LEDs that are 1.7 times brighter than its conventional products.� The luminous efficiency of these white LEDs depends on the package structure, and the company claims that it has achieved a maximum luminous efficiency of 50 lm/w. �Nichia plans to ship the LEDs in quantity around the summer of 2004.� The first, a small white LED (260 square microns), is aimed at backlighting for cell phones.� It operates at a typical efficacy of 40+ lm/W.� When driven with an input voltage of +4V and an input current of 20mA, this white LED produces a luminosity of 1,000 mcd.� The second, a large (1mm square) white LED, is aimed at portable lighting applications and has a luminous efficacy of 35 lm/W.�

� Demonstrated prototypes of 19-inch and 9-inch LCD panelsusing white LEDs for backlighting.� The 19-inch panel has 54 white LEDs each at the upper and lower edges.� It operates with the intensity of 344cd/m² and a power consumption of 41W. � The 9-inch panel uses 30 white LEDs at its lower edge and features 415cd/m² intensity and 3.9W power consumption. � [ Article]

�        Osram OS debuted its long life White Power TOPLED® at the Society for Information Display (SID) International Symposium 2004.� The White Power TOPLED, which offers "exceptionally bright light," features an extended life in excess of 50,000 hours.� The device utilizes the same packaging technology as OSRAM OS's 2-watt Golden DRAGON™ LEDs.� Applications for this product include pedestrian and transportation signs, LCD backlighting, illuminating advertising signs and general lighting applications.� Additional details of the product were not available. [ Press release at Hoover's Online ]

�        Permlight introduced the first in its Enbryten Portrait (ENBP) series of LED luminaries for general illumination applications.� The luminaries are designed to mount to conventional electrical junction boxes, and contain an integrated, self-contained, constant current LED driver.� The luminaries output 0.7 foot candles at a distance of 5 feet from the fixture on an input of 1.5-5.5 Watts (depending on color).� The ENBP is available in line voltage (90-240VAC 50/60Hz) and low voltage (12-24VAC or DC) models.� The luminaire can be placed in a decorative up lighting wall sconce, the material of which assists in heat dissipation yet maintains a maximum fixture temperature only 3 degrees higher than the human body temperature. � [ Press release, Data sheet ]

�        Seiwa Electric announced a "natural-looking" white LED.� The device consists of a blue LED packaged with red and green phosphors, resulting in light emission that appears "white" to the human eye.� The LEDs generate a brightness of 1-5 cd on a 20mA current.� Additional product specifications were not publicly available.� Seiwa began shipping samples July 1 and expects to begin volume production in August.� The LEDs are being initially targeted at LCD display backlighting applications as wall as automotive interior applications.� Because of the LED brightness, the company is reported to be "looking into interior lighting applications as well." �[ Article in Asia Pulse News, No URL available ]

�        SiCrystal AG announced the availability of its high-quality 2" 6H-substrates in quantities for high-volume production.� SiCrystal's epi-ready 6H-substrates are used in the manufacture of blue LEDs and lasers. �[ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net, Specifications ]

�        Sipex Corporation announced the SP6683, a charge pump capable of driving up to 8 white LEDs in parallel.� At high input voltages, it functions as a linear regulator, while at low input voltages, it functions as a 1.5X charge pump, boosting output to maintain desired LED forward current.� The charge pump can be run on a single cell Li-ion 2.7V to 5.5V battery. � [ Press release ]

�        Stanley Electric Co. Ltd. debuted its XW1147B surface-mount white LED designed for camera and automotive interior backlighting applications.� The device features a luminous intensity of 0.4 to 0.5 cd at 20 mA with a maximum output power of 0.12 W, a maximum forward current of 30 mA, and a rated voltage of 4V.� The XW1147B can withstand reverse voltages up to 5 V and reverse currents up to 10�A. �[ Article in EETimes Asia, Specifications ]

�        Stanley Electric debuted its UVGB1306L surface mount tri-color LED containing three high-luminous red (618 nm), green (523 nm to 525 nm), and blue (470 nm) dies.� The three colors can be simultaneously emitted at 2.5 times the current ratings of conventional models.� Blue dies feature luminous intensity of 170 mcd at 17 mA or 190 mcd at 20 mA.� Green dies feature luminous intensity of 750 mcd at 17 mA or 550 mcd at 20 mA, while red dies feature luminous intensity of 0.4cd at 17 mA or 0.5cd at 20 mA.� The new products have a total power dissipation of 290 mW, forward current of 35 mA, pulse forward current of 0.1A, and can withstand reverse voltages up to 5V. � [ Article in EETimes Asia ]

�        Supertex introduced the HV9910 universal HB-LED driver integrated circuit, which boasts over 93% efficiency.� Supertex claims the device has a lower parts count and lower cost than comparable solutions currently on the market.� HV9910 is designed to drive HB LEDs from an off-line voltage source (85V - 265VAC and 8V - 450VDC), including applications typically run on low voltage, 12V to 45VDC battery-powered systems as well as high voltage AC and DC input-based applications such as general and decorative lighting and LED signs. � [ Press release at Yahoo.com ]

�        UEC announced a high- brightness glue-bonding AlGaInP LED processing chip measuring 350 �m x 350 �m.� The chip can achieve up to 45 lm/W at 625 nm on a 20 mA driving current.� At 590 nm, luminous efficacies of up to 70 lm/W can be achieved.� A larger version of this chip, measuring 700 �m x 700 �m, can reach 50 lm at 500 mA, while the 1 mm x 1 mm chip can reach 50 lm on 500 mA and 80 lm on 1 A.� [ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

�        Vishay Intertechnology launched the TLMx320x series of SMD LEDs for use in backlighting, traffic signals and signs, advertising billboards, LCDs, and A/V systems.� The LEDs feature a leadframe profile that greatly improves device heat dissipation.� The AlInGaP LEDs come in a PLCC-3 package with a thermal resistance rating of 270 k/W and can therefore be driven with higher currents than LEDs in Vishay's PLCC-2 package.� The LEDs come in six colors (super red, red, orange, yellow, pure green, and yellow green), with typical luminous intensity ranging from 50 mcd to 1250 mcd on a forward current of 50 mA.� [ Press release, Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

C. Novel or Interesting LED Applications/Uses

�        Students at Arlington High School (Mass.), led by teacher Jacques Duranceau, have invented an illuminated crosswalk system funded through one of ten 2003-2004 Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams grants.� The prototype automatic pedestrian crossing system uses 12 flashing LEDs embedded in a road surface activated by a pressure-sensitive pad on the adjoining sidewalk.� When an individual weighing at least 40 pounds stands on the weight-sensitive sidewalk surface, he or she activates a coil of piezoelectric material that signals a switch that, in turn, turns on the LEDs.� The LEDs have a three-pattern signal.� First, the LEDs flash directionally, to indicate the side of the street from which the pedestrian is crossing.� Then, they stay lighted continuously while the pedestrian crosses the crosswalk.� The sequence ends with all the LEDs flashing simultaneously, to indicate that the pedestrian has crossed. � [ Article in The Boston Globe ]

�        Carmanah announced that the US Army had deployed 47 of its solar-powered model 601 LED obstruction lights around Baghdad, Iraq, to make the area safer for US Army Black Hawk helicopter pilots.� The lights are being used for perimeter lighting of downtown buildings and telecommunications towers.� Carmanah's lights are safer for pilots than incandescent light bulbs since the latter cause a "blooming" or blinding effect on the pilots' NVG displays.� Carmanah also announced that it had been awarded a contract valued at $370,000 from the US Army to supply solar-powered LED-based aviation lights to 3 air bases in Iraq (at Mosul, Tikrit and Taji).� The order includes more than 500 units of Carmanah's Model 601 and 700 Series Aviation Lights. [ Press release ]

�        Coca Cola unveiled what it claims is "one of the largest digital canvases in the world" - a 2.6 million LED display measuring more than six stories high in Times Square.� The "advertising sculpture" contains 32 convex and concave, high-definition LED screens.� The canvas, which is operated using GPS, uses 57 bits of processing power for the animation.�[ Article in Yahoo! Finance ]

�        Flambeau Inc. will market fishing-tackle boxes with LED lighting that were developed by Brooks and Baker LLC.� The tackle boxes, which will be called Night-Ranger by Flambeau, is a new product line for Flambeau.� The molded translucent plastic boxes can also be used as a lantern for night, ice and pier fishing and for camping. �[ Article in the Winston-Salem Journal ]

�        Advanced technology interior design applications were a major hit at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair held in May 2004.� Among the items on display was Divvali�s Lume, a giant cozy quilt-like wall hanging embedded with hundreds of glowing LEDs that "resembled a blanket of snow lying atop strings of fairy lights", according to an article appearing in the Globe and Mail.� Also on display at the conference was Element Labs� Versa Tile, a LED video display technology used to create dynamically changing colored walls. [ Article in Globe and Mail ]

�        K-Tronik International debuted the E-Plug™ Residential Emergency Lighting Module to provide auxiliary lighting in homes during power outages, which uses LED lighting technology.� The E-Plug can operate off a standard residential 120V outlet or can run off of a 9V battery.� It can provide up to 48 hours of continuous illumination.� The E-Plug was named as a First Place Award Winner, for Best in Show, at the Las Vegas Lightfair International 2004 Event.� [ Press release at The Washington Post ]

�        Scientists at MIT, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Brigham and Women's Hospital, tested a quantum-dot-based technique for imaging lymph nodes in test animals.� The goal of this research is to develop a better means of tagging lymph nodes with a fluorescent substance that can be detected at the skin surface, thereby pinpointing the location of a lymph node for biopsy in a more exact manner than is possible with current technologies.� The team successfully suspended quantum dots between 10 and 20 nm in diameter in solvents, which were then injected into test animals.� The quantum dots lodged in lymph nodes, and the fluorescence of the dots could be imaged by a camera.� Imaging software was used to superimpose a green patch on the skin surface over the exact location of lymph node, providing an individual-specific guide to surgeons trying to locate a lymph node for biopsy.� The hope is that this will not only permit less-invasive biopsy procedures, but also enable researchers to less-invasively biopsy lymph nodes that are buried more-deeply in patients.� The researchers' next step is to determine if the quantum dots are toxic. [ Article at MIT Enterprise Technology ]

�        NEC-Mitsubishi Electronics Display has introduced prototype LCD displays backlit by Lumileds Luxeon LEDs.� The 21.3-inch LCD monitor features a resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels, while the 23-inch LCD monitor has 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution. [ Article at �CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

�        Osram Opto Semiconductors announced that its TOPLED® LED will be used in the tail lamp of the 2004 Aston Martin DB9.� The multi-function tail lamp will incorporate red and yellow LEDs in the tail lamp lens and will incorporate stop, tail, turn and ECE (European) rear fog functions.� The lamp will also incorporate OSRAM's proprietary Thin-film chip technology to increase energy efficiency, enabling 34 lumens/watt energy efficiency and bright enough to offer following drivers improved braking ability at a distance of 20 feet when traveling at 60 mph.� The 2004 DB9 will be available to the public in summer 2004. [ Press release at Hoover's Online ]

�        Osram Opto Semiconductors has provided LED lighting for five stainless-steel UFOs hovering in the air above Sheik Rashid Terminal at Dubai International Airport (United Arab Emirates).� The 20-foot wide, 2-ton spaceships are suspended by cables from the terminal�s ceiling.� Each spaceship is fitted out with more than 8500 LED modules and special optics.� An automated control sequence, combined with the effects of "smoke" cannons, is used to simulate takeoff and landing.� The ships fly as part of a collaborative effort that includes Ontario Light, Ontario architect Herbert Demanega, KCA International (concept and design), Otto Valenta GmbH of Austria (construction, steel structures, engineering), and Elmar Schrutek of Vienna (control technology). [ Press release, Article in Photonics.com �]

�        Osram OS's White Golden Dragon™ LEDs will be used in headlights in Ford Australia's "Focus Concept" car exhibited in the Auto China Motor Show 2004.� The headlights emit a cool white light.� Ford also incorporates yellow Golden Dragon LEDs in the Front Turn Indicator Lamp.� The remaining automotive exterior lights also utilize the Golden Dragon LEDs, along with Osram OS's Power TOPLED® devices. [ Press release, Item in CompoundSemi News ]

�        Osram Lighting Consulting has designed a red and white LED "timeline" spanning the River Danube in Regensburg, Germany.� The lights, which are manufactured by Osram OS, are mounted on the Stone Bridge as part of the city's bid to become the "City of Culture 2010".� The installation consists of 21,900 red LEDs running the length of the bridge, with each LED standing for one month since the city was founded in 1798 AD.� At irregular intervals along the line are vertical white lines, also composed of LEDs, marking key events in the city's history.� The LEDs used in the installation are Osram OS's Linearlight-Flex modules, which consists of a number of LEDs along with appropriate current controllers.� The arches of the bridge are lit with Osram's Powerlux spotlights.� The installation was scheduled to remain lit for 6 weeks ending in June. �[ Press release ]

�        OSRAM SYLVANIA has donated the technology to light 150 residential and commercial doorways along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, NY, as part of the "Lighting the Boulevard" project.� The project, headed by the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation, is being designed by lighting artist Leni Schwendinger and also includes fixture manufacturer DesignPlan.� The goal of the project is to light up the avenue to make it safe for pedestrians and to improve the overall streetscape character, safety, and image of the avenue. [ Press release ]

�        The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership has lit one of its busiest pedestrian throughways, Strawberry Way, with artistic lighting displays and illuminated signage.� Among the enhancements completed in the first Phase of the project are three illuminated Strawberry Way signs (3� x 10�), a 100-feet long row of illuminated panels that change color continuously and a band of red LED lighting on the Strawberry Way side of the Pittsburgh Parking Authority�s Smithfield/Liberty Garage. �Later phases of the project will include two public art installations on the theme of light, a film installation, and using an embedded strip of light to illuminate in a wider walkway of textured concrete that will replace the current walkway once vehicular traffic has been restricted from Strawberry Way. [ Press release ]

�        The US Army National Automotive Center (NAC) is considering LED spotlights, fuel cells and advanced communication technologies as technologies with significant dual-use potential.� These items were among a list of "future products" that are part of a CRADA (Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) between the NAC and the Automation Alley Consortium that involved the transfer of three M113 armored personnel carriers from NAC to the sheriffs of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties (Michigan) for use in local homeland security activities.� [ Press release at Automotive.com ]

�        Researchers at the University of Maine, along with colleagues at Hydro-Photon and Shuji Nakamura's group at the University of California at Santa Barbara, have demonstrated the use of 280nm GaN-based UV LEDs to sterilize water spiked with E. coli.� In the experiment, a 1 ml sample of water spiked with E. coli was illuminated with 50 �W emission from two ultraviolet LEDs, resulting in a reduction in the levels of bacteria in the water by over five orders of magnitude.� Hydro-Photon's next project, which is also funded by the DARPA SUVOS program, involves developing a portable in-line water treatment device for the armed forces, similar to that used by many hikers. �[ Article in Compound Semiconductor ]

D. Market Information

� ATIP (Asian Technology Information Program) has published a report on China's growing interest in solid-state lighting R&D, titled "Chinese LED R&D and Industry."� Until recently, China had focused on the downstream production of lights and finished projects with little attention to R&D.� However, in June 2003, The Chinese Central Government changed policies, announcing increased investment in LED lighting R&D.� The ATIP report reviews the background behind this policy shift, provides an overview of the current industry, and profiles the main institutes, companies and researchers involved at the "top end" of Chinese LED research and production.� A listing of the key R&D nstitutes and companies profiled in the report can be found in the report Table of Contents, available in the report overview.� The report also summarizes the key findings of the International Forum on LED and Semiconductor Lighting (IFOLSL) held in Shanghai in March 2004. �[ Report overview, China report index ]

� The growth of MOCVD manufacturing capacity of Taiwanese LED manufacturers was reviewed in a Compound Semiconductor article titled "Taiwanese companies ramp up MOCVD capacity."� According to the article, a recent surge in the number of commercial MOCVD machines installed at Taiwanese companies (235 at last count, according to the article) is due to increased demand for blue LEDs for optical data storage applications and from Korean cell phone manufacturers.� Taiwan boasts 22 major compound semiconductor device manufacturers, of which 19 include LEDs among the products they manufacture (and half of these only produce LEDs).� Within the III-V sector, LEDs made up to 60% of the $100 million revenue generated by MOCVD activity in 2002.� Since then, LED production has escalated.� The Taiwanese HB-LED revenues currently exceed $30 million per month (approximately 1.1 billion InGaAlP chips [equivalent to 110,000 2-inch epiwafers] and 520 million GaN chips [equivalent to 72,000 2-inch GaN epiwafers]).� Taiwan accounted for approximately 87% of all InGaAlP epitaxial wafers and 73% of all GaN wafers made in non-Japan Asia in 2003.� In related developments:

� Increases in production capacity are anticipated at both Epistar and Formosa Epitaxy (Forepi).

� Taiwan is investing heavily in a R&D consortium of 11 companies to focus on next-generation lighting.� In the first phase of the project, ending in 2003, NT$10 million (US$0.3 million) was invested; in the second phase of the project, ending in 2005, received NT$383 million in funding.� The goal is to develop 50 lm/w output products and 100 lm/w in the laboratory.

� Taiwan manufacturers have patented devices and manufacturing processes in the area of HB-LEDs, including novel wafer-bonding techniques, flip-chip technology, and novel phosphors.� These advances may make Taiwanese HB-LEDs competitive with those manufactured by Lumileds and Osram, according to some involved a development project partially funded by VPEC.

The article also mentioned advances in optical data storage applications, and issues surrounding intellectual property rights and litigation with Nichia. [ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net, Table of Taiwan LED manufacturers, Table of III-V industry revenues ]

E. Overview Articles

�        Automotive applications for compound semiconductor devices, including LED lighting, were reviewed in a Compound Semiconductor article titled "Compound semiconductor devices offer new driving experiences," which appeared in the June 2004 issue of the magazine.� According to the article, the most prominent area penetrated by LEDs is automotive interior lighting.� Sales of LEDs to the automotive sector reached $392 million in 2003, and are expected to grow by 15% this year to approximately $450 million.� Automotive exterior lighting is an area that has not yet really been penetrated by LED lighting.� Today's headlamp market is approximately 100 million units, with LED headlamp sales expected to reach only 1 million units by 2010.� Industry analysts predict that the first products to appear will be hybrid lamps containing both conventional and LED sources.� Other automotive compound semiconductor applications discussed in the article are in-car fiber-optic communications and automotive radar. [ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net �( Page 1, Page 2) ]

�        A brief history of the development of VGF (Vertical Gradient Freeze) for crystal growing and its acquisition by the Young brothers, founders of AXT, appeared in "The McDonald Report" in CompoundSemi News.� VGF was developed by Bill Gault, Eric Monberg, Jim Clemens, Theo Ejim, Frank Dominguez, and Fred Simchok, at what was once AT&T's Western Electric Engineering Research Center (later Bell Labs).� VGF is a method for growing compound semi crystals or "boules".� Gault and colleagues were routinely producing IP and GaAs boules with etch pit density values less than 500 per cm^-3, much lower than their industry colleagues, whose boules had etch pit densities around 10,000 per cm^-3.� When the company failed to appreciate the market significance of the technology, it sold the technology to AXT for "pennies".� AXT is now in the process of moving this technology to its fab in China. [ The McDonald Report in CompoundSemi News �]

�        GaN substrates are manufactured by only a handful of companies at prices prohibitive to volume production, but offer great potential for high-performance devices, according to Compound Semiconductor magazine, in the article "GaN substrates offer high performance at a price," written by Richard Stevenson.� Discussed are activities by Cree (which is now producing GaN substrates using HVPE through its recent purchase of ATMI), Kyma Technologies (uses a fast-growth, vapor-phase process) TopGaN (using a high pressure growth technique that can produce 20-30 crystals of 10 mm in diameter, exhibiting dislocation densities of only about 100 cm ^-2 ), and TDI (uses a HVPE process that results in dislocation densities of 10 ⁸ cm ^-2 ).� [ Article ]

�        Compound Semiconductor has published an article describing work in violet lasers, and UV, blue and white LEDs reported at the 5th International Symposium on Blue Laser and Light Emitting Diodes (ISBLLED-5) in March 2004.� The article, "Samsung and Toyoda Gosei unveil progress in violet lasers," begins by pointing out that several companies demonstrated that their violet laser diodes are "almost ready for commercial production."� Key trends identified at the symposium included 1) For high-power blue LEDs, the development of reflecting contacts, substrate removal by laser lift-off, and backside surface texturing; 2) Development of GaN-free structures for high-power near-UV LEDs; 3) The issue of reducing threading dislocation density by LEO for deep UV LEDs; and 4) For developers of 405 nm laser diodes, key challenges included ridge geometry optimization, reliability, and reduction of threshold currents via lower TDD values using the LEO technique or bulk GaN substrates.� Other key developments described in the article include:

� Samsung and Toyoda Gosei are improving 405 nm laser diodes, targeted at optical data storage.

� T. Nakamura from Sumitomo Electric (the electronic devices division of� Eudyna Devices, a joint venture with Fujitsu Quantum Devices ) presented recent results on increasing the operating lifetime of ZnSe-based white LEDs from 3,000 to 10,000 h (at 25 C).� For 5 mm LEDs, lamp power of 8.1 mW was demonstrated at 20 mA and 2.5 V, corresponding to an external quantum efficiency of 16.9%

� UV LED, laser and MBE improvements were described by presenters from Sensor Electronic Technology (SET),University of South Carolina, and Nichia.� SET's UVTOP-340 LED is described as the "first commercially available UV LED with peak emission at 340 nm, and is designed for biological and chemical sensor applications." [ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

� Opto & Laser Europe magazine has featured Taiwan in the articles, " Taiwan: powerhouse of photonics" and " Tiger economy enters a period of transition" (an interview with Peter Shih, founder of PIDA).� The first article includes tables on the top 10 Taiwanese products (LED packaging comes in at number 5, with a 2003 value of $828 million).� The article also overviews role of the Taiwanese government�s ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute) in the development of the country�s photonics strengths.�The interview with Peter Shih covers the history of PIDA, optoelectronics in Taiwan , and Taiwan �s future in optoelectronics.

� An article summarizing the latest developments in LED lighting, titled "Lighting: the progress and promise of LEDs," appeared in the May 2004 issue of III-Vs Review.� Two items were of particular interest in the article:

� A table from Y. Taguchi describing the progress in Japan with LEDs (1997 through May 2003), which includes external quantum efficiencies, luminous efficiencies and color rendering.

� A mention of the R&D 1200 lumen white LED lamp being developed by Cree. Article in III-Vs Review

[No URL available]

� Salon.com has published an article on energy efficient lighting technology, including compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) and solid-state lighting.� The article, entitled "Saving the world by building a better light bulb," focuses on the need to produce efficient LED lighting with high color rendering index values and warm white light.� Only when these two properties are obtained, along with low per-bulb cost, will LED light bulbs make significant inroads in the market for incandescent bulbs used in general illumination applications.� Among the LED developers mentioned in the article are Lumileds and Sandia National Labs.� The article also compares the federal efforts to support white LED light bulb development to the support given by PNNL in the 1990's in the development of compact fluorescent light bulbs for residential lighting applications. �[ Article at Salon.com � freely available after watching ad. ]

F Research Results

� A review of progress-to-date in the development of UV optical sources (LEDs and lasers) under DARPA's Semiconductor Ultraviolet Optical Sources (SUVOS) Program appeared in the May issue of Compound Semiconductor.� According to the article, titled "SUVOS pushes UV LEDs and lasers to shorter wavelengths," program participants have already demonstrated UV LEDs operating at 275 nm (5 nm below the target of 280 nm), with output powers in the milliwatt range under DC conditions.� Applications in water sterilization and decontamination, biosensors, and communications are being developed for the new technology.� Among the research highlighted in the article are:

� Cree has made a 348 nm CW laser operating under electrical injection at room temperature, the shortest wavelength reported for a semiconductor laser diode.

� The University of South Carolina and Sensor Electronic Technology (SET) have demonstrated AlGaN-based deep-UV LEDs emitting at 280 nm with peak powers of 1.53 mW for CW operation at 450 mA and 24 mW for pulsed operation at 1.5A, with an external quantum efficiency of 0.36% and a wall plug efficiency of 0.12%.� USC researchers have also developed a 269 nm LED with an external quantum efficiency of 0.4% and sub-mW LEDs with emission at 245 nm.� The researchers believe they have the technology to produce mW-power LEDs emitting at 250 nm, which is the pump wavelength used for fluorescent lamps).� SET has also developed migration-enhanced (ME) MOCVD, a novel growth method needed to handle the large quantities of aluminum used in making these LEDs.� According the SET CEO and President, Remis Gaska, "We are in the final stages of prototyping fully packaged UV LEDs emitting in the 270-340 nm range."� The company is already sampling 340 nm UV LEDs (UVTOP-340) to selected customers.

� University of California, Santa Barbara researchers Shuji Nakamura and Steve DenBaars are subcontractors on a project led by Hydro-Photon to develop UV-LED-based water purification systems.� The Office of Naval Research also supports this project.

[ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net, ( Page 1, Page 2) ]

�        Los Alamos National Lab and Sandia scientists have developed a new method for exciting light emission from nanocrystal quantum dots.� The researchers used indirect injection of electron�hole pairs (the electron�hole radiative recombination gives rise to light emission) into nanocrystals by non-contact, non-radiative energy transfer from a proximal quantum well to produce light from an adjacent layer of nanocrystals.� The nanocrystals can in principle be pumped either electrically or optically.� Theoretical and experimental results indicate that this transfer results in greater than 50% energy-transfer efficiencies in the tested structures.� The approach is suitable for nanocrystal-based optical amplifiers and lasers.� This research was published as "Energy-transfer pumping of semiconductor nanocrystals using an epitaxial quantum well," M. Achermann, M.A. Petruska, S. Kos, D.L. Smith, D.D. Koleske, and V.I Klimov, Nature 429 (6992): 642-646 (June 10, 2004). [ LANL Press release, Sandia Press release, Abstract ]

�        Researchers at Tsinghua University and Louisiana State University have developed a carbon nanotube filament replacement for the tungsten filament used in conventional incandescent bulbs.� The researchers used chemical vapor deposition to make highly pure nanotubes, which were then soaked in alcohol and assembled into long filaments as the alcohol evaporated.� When the nanotube filaments were put in place of a tungsten filament in an ordinary, sealed 40-watt light bulb, the researchers found that the nanotube filaments emitted light across their length and exhibited a lower threshold voltage (3-5V) for light emission than tungsten filaments (6V).� The nanotube filaments also emitted more light than did the tungsten filaments at the same applied voltage.� Unlike tungsten filaments, the resistance of the nanotube filaments did not change with temperature up to about 1750 K, the bulbs could operate continuously at 25V for more than 360 hours, and continued working after being turned on and off more than 5,000 times.� This research was published as "Carbon nanotube filaments in household light bulbs," J. Wei, H. Zhu, D. Wu, and B. Wei, Applied Physics Letters 84(24):4869-4871 (June 14, 2004). [ Article at nanotechweb.org, Abstract ]

�        Researcher Francisco Garcia-Vidal at the Universidad Aut�noma de Madrid reviewed research advances in sub-wavelength apertures in metallic films in an article titled "Tiny apertures with a big future" appearing in the June 2004 issue of Physics World.� Three key advances are detailed:

� Work by NEC researcher Thomas Ebbesen and colleagues, including Garcia-Vidal, which determined that texturing around a subwavelength aperture in a metallic film allows more than 100% of the incident light to pass through the aperture because some light reflecting off the surface surrounding the hole also passes through the aperture.

� Research by Imperial College (UK) scientist Juan Antonio Porto and colleagues on the passage of light through a 1D array of narrow slits, in which they determined that light polarized so that its electric field vector is perpendicular to the slits can travel straight through, even if the wavelength is much larger than the slit width.

� Work by Alastair Hibbings and colleagues at the University of Exeter and QinetiQ showing that millimeter wavelength light passing through a novel, ultrathin structure can be "squeezed" into micron waves.� This discovery could lead to miniaturized electromagnetic applications such as absorbers and filters.

[� Article at PhysicsWeb ]

� Researchers at the University of Florida have demonstrated that single wall arbon nanotube sheets can be used for p-type ohmic contacts to GaN LEDs.� The resistance of the carbon nanotube sheets is approximately one-third that of industry standard metals used in this application, meaning that LEDs employing these carbon nanotube p-type contacts will heat less, waste less energy and have a longer lifespan compared to LEDs with metal p-type ohmic contacts.� These improvements will enable LEDs to "produce more light with significantly less power consumption, which also increases their useful lives."� This research was published as "Single wall carbon nanotubes for p-type ohmic contacts to GaN light emitting diodes," K. Lee, Z. Wu, Z. Chen, F. Ren, S.J. Pearton and A.G. Rinzler, Nano Letters 4(5): 911-914 (May 2004). [ Press release, Citation ]

� A team of researchers at the University of Toronto (Canada), led by Georg von Freymann, have created the world's first tungsten inverse opal.� Tungsten inverse opal is a kind of photonic crystal capable of excluding all or nearly all light at certain wavelengths.� The opal was created by coating tiny silica beads packed into a vessel with tungsten, then dissolving the silica beads with acid to leave a tungsten lattice.� This remnant metallic lattice serves as an "inverse opal."� The research was presented at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) in May 2004, in a paper titled "Tungsten inverse opals: the influence of absorption on the photonic band structure in the visible spectral region," by G. von Freymann, S. John, M. Dobrick, E. Vekris, N. Tetreault, S. Wong, V. Kitaev, and G.A. Ozin. [� Article in Physics News Update, Abstract ]

G Selected Events of Interest

�        Compound Semiconductor Week , a conference combining the Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing Expo (CS-MAX) and the Compound Semiconductor IC Symposium (CSICS), will be held October 24-28, 2004 in Monterey, Calif.� The two technical conferences will be held sequentially with a single, unified industry exhibition running in parallel. [ Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net, Website]

�        The Materials Research Society has announced its program for its Fall 2004 meeting to be held in Boston, Mass., on November 29 - December 3, 2004.� The call for papers was issued March 5, 2004.� Abstract submissions are due May 22 through June 22.� Technical symposia of interest include:
Symposium B:� Progress in Semiconductor Materials IV � Electronic and Optoelectronic Applications
Symposium E:� GaN, AlN, InN, and Their Alloys
Symposium F:� Group IV Semiconductor Nanostructures
[ MRS website, Symposium B Call for Papers ( html, pdf), Symposium E Call for papers ( html, pdf), Symposium F Call for papers ( html, pdf) ]

�        The Materials Research Society announced it would hold its 2004 International Workshop on Nitride Semiconductors at the Sheraton Station Square in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on July 19 - 23.� The five-day workshop will feature over 400 oral and poster presentations on nitride-related advances, including defects and doping, characterization, process technology and high-performance devices.� Two plenary presentations are scheduled: "AlGaN based deep ultraviolet light emitting diodes with emission from 250-280 nm" by Asif Khan (University of South Carolina) and "Ferromagnetism in III-V and III-N semiconductors"by Hideo Ohno and Fumihiro Matsukura (Tohoku University, Japan). [� Overview, Program ]

�        SPIE�s European Workshop on Photonics in the Automobile, to be held November 29 � December 1 in Geneva Switzerland, will include lighting and display considerations.� The event will address the opportunities and challenges facing photonics components manufacturers.� Presentations by automobile assemblers, systems integrators and components manufacturers will illustrate the most important themes in this rapidly-growing applications market. �"From lighting to night vision, from security to styling, the introduction of photonic devices and systems in the automobile will revolutionize the way we use and interact with automobiles, opening new markets and changing the basis of competition for the customer�s money." �Abstracts are due August 9, 2004.�[ Event announcement ]

�        SPIE�s Photonics Asia will be held November 8 � 12, 2004, in Beijing, China. [ Conference announcement ]� Conferences include:

� PA102 - Semiconductor Lasers & Applications II: Topics: laser diode related materials; epitaxial technology; fabrication technologies; device physics and simulation; modeling and design; novel devices; characterization technologies for laser diodes; subsystem using laser diodes; applications of laser diodes; blue-green laser technology.

� PA118 � Optoelectronic Devices and Integration:� Topics: physics and simulation of optoelectronic devices; � photonic bandgap materials and devices; � synthesis and photonics of nanoscale materials; emerging optoelectronic applications; vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers; � reliability of optical fiber components, devices, systems, and networks; � integrated optics and photonic integrated circuits; photonics packaging and integration.

� PA106 � LED Materials and Devices: �Topics: organic light emitting diode technology and applications; polymer light emitting diode technology and applications; FPD materials and components; emissive display devices; liquid-crystal displays and systems; laser and luminescent materials; nonlinear optical materials; new materials for display.

� SPIE�s Photonics West 2005 will be held January 22 � 27, 2005 in San Jose, California.� [ Conference announcement ]� Some of the conferences of interest in this event are:

� OE19- Light-emitting Diodes:� Research, Manufacturing and Applications IX

� OE17 � Vertical-Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers IX

� OE13 � Quantum Dots, Nanoparticles, and Nanoclusters II (includes focus on Quantum dot edge-emitting lasers and VCSELs, LED and detectors).

� The 31^st International Symposium on Compound Semiconductors (ISCS-2004) will be held in Seoul, Korea, September 12 � 16, 2004.� This event is billed as "a premier forum to share the advances on all aspects of compound semiconductors reflecting the spirits of unified approaches of all compound semiconductor research and developments. �It covers science and technology of materials and devices placing an emphasis on multi-functional characteristics. �The materials covered include III-V, II-VI, IV-IV and other related compound semiconductors."� The theme of 2004 is "Compound Semiconductors for Quantum Science and Technology."� Topics include: 1. Epitaxy and Processing; 2. Characterization; 3. Spintronics; 4. Low-Dimensional Structures; 5. Wide Bandgap Materials; 6. Narrow Bandgap Materials; 7. Nanostructure Devices.�[ Conference website ]

H. Government Funding News and Opportunities

�        Aixtron has received funding from the German government's International Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research to establish a semiconductor optoelectronics R&D training center in China.� Its collaborators on this project include Tsinghua University of Beijing (China), Hong Kong University, and RWTH Aachen University of Technology (Germany).� The program will assist with technology transfer in China and will train business students and engineers from small- to medium-sized companies to develop optoelectronics devices using Aixtron MOCVD technology.� When they become proficient at using the machines, the Chinese students and engineers will carry out scientific work in Aachen regarding GaN-on-silicon for solid-state lighting, new laser concepts, improved LED manufacturing, high-power high-frequency HEMTs. [ � Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

�        Crystal IS was awarded $750k+ in combined follow-on support for AlN substrate development from the DARPA SUVOS and RF/Microwave/Millimeter-wave Technology programs.� The extra year of support will fund efforts to improve the quality and availability of Crystal's ultra-low dislocation density (<1000 per cm2) native AlN substrates. [� Press release ]

�        DOE formally issued the "Solid StateLighting Product Development" funding opportunity on May 20th, which focused on four areas of solid state lighting product development: 1) LED Luminaire Design and Materials, 2) High Efficiency, Reliable, Intelligent Electronics for LEDs, 3) OLED Luminaire Design and Materials, and 4) High Efficiency,Reliable, Intelligent Electronics for OLEDs. Total funding available is $8 million and 4 awards are expected. The application deadline was July 8, 2004

�        DOE has selected a proposal from the Next Generation Lighting Industry Alliance (NGLIA) in response to the DOE�s solicitation for a "Solid State Lighting Partnership."� DOE anticipates signing a Memorandum of Agreement with NGLIA after negotiations are completed.�[ Announcement, NGLIA informational brochures ]

�        Fiberstars has received a $1 million award from DARPA to develop LED-based High Efficiency Distributed Lighting (HEDlight) Systems.� The completion date for the project is December 2005.� Fiberstars plans to collaborate with Lumileds on this project.� According to the Fiberstars� press release, "The goal of the HEDLight LED initiative is to mate a multi-spectral array of LEDs producing a �near daylight� spectrum to Fiberstars' large core plastic optical fiber which will deliver high quality light with high color temperature and high color rendering."� Fiberstars� fiber optic technology will be used for optical coupling, thermal management, and control of the LED array.� Fiberstars anticipates that the product developed under this program will be marketable to both military and commercial customers.�[ Press release ]

�        The Lighting Research Center at RPI and Evident Technologies have recently received funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to produce and develop quantum-dot white LEDs.� Evident will attempt to develop quantum dot nanomaterials with tunable color properties.� This in turn will enable the production of continuous-spectra white-light LED-based lighting systems that produce light with better color qualities than current white-light LEDs.� The amount of NYSERDA funding was not disclosed. [� Press release, Article at CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

�        The US Army has issued a SBIR entitled "ZnO Based Light Emitters for UV/Blue Applications" (Army SBIR 2004.3 - Topic A04-068).� The objective of the solicitation is to develop blue/UV light emitters (LEDs and semiconductor lasers) based on epitaxial ZnO semiconductors for a variety of DoD/civilian applications including solid-state lighting, chemical sensing, optical data storage, and displays.� Development of white light LEDs is a potential dual-use application envisaged as the third phase of the SBIR.� The application due date is August 12, 2004. �[ Full text of topics (scroll to topic A04-068), introduction ]

The information presented in this section has been developed by Perspectives, a firm that specializes in technical and market intelligence, with assistance from Sandia National Labs.
NOTE: The provision of summaries and mention of specific manufacturers or products does not constitute an endorsement by Sandia National Laboratories or Perspectives; nor is the information presented warranted or guaranteed by either Sandia National Laboratories or Perspectives.

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