A.   Developer News

·   Accent Optical Technologies installed a Vektor-GaN metrology tool at South Epitaxy Corporation in Taiwan.  Vektor-GaN is a task-specific x-ray diffraction tool that is designed to monitor the quantum well structure of HB-LEDs at the atomic level.  [ Press release ]

·   Agilent's illumination and color management system (ICM) has been included in Coretronic's reference design for 30-inch LCD flat-panel TVs.  The design combines Coretronic's RGB LED backlight module with Agilent's ICM system.  It offers LCD flat-panel TV manufacturers resolution of 1280 x 768 WXGA and brightness of 550 cd/m(2).  The LCD panel color saturation achieves 106 percent of the color space defined by the National Television System Committee (NTSC) and the backlight unit color saturation is rated at 123 percent of NTSC.  [ Press release ]

·   Agilent's Envisium mid-power LED family won the EE Times Ultimate Products award in the Interconnect, Passive and Electromechanical Components (IP&E) category.  The Envisium Power PLCC-4, jointly developed by Agilent and Lumileds Lighting, is a surface-mount LED designed for automotive exterior lighting, such as center high-mounted stoplights, front turn signals, rear combination turn, tail and stoplights, and mirror turn signals.  Agilent's Envisium LED family was rated the highest among the 10 products chosen by EE Times' readers in the IP&E components award category, based on its technical significance and likelihood of use.  [ Press release ]

·   AIXTRON announced the establishment of AIXTRON Europe, which will have responsibility and lead the sales, service and spare parts business for all AIXTRON products including Thomas Swan, Epigress and GENUS for European customers.  Dr. Frank Schulte was named director of AIXTRON Europe, which will cover the principal regions of Europe and other regions such as Israel and Russia.  [ Press release ]

·   CAO Group has received two Luxeon® certifications and is now part of the Luxeon Lighting Network.  As a Certified Luxeon Luminaire Manufacturer, the company is qualified to design, develop and manufacture Luxeon-based luminaries and to offer performance warranties on each product.  The second certification, as a Certified Future Electronics Luxeon Solutions Partner, certifies that the company is qualified to design, develop, manufacture and guarantee the performance of Luxeon-based lighting components, light engine modules and arrays.  [ Press release ]

·   Carmanah has purchased Soltek Powersource (SPS), a privately held manufacturer/supplier of solar power systems for industrial, government, residential and retail applications, for $10 million.  SPS is the largest Canadian supplier of solar systems and solar-related equipment, with about 60% market share.  [ Press release ]

·   Carmanah launched the second generation of its i-STOP™ solar-powered LED-illuminated transit stop.  The redesign includes brighter illumination with new, higher-intensity LEDs and LED-illuminated activation buttons.  The new i-STOP™ is fully ADA compliant.  The original i-STOP™ is in use by more than 80 transit agencies.  [ Press release at CNW Group ]

·   Color Kinetics chairman and CEO George Mueller was named 2005 Ernst & Young New England Entrepreneur of the Year, in the Industrial Products & Services category.  Along with the additional regional winners across the country, he will now be considered for the national Entrepreneur of the Year awards to be presented in November.  Mueller co-founded Color Kinetics in 1997 with Ihor Lys, CTO.  [ Press release ]

·   Color Kinetics was issued a U.S. patent relating to the use of intelligent solid-state lighting systems as a means for indicating information about a package. U.S. patent 6,897,624, "Packaged information systems," covers an intelligent solid-state lighting system that may be mounted on a package to relate information such as date, temperature, shock, or more.  The technology might be applied to indicate when packages or containers in a warehouse are being exposed to heat or nearing shelf life expiration, for example.  The patent is Color Kinetics' 41st.  [ Press release ]

·   Color Kinetics added two partners to its OEM and licensing business and renewed agreements with three others.  The new agreements are with Cepia, a manufacturer of consumer products, which will license Chromacore® to offer a line of illuminated pillows and plush toys; and Lighting & Electronics, Inc., a manufacturer of entertainment and architectural lighting, which will apply iColor® MR g2 and power/data modules (PDMs) for a custom designed theatrical fixture.  Agreements were renewed with Crystal Fountains, a provider of water feature solutions; Main Light Industries, Inc., an entertainment lighting manufacturer; and Zumtobel Staff Lighting, Inc., an architectural lighting manufacturer.  [ Press release ]

·   Columbia University professor Gertrude F. Neumark has filed patent infringement lawsuits against four major LED manufacturers.  Neumark filed separate but similar suits against Cree, Lumileds, Toyoda Gosei, and Osram, claiming the companies have infringed her U.S. patents 4,904,618, "Process of Doping Crystals for Wide Band Gap Semiconductors," and 5,252,499, "Wide Band Gap Semiconductors Having Low Bipolar Resistivity and Method of Formation.”  Toyoda Gosei denied the claims and issued a statement accusing Neumark's patents of lacking novelty and inventiveness.  [ News item in LIGHTimes, News item at CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

·   Cree licensed its white LED patent, U.S. Patent No. 6,600,175, to several strategic chip customers, including Stanley Electric, Rohm, and Cotco.  The licenses provide rights to manufacture and sell white LEDs that incorporate Cree’s high performance LED chips.  The company also announced it is now in discussions with other potential partners.  The 6,600,175 patent was originally filed by Advanced Technology Materials Inc. (ATMI) and was acquired by Cree when it took over ATMI’s gallium nitride business in March 2004.  The patent was the subject of a cross-licensing agreement between Cree and Nichia announced in February 2005.  [ Press release 1, 2; News item in LEDs Magazine ]

·   Cree's Japanese distributor, Sumitomo Corporation, will purchase $200 million of Cree’s LED products during the fiscal year ending June 2006, a 25% increase from the prior year.  The purchase commitment, subject to end-customer demand and other terms and conditions, was added to the existing distributorship agreement, which extends through Cree’s fiscal year ending June 2007.  Both companies anticipate that purchases will be made across Cree’s full line of LED chip products representing its standard brightness, mid-brightness and high brightness devices, including MegaBright®, XBright® and XThin® LEDs.  [ Press release ]

·   Cree signed an agreement with Tecnika Due srl to distribute Cree® XLamp™ power LEDs in Italy.  Tecnika Due, a distributor and value-added reseller of electronic components and subsystems since 1982, has been representing Cree’s energy-saving power components since 2002.  [ Cree Press release ]

·   Cree has signed a three-year agreement with Osram, one of its largest customers, for the purchase of LED chips.  The agreement covers Cree's entire LED chip product line, including standard, mid-bright and XBright® LED families.  Pricing, product mix and volume have been agreed to for an initial term and will be periodically reviewed and adjusted over the three-year contract.  “We are pleased to announce our mutual commitment to continue to work together to further develop the exciting market for high performance LEDs.  OSRAM Opto Semiconductors fulfilled its previous purchase commitment far earlier than expected and this agreement reflects the way in which the two companies have conducted business over the past several quarters,” said Chuck Swoboda, CEO.[ Press release, News item in LEDs Magazine ]

·   Cyberlux and Bruni Industria Mobili (Italy), a furniture, lighting product and fixtures, and consumer products manufacturing conglomerate, announced a joint venture “that will address the solid-state lighting needs of the European marketplace.”  Under the terms of the agreement, Cyberlux has granted Bruni Industria the European marketing and distribution rights for Cyberlux products, and Cyberlux technology will be integrated into Bruni Industria products.  The companies expect the joint venture to begin operating in the early 4th quarter of 2005.  [ Press release ]

·   Dowa Mining Company (Japan) will begin mass producing GaN epi in 2007, according to a NikkeiNet Interactive Article.  Dowa plans to work with the Nagoya Institute of Technology to develop wafers made by layering GaN onto a sapphire substrate using technology developed by NGK Insulators, and expects sales of 10 billion yen in 2008.  Dowa affirmed that its business will not infringe on patents of other companies in the field such as Nichia.  [ News item in CompoundSemi News ]

·   Robert C. Walker was named president and CEO of eLite Optoelectronics. Walker is a general partner of YEBY Associates, and was previously with Vincera Ventures and Emcore.  eLite's current CEO/CTO and founder, Dr. Heng Liu, will continue as CTO.  eLite plans to move its headquarters from City of Industry to Sunnyvale, Calif.  [ News item in LIGHTimes ]

·   Everlight received a contract for white LEDs for mobile phone backlight module use from Hon Hai.  The LEDs are to be used for handsets provided by Chi Mei, in which Hon Hai purchased a dominant stake.  Hon Hai affiliate Ambit is also buying Everlight diodes to be used in mobile phones it is making for Nokia.  [ News item at EMSNow (No URL available) ]

·   Fujikura (Tokyo) has collaborated with the National Institute for Materials Science to develop a new brighter, white LED that uses a special phosphor material, according to articles in Nikkei Business Daily and LIGHTimes.  The device uses a blue LED coated with a resin containing a phosphor material, a mixture of silicon, aluminum, oxygen, and nitrogen.  Fujikura expects to begin shipping samples of the new LED before the end of the fiscal year.  [ News item in LIGHTimes ]

·   Hangzhou Silan Azure, a new LED start-up in China, plans to mass produce high brightness LEDs.  AIXTRON announced that it received an order for an AIX 2400G3 HT and a 19x2" Thomas Swan Close Coupled Showerhead system from Silan Azure, which will use the two mass production MOCVD systems for the manufacturing of GaN-based LEDs.  Silan Azure's product line will cover both the epi wafer growth and chip processing.  The company is a joint venture of Hangzhou Silan Microelectronics Joint-stock Co. Ltd., a publicly traded company in China specializing in designing, developing and manufacturing integrated circuits.  [ Press release ]

·   Hella's prototype headlamp system received top honors for innovation in a bi-annual competition held by Spain's Society of Automotive Engineers (Sociedad de Tecnicos de Automocion).  The award-winning design was developed in cooperation with Volkswagen for the Golf 5.  It incorporates low beam, high beam, indicator and daytime running lights through the use of LED technology.  Hella's prototype LED headlamp achieves around 1,000 lm in low beam, creating light similar in intensity to xenon headlamps.  [ News item at the Auto Channel ]

·   Holiday Creations was awarded the Power Smart Excellence Award for Manufacturing by BC Hydro of Vancouver, British Columbia.  The award is given annually to the manufacturer that demonstrably helps the power company conserve the most electricity in the province.  Holiday Creations manufactures and markets AC-driven LED holiday lights.  [ News brief from LEDs Magazine ]

·   Ichikoh Industries has developed a simulation technique for the design and prototyping of LEDs for automotive headlights.  The technology analyzes heat flow and helps cut back on the need for prototyping, shortening the development cycle by up to 75%.  It applies the analysis techniques of computer-aided engineering (CAE) to measure heat distribution and help determine optimal solutions for heat dissipation and cooling.  The simulations yield values that differ by less than 2% from the measurements of actual prototypes, according to the company.  [ News brief at LEDs Magazine ]

·   The Lighting Research Center conducted a field study showing that LEDs can be effective, energy-saving alternatives for incandescent downlights in elevators.  The field installation, in an RPI campus elevator, used prototype LED fixtures and showed an energy savings of 45% compared with the original incandescent lights.  The low-profile LED fixtures may also change the way elevator cabins are built, resulting in further energy savings, according to the study.  [ Article in LRC News ]

·   Lighting Science will use Cree XLamp™ power LEDs as the light source for its Optimized Digital Lighting™ (ODL™) product line.  ODL products, which will incorporate Cree's high brightness XLamp 7090 LEDs, are suitable for indoor and outdoor applications.  [ Press release at LEDs Magazine ]

·   Lumileds' Luxeon® LED array product for LCD backlights received the Display Material/Component of the Year Silver Award in the 2004 SID/Information Display Magazine competition.  The array, consisting of red, green and blue side-emitting Luxeon LEDs, is the first to enable LED-based backlight illumination systems that provide greatly improved color fidelity and other benefits over cold cathode fluorescent lamps, according to the company.  The Display of the Year Awards recognize major advances in the design and manufacture of displays used in television sets, notebook computers, desktop computer monitors, cellphones, PDAs, DVD players, and other electronic devices.  [ Press release ]

·   Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) has developed an LCD monitor using a backlight consisting of six LEDs of differing peak wavelengths, intended to expand the color reproduction range.  The prototype can display 95.58% of the Munsell Color Cascade, an index of all natural object colors, compared to 80.62% for a three-color LED backlight.  A key problem is brightness, as the prototype achieved only 80 cd/m2.  [ Article in Nikkei Electronics Asia ]

·   Mitsubishi Rayon (Japan) has developed special optics to guide more light from LCD backlights to the display panels of the devices.  The optics, in sheet form, increase the brightness of LCD displays by up to 35%, according to Nikkei Net Interactive and LIGHTimes.  [ News item in LIGHTimes ]

·   Shuji Nakamura was named as a "Star of Asia" by Business Week magazine.  Nakamura's litigation with his former employer, Nichia, "has forced a reworking of the way Japanese companies remunerate the brains behind the thousands of patents registered in Japan each year," according to the article.  The magazine's series is meant to honor "25 leaders at the forefront of change." [ Feature article at Business Week magazine ]

·   New Wave Research and Opto System (Japan) will cooperate in developing and marketing advanced LED wafer-scribing systems.  New Wave is a manufacturer of laser-based systems for flat-panel display repair, semiconductor failure analysis and micromachining, and Opto System is a Japanese manufacturer of inspection and manufacturing equipment for semiconductor-related products.  New Wave is currently creating a portfolio of patents in methods and devices related to laser applications in the LED manufacturing process.  [ Press release ]

·   Nichia executives discussed the company's legal dispute with Shuji Nakamura at a meeting of the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, in Tokyo.  Nichia no longer uses the patent on the blue LED technology Nakamura invented, the executives said.  They also said that the risks companies take in developing and commercializing inventions should be considered when making awards to individual inventors.  [ News item in Japan Weekly Monitor (No URL available) ]

·   Nichia and Hitachi Cable each purchased a 6.4% stake in Opto Tech.  Opto Tech had previously stated that it planned to increase its capital expenditure allotment to NT$7.03 billion ($220 million at NT$31.88:$1) by issuing more than 96 million new shares via private placement.  Opto Tech expects the move will help the company reach break-even point from its OLED division by April 2006.  Nichia and Opto Tech in August 2004 formed an alliance through which Opto Tech would produce and sell Nichia's patented blue InGaN LEDs to Taiwan, China, and South Korea.  [ News item at Global Sources, News item at LIGHTimes ]

·   Nichia and Radiant Imaging have formed a partnership intended to support designers of LED-based lighting systems for applications such as signage, display backlights, automotive and aviation instrument panels, and traffic lights.  Radiant Imaging supplies imaging systems for light and color measurement, and as part of the partnership, will fully characterize the output of certain Nichia InGaN LEDs by generating Radiant Source Models of the products.  Radiant Source Models are software models that fully characterize a light source’s angular and spatial luminance characteristics.  ProSource software allows full data analysis and ray generation from any Radiant Source Model data file, and enables its use with most major illumination design software packages.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

·   Nichia resolved intellectual property disputes with U.S. distributors JM Group and ASP and Korean LED manufacturer Luxpia.  The dispute with JM Group had been filed in a federal court, but no lawsuit with ASP had been filed.  Nichia announced that the parties agreed to pursue a "good business relationship," with no further details.  Nichia had filed suit against Luxpia in June 2004.  As part of the settlement, Luxpia put apology ads in two of the major industrial papers in Korea (The Electronic Times and Maeil Business Newspaper) and Nichia withdrew its patent infringement claims.  [ Press release 1, 2 ]

·   Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation   (NTT) has developed a prototype blue laser element with a light emission efficiency of 70%, double that of the highest performance lasers currently on the market.  NTT plans to promote the technology to manufacturers of blue lasers for reading and recording to next-generation digital versatile disks (DVDs).  The prototype blue laser element has an emission efficiency of 71% at room temperature, which is comparable to the red lasers now used to read data from DVDs.  NTT achieved this level of efficiency by modifying the way the different layers are formed on the sapphire substrate, so that all steps can be performed at the same temperature of 800°C.  [ Article in New Materials Japan (registration required)]

·   The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has dismissed Osram's complaint against Dominant Semiconductors, according to the Malay Mail Online.  Osram filed the complaint with the ITC in June 2004, claiming that Dominant was infringing two sets of patents, one relating to white LEDs and the other to the design of electrical connections for high-power LEDs.  Dominant had responded with a lawsuit accusing Osram of violating U.S. unfair competition laws, and alleging that Osram has made false and misleading statements about Dominant's products to Dominant's customers and end users.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

·   Osram Sylvania announced that its Joule™ LED lighting system will be used on the 2006 Mercury Mountaineer.  The first of its kind, the Joule system features an integrated, standardized mounting and thermal management approach, and can be used on many vehicle platforms for rear combination lamp assemblies.  [ Press release ]

·   Permlight Products has filed suit against Microsemi Corporation, alleging that Microsemi issued a certificate of conformance on defective products, and is seeking $1 million in damages.  Microsemi has closed the Watertown, Mass., factory that provided the products that are the subject of the lawsuit.  [ Press release ]

·   In mid-August, Philips (Netherlands) announced that it will buy Agilent 's 47% stake in Lumileds for €765 million ($948 million) in cash, giving Philips a controlling 96% interest in the company, which was created in 1999 as a joint venture between Philips and Agilent.  Completion of the transaction is expected in the fourth quarter of 2005, subject to regulatory approval.  [ Philips press release, Lumileds press release, News item at CompoundSemiconductor.net, audiocast of press briefing on Lumileds, August 15, 2005 ] )  According to earlier reports by the Wall Street Journal and LEDs Magazine in June, Agilent was considering selling its semiconductor group, which includes its LED business and its share in Lumileds.  The Wall Street Journal reported that investment banking firm Goldman Sachs has been appointed to handle the sale of Agilent's semiconductor products group (SPG).  The company's CFO described the SPG as non-core, compared with Agilent's life sciences and test and measurement divisions.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine, editorial in LIGHTimes ]  

·   Philips and Future Electronics announced that Future will be the franchised distributor for all Philips' semiconductor products in Europe.  The new agreement will give customers another channel for purchasing Philips products and obtaining design support.  Future has been a partner of Philips in the Americas and Asia for many years.  [ Press release ]

·   Super Vision signed a licensing agreement for its Variable Color Lighting System patent with AVR of Leicester, U.K.  [ Press release ]

·   Telectra's ice*lighting™ was awarded the lighting product of the year 2005 by the Association of British Theatre Technicians, and its Bead*light® Technologies won the innovation prize at the Oxfordshire Business Awards 2005.  Ice*lighting™ provides visual entertainment effects through LED and Bead*light® Technologies and provides wide area video effects across split batten arrays without the use of a media server.  Bead*light® Technologies (patents pending) is a LED diffusion system used in Telectra's premium aircraft cabin seat lighting and the LIGHT*WAND® range of performance products for professional musicians and stage and theater technicians.  [ Press release 1, 2 ]

·   TIR Systems has been granted U.K. Patent GB 2,398,116, the first to be granted to TIR in the U.K.  The patent recognizes the same technology as U.S. Patent 6,871,983, covering the use of TIR's proprietary LED-based lighting technology for grid ceilings used in general illumination.  [ Press release]

·   Both Toyoda Gosei and Nichia plan to expand production of white LEDs, according to reports in Nikkei Net Interactive and LIGHTimes.  Toyoda Gosei will add a production facility and Nichia will greatly expand its research and development facility, according to the report.  [ News item in LIGHTimes ]

·   Other LED installations / contracts:

Ø       Arup Lighting and Xilver Lighting (Netherlands) designed a LED light show for Hanwha Retail's Galleria Fashion Mall in Seoul.  The 36,800 sq. ft. show is created by a computer-controlled system of 4,330 glass disks containing LEDs mounted on an aluminum substructure attached to the building façade.  [ Feature article in Display & Design Ideas magazine ]

Ø       BillBoard Video will design and manufacture a custom LED sign for WLS, the Chicago ABC television station.  The LED sign is a 40-foot tall curving sculpture that will stand on the sidewalk outside of WLS’ new studios facing pedestrian and automotive traffic on downtown Chicago’s historic State Street.  [ Article in LEDs Magazine ]

Ø       Carmanah will supply 225 units of its i-SHELTER™ solar/LED lighting systems for the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, under a contract with Viacom Outdoor JCDecaux Street Furniture Canada Limited Partnership.  The partnership is a joint venture between Viacom Outdoor Canada and JCDecaux, global providers of street furniture and outdoor advertising in the public transportation sector. [ Press release ]

Ø       Carmanah was awarded a $400,000 contract to supply its i-SHELTER™ solar-powered LED bus shelter lighting systems to King County Metro Transit of Seattle, Wash.  The systems will be installed throughout downtown Seattle and surrounding areas over the next two years.  [ Press release ]

Ø       Carmanah was awarded an $885,000 contract to supply its i-STOP™ solar-powered LED bus stop lighting systems to PACE Suburban Bus of Chicago, Ill.  Installation is scheduled over the next five years with the first $194,000 in i-STOP™ systems to be delivered before the end of August.  [ Press release ]

Ø       Color Kinetics' IntelliWhite™ technology will be used in a multiple store roll-out for men's footwear brand Bostonian.  Bostonian and its sister brand Clarks operate a network of retail stores nationwide, at least 15 of which will apply iW Profile to light their display shelving, replacing existing fluorescent display lights.  iW Profile allows for different Kelvin temperatures to be set according to display location; for example, cooler shades of white for displays near store windows, and warmer shades towards the store's interior.  [ Press release ]

Ø       Color Kinetics technology was used in the relighting of Philadelphia's Boathouse Row.  The new LED-based lighting system replaces the previous 30-year-old incandescent system at the popular Philadelphia landmark, which comprises 12 boating clubs in 10 architecturally distinct buildings along a half-mile stretch of the Schuylkill River.  [ Press release ]

Ø       Daktronics has designed and manufactured seven 14-by-48 foot ProStar® displays for Clear Channel Communications, Inc. for a pilot project incorporating electronic advertising billboards in the Cleveland area.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

Ø       Daktronics will provide ProStar® video and ProAd® LED displays for the Blue Man Group’s performances at a new theater at The Venetian in Las Vegas.  Shipment of the displays for the $1 million project was scheduled for mid-August.  [ Press release ]

Ø       G-LEC's PhantomFrame system was used to advertise BMW's new 3-series at its flagship showrooms on Kurfürstendamm, Berlin's most exclusive shopping area.  Each 1 m x 1 m unit of PhantomFrame supports 16 clear polycarbonate tubes, each housing 16 high intensity LED pixels spaced 60 mm apart.  The space between the tubes is just air, so shoppers can see the vehicles displayed in the showroom behind the PhantomFrame.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

Ø       Lighthouse Technologies will supply a new LED screen at Samsung's Piccadilly Circus site in London.  The P16i/o 16mm pixel pitch, 5,000 nits brightness LED screen will be installed during this summer.  The Samsung screen is positioned next to the Coca Cola Lighthouse screen and will become Samsung's flagship interactive advertising site.  [ Press release ]

Ø       Lighthouse Technologies supplied a LED video screen to real estate agent Flipse for use on the side of its building in Dronten, Holland.  The newly installed Lighthouse P19 LED video screen measures 3x3 panels (3.66 x 2.76 m) and has 5000 nit of brightness.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

Ø       Lighting Technology Projects commissioned and programmed 130 Color Kinetics iColor® Cove EC fixtures for a new complex in The Deep, the world's only "submarium" in Hull, UK.  The Twilight Zone is a newly opened Ł6.8 million exhibition within The Deep, exploring the alien life forms found beneath the sunlit zone of the ocean.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

Ø       Lumileds' Luxeon LEDs have been used to light Stevenage Borough Council's new Customer Service Centre in a project that turns the entire ceiling into a bespoke luminaire that simulates the sky.  In the first project of its kind in the UK, Future Group Lighting Design and Light Projects, a certified member of the LUXEON Lighting Network, created a feature ceiling consisting of a series of coffered arcs that conceal a specially developed light solution.  White and blue Luxeon LEDs create a color changing effect that runs over the course of the day, simulating the sky.  [ News item at Lighting&Sound International ]

Ø       Neutron Enterprises' Digital Signage Broadcast Network's mobile digital signage division (DSBN) has been awarded a three-year contract for the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) in British Columbia.  DSBN will provide a mobile LED screen, located at the main entrance and visible to the 1 million attendees expected during the fair's two-week period.  [ Press release ]

Ø       Neutron Enterprises' Digital Signage Broadcast Network (DSBN), Event & Screen Marketing division, will supply LED screens for the 26th Annual Detroit International Jazz Fest.  DSBN will provide two LED full-motion and full-sound screens, located at the main stages in both Hart Plaza and Campus Martius under the guitar at the Hard Rock Cafe.  [ Press release at PrimeZone Media Network ]

Ø       Osram has supplied white LEDs for the headlights of a Maserati concept car, Birdcage 75th, which was premiered at this year's Geneva Motor Show.  The concept headlights feature 12 high-power Ostar LEDs, as well as color effects around the edges of the headlights.  [ Press release ] 

Ø       Pulsar's ChromaFlood200 fixtures were used to light the exterior of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in central London.  A total of 14 high-power RGB CFLD200 fixtures provide changing color to the building facade with a power requirement of about 1,250 W for most of the programmed scenes and a maximum of 2,500 W.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

Ø       TIR Systems will supply the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government with lighting for its showpiece Harbour Lighting Plan.  The contract is worth more than $300,000 and will be realized as revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2005.  TIR’s Destiny™ Series of products for architectural façade lighting will be used in the project.  [ Press release ]

Ø       TIR Systems received a $100,000, multi-location contract with Cineworld.  Cineworld, which recently purchased the UGC cinema chain, will use TIR’s LightScript™ channel letter illumination solution to rebrand the 50 UGC sites to Cineworld colors.  Red LightScript™ modules will illuminate the Cineworld lettering from within the channel letter units, with white LightScript™ modules being mounted behind the lettering to form a white halo effect.  The contract was made through TIR's Cox Plastics distribution partner.  [ Press release ]

Ø       LEDs will be used in a new landscaping design for the courtyard at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  Strips of LEDS will be fixed to the underside edges of etched-glass tree planters, making the sides glow white, and will be concealed beneath the nosings of the treads of stone steps to wash the step below with light.  [ Article in Building Design (No URL available) ]

Ø       WOW Factor and BillBoard Video will design, manufacture and produce content for two LED video displays in Times Square for Pontiac.  The two eVidia LED displays from BillBoard Video are single-sided, with a 12.7mm pitch.  The displays measure 19 feet by 38 feet and 14 feet by 38 feet, and face south on 47th Avenue between Broadway and 7th Avenue in Times Square.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

B.   New Products

·   Agilent introduced the industry's thinnest top-firing tricolor surface-mount LED , intended primarily for backlighting and status indicators in mobile phones and PDAs.  The new top-firing LED, in addition to Agilent's recently announced side-firing LEDs, permits handset and PDA designers to mix separate red, green and blue light sources in any combination.  The Agilent HSMF-C114 tricolor chip-type LED features a four-terminal common anode connection and is housed in Agilent's miniature 1.6 mm (L) x 1.5 mm (W) x 0.35 mm (H) package.  The HSMF-C114 combines InGaN blue (470 nm dominant wavelength, 70 mcd typical brightness at 20 mA operating current); InGaN green, (525 nm dominant wavelength, 180-mcd typical brightness); and AlInGaP (aluminum indium gallium phosphide) red (626 nm, 85 mcd) die.  The LED features diffused optics, is compatible with IR (infrared) reflow soldering processes, and is certified lead-free.  Agilent's ChipLED package features high thermal dissipation capability for maximum reliability.  [ Press release ]

·   Agilent introduced two side-firing, tricolor surface-mount LEDs that permit handset and PDA designers to mix separate red, green and blue light sources in any combination.  In the Agilent HSMF-C113 and HSMF-C115 side-firing ChipLED devices, the package is mounted vertically, with the light emitted through a lens on the side rather than the top of the package.  This simplifies the coupling of the light to a light pipe for backlighting mobile phone and PDA keypads and LCD screens.  The Agilent HSMF-C113 combines InGaN blue (470 nm dominant wavelength, 60 mcd typical brightness); AlInGaP green (572 nm, 50 mcd); and AlInGaP red (626 nm, 80 mcd) die.  All brightnesses measure at 20 mA operating current.  The premium HSMF-C115 uses brighter InGaN green, with 525 nm dominant wavelength and 170-mcd typical brightness.  The devices are intended primarily for backlighting and status indicators in handheld devices.  [ Press release ]

·   Agilent Technologies Japan has developed a device that can control the color of LED-backlit LCD panels.  The device combines a chip with a sensor, fitted to the front surface of the backlight, which monitors the backlight's emission and transmits information about its deviation from the optimal setting to the chip.  The chip then adjusts the color and luminosity of the red, green and blue LEDs.  The intended market is automotive instrument panels.  [ News item in Asia Pulse ]

·   BivarOpto introduced a 1-W LED module capable of producing up to 60 lm.  The new LK Series uses Cree's XLamp™ technology in a compact surface mount device (SMD) packaged onto an aluminum PCB base, using standard reflow processes to achieve electrical and thermal connections without epoxy.  The device offers up to 130% more color gamut; measures 0.800 inches (20.3 mm) in a hexagon pattern; has a viewing angle of 100 degrees; and is available in wavelengths from 465 nm to 635 nm, and in white to 8000K.  Applications include safety, signaling, emergency lighting, flashlights, household lighting and automotive headlamps.  [ Press release ]

·   BivarOpto introduced a new surface mount (SMT) RGB-based device for optimized control of color and brightness, including a brilliant white, packaged in a low-profile, industry standard PLCC- 4 (plastic leaded chip carrier) device with a wide 120° viewing angle.  The SMLC RGB design features an internal tri-chip circuit, employing three individually addressable LED die.  The tri-chip RGB design comprises a single AllnGaP and two InGaN/SIC chip dies, featuring peak wavelengths of 625 nm, 568 nm and 430 nm respectively.  Applications include high-contrast video displays such as LCD monitors, backlighting in automotive dash clusters and exterior automotive lighting, instrument panel backlighting, navigation and switching systems, and medical instrumentation.  [ Press release ]

·   Citizen Electronics (Japan) has developed a white LED with a luminous efficacy of 70 lm/W, 1.4 times as high as the company's existing product, and a luminous flux of 245 lm.  The CL-L100 series runs on 3.5 W and is available in a rectangular package, 4 mm x 40 mm x 0.75 mm, which can be arranged in modules designed to replace cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL), surface light emitting devices such as electro-luminescent panels, and bulbs for car headlights.  The modules are driven at 12 V and achieve 2,450 lm at 35 W.  [ Press release ]

·   Color Kinetics introduced a series of intelligent digital light engines (DLEs) for white light applications, enabling manufacturers to develop complete lighting systems with the advanced feature of color temperature control.  The Series 300 product line is based on Color Kinetics' Chromacore® technology and is compatible with its IntelliWhite™ family of power/data supplies and controllers, as well as third-party controllers.  It provides consistent white light and adjustable color temperature ranging from 3000K to 6500K.  Applications include stage and studio lighting, architectural, and accent lighting.  The series includes: DLE C-301, a circular module designed for use in medium- to large-format PAR systems; DLE C-302, a circular module designed for use in small-format PAR systems; DLE L-301, a 12-in. linear module; and PDM-301, a power/data module that enables dimming and color temperature control of Series 300 DLEs or lamps via third-party DMX controllers.  [ Press release ]

·   Color Kinetics launched several new products and technologies designed to support greater adaptability, ease-of-use, and streamlined installation for both white and color light applications.  The new offerings include: iW Translator, a hardware interface that allows widely used architectural control systems to communicate with Color Kinetics' IntelliWhite™ series; iColor® Flex SLX, a larger-node and higher-intensity version of Color Kinetics' iColor Flex SL; sPDS-480ca 7.5V, Color Kinetics' first multi-output power/data supply, which supports higher quantities of fixtures; sPDS-60ca 24V, a low-profile power/data supply designed for use with compact, low-profile fixtures; iW PDS-60, a low-profile power/data supply; and PDS-60ca 12V, designed for use with the complete iColor Flex SLX system.  [ Press release ]

·   Cotco announced its half-watt Mini Dorado LED, which features the smallest LED footprint on the market, according to the company.  The device is suitable for applications including automotive and traffic lighting, interior and exterior architecture design, entertainment, decorative and landscape lighting, and in displays for hand-held devices.  The unit can solder to reflow equipment and adapt to existing production systems, requiring no additional hardware purchase.  A molded lens offers consistent, intense light output and decreases vibration and shock failures.  [ Press release ]

·   Cree released two new LED chips: the MegaBright® 290 Gen 2 and the RazerThin® 230.  The MegaBright 290 Gen 2, a high brightness chip, is 30% brighter and uses 8% less power than the chip it replaces.  This new chip is suitable for digital camera, camera phone flash, and LCD backlighting applications.  The new RazerThin 230, a low power chip, uses approximately 8% less energy than the previous generation device and is intended for keypad backlighting applications.  [ Press release ]

·   Cree released a new 3-W XLamp™ 7090 high power LED in a full range of colors.  The XLamp 3 7090 white LED is achieving average luminous flux of 85 lm and maximum of more than 90 lm, well above the 65 lm typical rating reported for existing 3-W LEDs, according to the company.  The white lamp will be used in Cyberlux's new RelyOn™ portable work and emergency light.  [ Press release 1, 2 ]

·   Cree announced that it has significantly increased the brightness of its blue and green LED chip products targeted for the design of energy-saving LED backlighting solutions for larger LCD monitors and televisions.  [ Press release ]

Ø       For high power LED-based backlight systems, Cree is now shipping blue XB™900 power LED chips that are 38% brighter, increasing the minimum radiant flux from 65 mW to 90 mW, and green XB900 chips that are 33% brighter, increasing the minimum radiant flux from 30 mW to 40 mW.

Ø       For backlight systems using smaller chips, Cree has increased the brightness of its green XThin® LED chips from 8 mW to 10 mW, for the top radiant flux bins, to better match the high brightness of the company's blue XT-21™ and XT-24™ chips.

·   Edison Opto (Taiwan) has developed a LED backlight solution for 32-in. TFT LCD televisions.  The product features: greater than 100% NTSC value; 3-cm thickness; high uniformity (DEH<10%); high brightness over 11000 Nit; and low thermal resistance (Rq< 0.1 deg.C/W).  [ Article in LEDs Magazine ]

·   Fujisaki Electric (Japan) plans to introduce a foldable LED display, Lumine Cloth, in September, according to reports in LIGHTimes and Nikkei Net.  The product is a conductive foldable resin to which LEDs can be attached to make any pattern.  Applications include advertising, emergency signs, insect repellent lighting, or plant growth promoters.  A 1-meter square of Lumine Cloth with 1,500 LEDs will cost about 100,000 yen.  [ News item in LIGHTimes ]

·   Intrinsic Semiconductor added 3-inch GaN wafers to its product line, along with 3-inch diameter SiC wafers of both insulating and conducting types, and SiC epitaxy, for the high power and frequency device markets.  Production grade 3-inch diameter SiC wafers and corresponding 3-inch diameter SiC epiwafers and gallium nitride high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT) epiwafers are now available.  [ News item in III-Vs Review ]

·   James Thomas Engineering introduced the PixelBrick, with 3-W blue and green and 1-W red and amber Luxeon emitters.  The flexible, compact fixture is available in an indoor IP42 housing and an IP65 outdoor housing and consumes 48 W at full power.  The Pixelbrick allows up to 42 million color combinations, and is suitable for architectural, scenic and feature lighting applications.  [ Press release ]

·   Lamina Ceramics announced a new “plug-and-play” optics and no-solder installation system for its BL-4000 line of super bright, high power LED light engines.  Working with Fraen Corporation, Lamina unveiled optics in narrow, medium and wide beam distributions.  The optics, holders, and solder-less “EZ Connect” attachment board and wire harness will be supplied through Lamina’s global distribution network.  [ Press release ]

·   LEDtronics introduced a new LED flashlight that uses 1-W Luxeon™ LEDs.  The FlashLED FLT-4001 produces 1800 foot-candles of white light and includes a fully integrated flashlight head (the LED lamp, lens and reflector) that optimizes light color, intensity and dispersion.  The 1-W LED integrates a collimator that focuses the light into tight beam for an intensity of 2000fc.  The device operates for eight days on three standard alkaline C-cell batteries and weighs 15.5 ounces with the batteries installed.  [ Press release ]

·   Luminous Corp. has developed two new phosphors that can be used with a blue LED to generate white light that is natural-looking, according to an article at AsiaPulse News.  One phosphor converts blue light to red, and the other, blue to green.  They can be used together with a blue LED to create a combination of blue, red and green wavelengths that approximates natural white light.  The relative amounts of the two phosphors can also be adjusted to generate different hues of white.  Luminous will soon ship samples and plans to develop LED modules and lighting of its own.  [ News item in AsiaPulse News (No URL available) ]

·   Mitsubishi Chemical has developed a white LED lamp, according to reports in LIGHTimes and Nikkei Net Interactive.  The RGB lamp uses a near-UV LED and Mitsubishi's proprietary red florescent substance, reportedly an organic europium ion complex, to produce a balanced light more like sunlight.  Applications include backlighting for household lighting equipment and large LCD TV sets.  [ News item in LIGHTimes ]

·   NeoPac introduced its 300-lm E4400 NeoBulb Light Engine at LED Lighting Taiwan in Taipei.  The E4400 has a proprietary package that features high-efficiency thermal management and can be integrated into the B4400 lamp.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

·   NeoPac introduced its 500-lm E6400 NeoBulb™ Light Engine.  The single-packaged point-light-source operates on 20 W and uses current chip technology to assemble 16 (4x4) 1 mm² high-power LED chips within a small packaging space (<0.49 cm²).  [ Press release at LEDs Magazine ]

·   Nova Electronics announced the SLULTRA LED warning signal, designed to be easily mounted on a vehicle's side mirror.  The SLULTRA contains 40 wide-angle, high intensity LEDs and runs on a 12V power source.  It measures 0.343 in. x 5.08 in. x 1.48 in. and is available in amber and red.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

·   OPTEK Technology introduced the OVF Series, a family of four-pin high-flux LEDs.  The high-current “Super-Flux” LEDs are available in white, blue, green, amber, red/orange and red in 7.6 mm² four-pin through-hole packages with water clear lenses that provide viewing angles from 40 to 120 degrees.  Applications include outdoor signage and displays; traffic signals and highway signage; and exterior automotive lighting such as tail lights, turn indicators and brake lights.  [ Press release ]

·   Osram introduced 6-lead MultiLEDs, which include three chips (red, green and blue) fabricated using thin-film technology, thus improving luminous intensity by allowing almost all the light to be emitted at the surface.  The 6-lead design allows each chip to be individually controlled and the LEDs to be connected in series.  The optical efficiency of the brightest generation of chips of this size is 43 lm/ W for red, 36 lm/ W for green and 11 lm/ W for blue.  Special silicone encapsulation protects the LEDs against premature aging due to short-wave light.  [ Press release ]

·   Osram introduced Ostar Lighting LED, which produces more than 200 lm at 700 milliamps.  The 3 x 1 cm device is Osram's brightest semiconductor light source to date and is intended for general lighting applications.  The device uses thin-film technology and color conversion based on the chip coating method, meaning the yellow converter is not in the encapsulation material but directly on the blue chip, producing a pure white which remains constant from all viewing angles and with no colored shadows at the edges.  The combination of OSRAM's thin-film, front-emitting technology chips and the precision placement of the chips enable the OSTAR to be integrated with external optics to generate tight, focused beams useful in spotlight and theatrical light applications.  The product is intended for general lighting applications, such as spotlights, reading lights and safety and effect lighting.  [ Press release 1, 2 ]

·   Para Light introduced a waterproof light tube with RGB enhanced-power LEDs.  The new LLVM-000xx series LED light tubes measure 80 mm in diameter and are available in lengths of 1 m (20 LEDs, 80 lm) and 0.5 m (10 LEDs, 40 lm).  The devices are suitable for applications such as architectural and emergency lighting.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

·   Permlight introduced a line of LED-based luminaires for the new home construction market.  All products in the EnbrytenLED line are designed to fit existing new construction electrical configurations and run on line voltage (90 to 240 V AC).  The EnbrytenLED line is also the first set of LED luminaires to be fully compliant with California Energy Commission Title 24 energy codes and the EPA's Energy Star 4.0 standard scheduled for release this fall.  The luminaires are available in standard efficacy (25-35 lm/W) or high efficacy (40-55 lm/W) versions.  The product line includes step lights, hallway and walkway lighting, cove lighting, pendants, and a recessed can light and surface mount ceiling light.  [ Press release ] 

·   Permlight introduced its higher brightness White Twiste’R 752-WHT-B series channel letter illumination product.  The new White Twiste’R produces 7.8 cd per linear foot, increased from 3.6 cd in the previous version.  Lumen maintenance is rated at less than 10% degradation after 30,000 hours.  The intensity and color uniformity thus rival white neon for face-lit channel letters, and the new Twiste’R system costs 20-50% less than competing technologies.  [ Press release ]

·   QLT introduced a 35 to 50 lm/W power LED module that can be used in standard halogen AR111 fixtures.  The device is available in versions up to 7 x 3 W and in 16 shades of white from 3,000 to 8,000°K.  It is supplied by a 350/500/700 mA driver, working in constant current and low tension at about 24 V.  The module is suitable for general lighting or accent lighting.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

·   Risho Kogyo has developed a white-colored, copper-clad epoxy/glass laminate board capable of increasing the longevity of LEDs by up to ten times when used as substrate material.  The board maintains 92% of its light reflection efficiency, even after 500 hours of exposure to ultraviolet rays.  Existing boards tend to lose their light reflection efficiency by 60% after the same UV exposure, and also are less efficient after exposure to heat.  The new board's base consists of a glass fiber covered with epoxy resin and titanium oxide.  After the drying process, the board is covered with copper foil, which is then etched to form circuits on the board.  [ News brief in LEDs Magazine ]

·   Seoul Semiconductor (Korea) announced a new channel lighting product and a new LED lamp.  The HW941 (High Flux) is specifically designed as a dome type for channel letter applications, with a viewing angle of 140 degrees.  The device enables a reduced number of LEDs, allowing compact designs.  The LW520 (Lamp) is a patent-protected 17,000 mcd super-bright lamp which features high brightness, low VF of 3.1 V, stable ESD and effectiveness in hot and humid conditions.  Applications include traffic signals, variable message signs and backlighting for transparent sign panels.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

·   Several LED backlight technologies that can sharply reduce power consumption and prices were introduced at the Society for Information Displays conference held May 22 - 27, 2005, in Boston.

Ø       Osram demonstrated an 82-inch, door-sized module containing 1120 red, blue and green Golden Dragon LEDs and capable of generating a color gamut that exceeds NTSC requirements by 50%.

Ø       Cree announced LED backlight technology that reduces power consumption in LCD monitors and televisions by 60% compared with other LED backlighting and 12% compared with fluorescent solutions.  Cree's backlighting is based on its high brightness XThin blue and green LEDs mounted to a thermally conductive substrate.

Ø       Samsung unveiled 40-inch and 46-inch LED backlight units that use a more efficient LED lamp package design.  The 46-inch unit uses about 300 W, which is comparable to cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) units and about half the power consumption of a similar Sony LED model.

Ø       Philips demonstrated a 32-inch LCD panel installed with a hybrid backlight unit combining strong points of LED and CCFL so that it features a color gamut of 105% and costs 60% of LED backlight units. 

[ News item at Optics.org, News item at Korea IT News, News item from CompoundSemiconductor.net ]

·   Stanley Electric (Japan) has developed a high-power white LED which produces a luminous flux of 180 lumens at 6 W, according to information on the Tech-On website reported by LEDs Magazine.  A reflector plate in the ceramic package allows light from the four high-power LED chips to be efficiently emitted to the exterior.  The package measures 5.9 x 11.5 x 1.1 mm, while the light-emitting part measures 2.4 x 5.6 mm.  The company plans to start volume production in December 2006, and its target applications include automotive headlamps, lighting products and LCD monitor backlights.  Stanley exhibited a module combining the white LED with a lens, and a prototype streetlight and a headlamp based on this module, as well as other products, at a tradeshow in Yokohama.  Stanley was one of several companies that licensed Cree's white LED patent earlier this year.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

·   TIR Systems launched a new version of its LightScript™ product for channel lettering, with improved luminance performance, color options and driver technology.  The average increase in luminance for red, green, orange, amber and blue LightScript™ is 50%, and 30% for white LEDs.  In addition, by increasing or decreasing the number of LEDs in a module, a combination of different colors can be used on the same driver.  TIR has also released its online LightScript™ estimating tool, which allows the system designer to assess a variety of different sign design options when considering TIR’s LightScript™ channel letter lighting product.  [ Press release ]

·   Light Projects Group introduced a new color changing LED system from Tokistar Lighting Systems into the UK market.  The system, Trillium, uses tri-color LED modules measuring less than 9 mm in height and attached to a very flexible cable.  Each of the tri-colored LEDs blends evenly, whether the fitting is used for direct or indirect lighting effects.  The LEDs can be specified at different spacings between 50 and 300 mm.  A range of accessories is also available, including plastic or aluminum mounting tracks, mounting clamps and fasteners.  A Coloursum control panel is available, or the system can be controlled via a DMX protocol control system.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

·   Traff (France) launched Domino Sign, a line of LED products intended to replace neon signs.  The products include: Domino Cob, an ultra-flat device specially for illuminating letters and backlighting; Domino Logo, a garland of 5-mm high-luminance diodes encapsulated at the back, to produce point-to-point lighting; Domino Clip, made up of programmable modules comprising eight 5-mm high-luminance diodes; Domino Kit, specially designed for chemist's shop crosses, made up of a series of 10 high-luminance LED modules, a power supply box and a remote control unit; and Domino PLV, to light the edges of Plexiglas.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

·   Other new products-- LED drivers:

Ø       Advanced Analogic Technologies introduced the AAT2806, a dual-mode, high-efficiency charge pump that supports both white LED backlight and camera flash applications for portable systems that run on lithium-ion/polymer batteries.  The new device uses AnalogicTech's single-wire Simple Serial Control™ (S2Cwire™) serial digital interface to enable, disable, and set current settings across an 8-level logarithmic scale, offering independent control of LED backlight and camera flash functions.  [ Press release ]

Ø       Dialog Semiconductor launched a new universal LED controller which provides complete programmability of up to 18 LEDs for the control of lightshows, backlights and signal LEDs in cellular handsets, handheld games, and other portable devices requiring varying light sequences.  The new DA9026 IC allows the control of sequences of LED patterns including combined RGB LEDs, with programmable variables such as pattern, repetition rate and intensity of each LED.  [ Press release ]

Ø       Linear Technology announced the LTC3490, a synchronous boost DC/DC converter optimized for driving high current white LEDs.  The LTC3490 delivers up to 90% efficiency, maximizing battery run time while its input voltage range of 1V to 3.2V enables it to deliver up to 350mA from either a single or dual cell alkaline/NiMH battery.  [ Press release ]

Ø       Micrel launched the MIC2297, a high voltage 40 V PWM Boost Regulator optimized for driving up to 10 LEDs in series.  The device is a 600 KHz PWM boost-switching regulator intended for backlight applications.  It has a guaranteed switch current of 1.2 A; a 2.5 V to 10 V input voltage range; and PWM and DAC brightness control, to ensure a high level of brightness while eliminating several external components.  It is available in a lead-free, 2.5mm x 2.5mm MLF™ -10L packaging option.  [ Press release ]

Ø       National Semiconductor introduced what it says is the world’s smallest backlight LED driver that controls lighting applications in handheld devices, including cellular phones, digital still cameras, gaming devices and MP3 players.  The LP3954 advanced lighting management unit integrates two backlight drivers, a dual RGB LED controller, a Flash LED driver and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) on a single chip.  The integrated, magnetic boost DC-DC converter efficiently drives high current loads over a wide battery voltage range.  The LP3954 is housed in a 36-bump micro SMD lead-free package that measures 3 mm x 3 mm x 0.6 mm.  [ Press release ]

Ø       Supertex introduced the HV9930, a variable frequency PWM controller integrated circuit designed to control an LED lamp using a low noise boost-buck topology, which automatically steps up and steps down the input voltage.  The HV9930 uses patent-pending hysteretic current mode control to regulate both the input and output currents, enabling fast transient response without the need for complex loop compensation and external components.  With a DC input range of 8V to 200V, the HV9930 is suitable for automotive LED lighting and RGB backlight applications for LCD televisions and monitors.  [ Press release ]

Ø       Supertex introduced the CL2, a temperature compensated, two-terminal, constant current LED driver that is trimmed to provide a 20 mA (+/-10%) current at input voltages of 5 to 90 V.  Its wide input range makes it well suited for driving multiple applications with different operating voltages with a single device.  The CL2 can also be used in parallel to provide higher currents in 20mA increments.  The device can be used to drive long LED strings, and is suitable for a wide variety of LED applications, such as automotive lighting, LED signage, industrial lamp indicators, and decorative lighting.  [ Press release ]

Ø       Vishay Intertechnology released two new white LED drivers that are up to 80% efficient during operation in compact handheld and battery-operated electronics.  The SiP12401 boost controller IC uses double-cell NiMH or alkaline and Li-ion batteries to drive white LEDs connected in series for uniformly bright backlighting without the need for ballast resistors.  It supports an input voltage range of 1.8 V to 5.0 V.  The SiP12501 is a boost converter IC for single- or double-cell NiMH or alkaline battery packs, to drive white LEDs connected in parallel.  The SiP12501 accepts input voltages from 0.65 V to 3.3 V and regulates an output current up to 60 mA from a 0.9 V input.  The products are optimized to provide efficient, controlled brightness in applications including white LED backlighting for LCD displays in portable electronics such as cell phones and digital cameras.  [ Press release, News item at NE Asia Online ]

C.   Novel or Interesting LED Applications/Uses

·   LEDs will be used in the facade of a new building at 7 World Trade Center.  A curtain wall, an independently supported outer screen, on the lower floors will include 130,000 prisms, which will be illuminated from within by 220,000 blue and white LEDs at night.  The lights are intended to reflect off the prisms out onto the street.  [ Feature article from the New York Times at VoicesofSept11.org ]

·   Carmanah introduced a LED edge-lit stop sign.  Light from high-flux, ultra-bright LEDs concealed in the sign frame shines vertically through a clear acrylic sheet and refracts outwards through the sign legend to illuminate the sign face.  Carmanah developed the octagonal sign frame, compliant with the U.S. Federal Highways Administration Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), for a city in Texas where eight problem intersections have been identified for trial of illuminated stop signs.  Other locations will be considered after an evaluation of the initial installation.  [ Press release at ThomasNet Industrial Newsroom ]

·   Glide Design (Brooklyn) showed its LED-based TwistTogether Lamp at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York.  The lamp is made up of a series of colorful resin-acrylic blocks that lock together and twist, forming shelving, wall-mounted LED lighting and chandeliers, or stand-alone lamps.  [ Feature article in The Dallas Morning News (registration required) ]

·   LEDtronics released a LED Flashing Chevron Arrow Mat.  The portable, 35-inch by 19.3-inch mat features four reflective chevron arrows with nine red LEDs each; produces a total brightness of 4000 to 5000 cd; and operates for nearly 48 hours on two replaceable AA-cell batteries.  The mat is made of a soft nylon material and includes eight magnets, allowing attachment to metal surfaces.  Possible uses include providing direction; delivery service loading/unloading warning; and road detour or roadside emergency traffic direction.  [ Press release at LEDs Magazine ]

·   Philips has installed what it says are the first LED streetlamps.  The streetlamps use yellow and white LEDs and were installed in the central Dutch town of Ede.  A Reuters news story on the installation was widely published.  [ Reuters News item ]

·   A research group at the University of Michigan has developed prototype light-emitting textile designs using white LEDs, flexible thin-film photovoltaics and polymer batteries in combination with ancient Mesoamerican weaving traditions, for use by the nomadic Huichol (Wirrárica) people of the Mexican Sierra Madre Mountains.  The Nomads & Nano-Materials Project exhibited a community power bag, portable workshop, portable storefront and a reading stool at Nextfest 2005 in Chicago.  The designs are completely self-contained, portable, off-the-grid light engines that can be deployed at a global scale wherever energy-efficient electrical power and illumination are needed.  The Portable Light project, headed by visiting professor Sheila Kennedy, works in collaboration with industry leaders, academic research institutions and MATx, the pioneering materials research unit of Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd. (KVA).  [ Feature article in LEDs Magazine ]

·   Wal-Mart will use LED lighting, among other resource and energy conservation technologies, in prototype superstores in suburban Dallas and Denver.  The new stores are part of a three-year test, with results to be measured by independent auditors from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Natural Renewal Energy Laboratory, who will make their findings public, according to a Wal-Mart spokesperson.  The company will incorporate the prototype's most successful features, including LED lighting, into future stores.  [ Article in Financial Times (subscription required) ]

D.   Market Information

·   Korean LED makers are branching out into markets such as light sources for automobiles, LCD backlight units and commercial lighting systems, according to an article in Korea IT News.  Companies including Seoul Semiconductor, Lumimicro and Daejin are shifting focus as prices for blue and white LEDs used for mobile phones have fallen due to competition from rivals in Taiwan and China.  According to the article, industry observers anticipate that LEDs will be adopted for LCD backlighting earlier than expected, and demand for LEDs used for automotive gauge boards and brake lights will increase by more than 50% annually.  Demand for LEDs for commercial signboards and neon signs is also increasing.  LED manufacturers are thus focusing on high brightness products that can be used for multiple applications.  [ News item at Korea IT News ] 

·   LED backlights will not likely be adopted in large-sized LCDs until 2007 when the price gap between LEDs and CCFLs decreases, according to information from Lite-On Technology reported at Global Sources.  White LEDs for large-sized panel backlight modules are now twice the price of CCFLs, according to the article.  Lite-On began making LEDs for LCD panel backlights this year, with products for 15-in LCD panels still in the design-in stage.  [ News item at Global Sources ]

·   Developments in the use of LEDs for automotive rear lighting were discussed in a feature article in the Boston Globe, "Rear vision:  LED technology is opening new frontiers in the design, manufacturing, and safety of exterior auto lighting," by Royal Ford.  The article discusses the benefits of both rear and forward automotive LED lighting and quotes representatives from Osram Sylvania, maker of the first production model rear LED system, to be used in the 2006 Mercury Mountaineer SUV.  [ Feature article in the Boston Globe ]

·   Topology Research Institute (TRI) has reported that Taiwan-based LED suppliers are the major providers for mobile phone applications.  Taiwan's global market share of blue LED chips may reach at least 15% this year, from 8 to 10% last year, according to Chris Wang, researcher at the Photonics and Semiconductors Research Center at TRI.  The Taiwan LED market is expected to grow 20% year-on-year, significantly less than last year's 37% growth rate, likely the result of lower volume shipments for mobile phones, according to the report.  [ News item at EETimes Asia ]

·   Taiwan LED makers are eying new market segments, such as LEDs for 15- and 17-inch monitor-panel backlighting, in order to boost their margins, according to a Unity Opto official quoted in DigiTimes.  Oversupply and increased competition have caused prices for handset keypad-use blue LEDs to decrease by an average of 50% annually over the past five years, to NT$0.6, down from about NT$20 in 2000.  At the same time, competition from China has increased: production of handset-use blue LED chips in China jumped 225% on year in 2004, according to Photonics Industry & Technology Development Association (PIDA).  [ News item in DigiTimes (subscription required) ]

E.   Overview Articles

·   The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a feature on LEDs in mainstream applications.  The article, "A bright future," by Jeff Nesmith and Robin Roger, quotes Fred Schubert (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) and retailers at local hardware and sporting goods stores.  Increased battery life was the feature retailers mentioned as desirable in LED vs conventional flashlights.  [ Article]

·   Compound Semiconductor Magazine published a feature article on the implications of recent IP litigation and cross-licensing agreements titled, "Rising patent awards hint at a future increase in litigation," by Michael Hatcher.  The article discusses consolidation in the Asian LED industry, increases in use of litigation as a business tool, and more.  The article quotes a patent-law specialist who has suggested that while one part of the IP wall relating to LEDs may be crumbling, more lawsuits are inevitable as the solid-state lighting industry grows in size, and litigation becomes a more attractive business tool.  [ Feature article ]

·   Compound Semiconductor Magazine discusses LED manufacturing using larger substrates.    According to the article, "Manufacturers are wary over push for larger substrates," by Richard Stevenson, companies such as Honeywell are moving toward 100 mm sapphire substrates in order to reduce production costs, while executives at Arima say they see no advantage to the larger size.  According to David Reid, Honeywell's product line manager for the sapphire group, larger substrates reduce production costs through more efficient use of gas, and decrease the overall substrate-handling time.  The company sells a significant proportion of its substrates to Taiwan manufacturers, but many companies there still use old reactors and 2-inch substrates.  [ Feature article ]

·   According to an article in Forbes, “Hit 'Em Where It Hurts: Fed up with Asian knockoffs -- and justice -- some companies have decided to sue, in America,” companies such as Nichia are increasingly filing patent infringement lawsuits in U.S. courts.  Lawsuits against U.S. retailers which sell infringing products made in Asia may prove more fruitful than suits filed in Asian courts against the offending manufacturers themselves, according to the article, since the retailers will respond by pressuring manufacturers to get a license and pay royalties.  Asian courts have failed to prevent manufacturers from continuing to make pirated products.  [ Article ]

·   LEDs in Remote Areas / Developing Nations:

Ø       The use of white LEDs for illumination is well-suited to developing nations, where access to electricity is scarce or intermittent, according to an article in Science, "The Specter of Fuel-Based Lighting."  Evan Mills of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory writes that white LED systems are the most cost-effective solution for off-grid applications, and estimates that solar-powered white LEDs could appear on the market for $25 without need for subsidy.  The annual fuel saving for each lantern is on the order of a month's income for the poorest one billion people of the world, who often subsist on less than $1 a day.  [ Press release, abstract (subscription required) ]

Ø       The use of solid-state lighting for illumination in remote Canadian communities was discussed in an article in the Tyee, "Lighting up BC's Dark Interior."  Technology developed by Light Up The World Foundation, along with aid from the Pembina Institute, a not-for-profit organization dealing with sustainable energy sources, and a grant from the Canadian government's Natural Resources Office of Energy Efficiency, was used in a pilot project in Xeni Gwet'in First Nation community.  White LED lamps were directly connected to the existing battery-powered phone system in homes in the Chilcotin region.  [ Feature article ]

·   Lighting options for India are discussed in an editorial in the Economic Times (India), "Can we switch over to CFL lighting?" The article notes that LED lamps could play an important role in remote, rural areas where there is no reliable source of electricity.  The editorial also recommends that India conduct more LED R&D and move toward manufacturing its own LEDs, as they now must be imported.  Bangalore Electricity Supply Company is encouraging customers to use compact fluorescent lamps, although efficient liquid fuel-based mantle lamps are also important, according to the article.  [ Editorial ]

·   Thrive, an NGO in Hyderabad, India, plans to install solar-powered LED lighting in 10 remote villages in Visakhapatnam and Adilabad districts, according to a May 16^th article, “LEDs offer a bright future to forest villages.”  Local youth have been trained in the installation and repair of the LED lighting systems for the villages, which do not have power supplies.  Thrive, which has a technology centre at Chintapalli in Nalgonda district, will implement the project in collaboration with the respective district administrations.  [ Article at newindpress.com (registration required) ]

·   LEDs Magazine Review published a feature article on criteria the lighting community can use to evaluate LED lighting, "LEDs for general illumination: energy codes, lumens per watt, and other lighting criteria," by Jeffrey Schwartz of ICF Consulting.  The article includes a sidebar on the ENERGY STAR program, and discusses lumen maintenance, correlated color temperature, color rendering, glare control and more.  [ Feature article (subscription required) ]

·   LED Monthly published an interview with Sidney Chu, business development manager at Cotco.  In the article "White Light at the End of the LED Tunnel?", Chu discusses patent issues, market opportunities such as backlighting, and progress in cost and brightness.  [ Feature article ]

·   LIGHTimes reports from a recent conference -- “Phosphor Technology Discussions Highlighted at Blue 2005.”   Dr. Christopher J. Summers, CEO of Phosphortech, spoke on non-proprietary phosphor solutions for white LEDs.  Dr. Yi-Qun Li, director of research and development at Intematix, discussed Intematix's technology and method for rapid phosphor discovery.  [ News item ] 

·   Nikkei Electronics Asia published an overview of LED technology, "LEDs to Outshine Florescent Lamps," in its July 2005 issue.  The article suggests that LED and light manufacturers are increasingly confident that the first practical lighting systems using white LEDs will appear in 2005 or 2006.  The article discusses recent developments at Toyoda Gosei, Koizumi Sangyo Corporation of Japan, Nichia, Seiwa Electric, Matsushita Electric, Rohm, and Toshiba Lighting.  It also quotes representatives from Citizen Electronics and Lumileds Lighting Japan.  White LED brightness, color rendering, efficiency, price parity, and markets are discussed.  [ Feature article ]

·   Physics World published a feature article, "The solid-state lighting revolution," by Nadarajah Narendran, director of research at the RPI Lighting Research Center, in its July 2005 issue.  The article gives an overview of progress in solid-state lighting toward general illumination applications.  [ Feature article (subscription required) ]

·   Powering white LEDs is discussed in a feature article in Planet Analog, "Wide-input voltage SEPIC drives high-power white LEDs," by Keith Szolusha of Linear Technology.  The article discusses the wide input voltage range that batteries present, and offers possible solutions to keep the LED current constant for constant luminosity.  [ Feature article ]

·   RPI researchers E. Fred Schubert and Jong Kyu Kim describe research currently under way to transform lighting into "smart" lighting, with benefits expected in such diverse fields as medicine, transportation, communications, imaging, and agriculture, in a review article in Science. "Solid-State Light Sources Getting Smart" details ways in which the ability to control basic light properties will allow “smart” light sources to adjust to specific environments and requirements and to undertake entirely new functions that are not possible with incandescent or fluorescent lighting.  [ News item in PhysOrg.com, abstract (subscription required)]

·   Small Times discusses LED lighting in a feature article in, "Flashes of brilliance: Creative strategists say you must strike twice - at least - to succeed in energy markets," by David Forman.  The article mentions marketing efforts at Veeco, energy savings in China, and more.  [ Feature article ]

·   Other Overviews:

Ø       The increasing use of LEDs for large video displays was discussed in a feature article, entitled, “Public displays of perfection,” in Amusement Business.  The design, manufacture and sale of large-scale LED video systems in the entertainment facility and event business is "fairly frantic," according to the article.  [ Feature article in Amusement Business (No URL available) ]

Ø       Military and Aerospace Electronics published an article on "How to predict failure mechanisms in LED and laser diodes," by Miky Lee and Craig Hillman, of DfR Solutions, and Duksoo Kim of Samsung ElectroMechanics.  The article is intended for the military and avionics reliability engineer with little experience in optoelectronic technology.  [ Article in Military and Aerospace Electronics ]

Ø       The use of LEDs in trucks was reviewed in a feature article, “What's new in: LEDs,” in Fleet Owner magazine.  The article, which mentions products from Truck-Lite and Grote Industries, notes that white LEDs for interior truck and trailer illumination have become brighter and more affordable.  [ Feature article in Fleet Owner magazine ]

Ø       The use of LEDs in machine vision was discussed in a feature article, “LEDs in machine vision applications,” by Nick Trevis of Lambda Photometrics, in LEDs Magazine.  Machine vision requires adequate and controllable intensity and that the light is very uniform over the area of interest, since machine vision cameras are not as sensitive as the human eye.  LEDs are now used to illuminate the subject in virtually all machine vision applications, according to the author.  [ Feature article in LEDs Magazine ]

Ø       Recent improvements in flat-panel displays are discussed in a feature article in EE Times, "Flat panels drive display development," by Spencer Chin.  The article mentions developments at Lumileds and Supertex.  [ Feature article in EE Times ]

Ø       oemagazine's August issue contains a tutorial, "Lighting by Design: Solid-state lighting requires specialized optical design for optimal performance," by David Pelka of Tailored Optics Inc. [ Article ]

Ø       Developments in solar-powered LED lighting were discussed in a feature article in LEDs Magazine.  The article,  "The case for solar-powered LED lighting," by Moneer Azzam of SolarOne Solutions, compares the emergence of light fixtures that do not need to be tied to the electrical grid to the advent of the cellular phone.  [ Feature article at LEDs Magazine ]

Ø       Lighting designer Lain Ruxton of Speirs & Major Associates discusses adoption of LEDs in architectural markets in a feature article in LEDs Magazine, "LEDs find their niche in architectural lighting.”  Ruxton says LEDs are "still a bit of a gimmick," but agrees the technology has great potential once lifetime issues and other problems are solved.  [ Feature article in LEDs Magazine ]

F.   Research Results

·   Research at Cermet and Georgia Tech on production of phosphorless white LEDs by applying GaN to a ZnO substrate is discussed in an article in Compound Semiconductor Magazine, "Fluorescent substrate offers route to phosphor-free LEDs," by Jeff Nause of Cermet.  The article reviews the team's research, partly funded by DOE, on doped ZnO substrates, which offer better lattice-matching between the epilayer and substrate and make new device configurations feasible.  The aim of the project is to integrate large-area ZnO fluorescent substrates with state-of-the-art, lattice-matched nitride epitaxy to address the various technological limitations of current approaches to solid-state lighting.  [ Feature article in Compound Semiconductor Magazine ]

·   Kyoto University (Japan) physicists have shown that they can manipulate the spontaneous emission of light in photonic crystals, possibly enabling improvements in the performance of LEDs, lasers and solar cells.  Susumu Noda and colleagues found a way to both reduce spontaneous emission and extract it as useful light by using a 2D photonic crystal structure made from a GaInAsP slab that contained tiny air holes arranged in a triangular lattice pattern.  The research results were reported as "Simultaneous Inhibition and Redistribution of Spontaneous Light Emission in Photonic Crystals," by M. Fujita, S. Takahashi, Y. Tanaka, T. Asano, and S. Noda, in Science (308, 1296).  [ News item at PhysicsWeb.org, abstract ] 

·   Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed the first completely inorganic, multi-color LEDs based on colloidal quantum dots encapsulated in a GaN semiconductor.  The work represents a new "hybrid" approach, using a novel type of color-selectable nanoemitters, colloidal quantum dots, and making use of emerging GaN manufacturing technologies.  The team's technique allows electrical connection to the quantum dots by using a beam of energetic, neutral nitrogen atoms for growing GaN films.  The technique, called ENABLE (for Energetic Neutral Atom Beam Lithography/Epitaxy), allows for the low-temperature encapsulation of nanocrystals in semiconducting GaN without adversely affecting their luminescence properties.  By encapsulating one nanocrystal layer or two layers of nanocrystals of different sizes, the researchers have demonstrated that their LEDs can emit light of either a single color or two different colors.  Daniel Koleske of Sandia National Laboratories provided the GaN substrates used for the LED structures.  Research results were published as "Multicolor Light-Emitting Diodes Based on Semiconductor Nanocrystals Encapsulated in GaN Charge Injection Layers," by A. H. Mueller et al., in Nano Letters.  [ LANL Press release, News item at CompoundSemiconductor.net, abstract ]

·   Researchers from National Cheng Kung University and We-Fung Institute of Technology (Taiwan) have fabricated vertical-structured GaN-based LEDs using nickel electroplating and patterned laser lift-off, creating devices with more than twice the output power of a standard LED.  The team addressed issues both with current crowding and with sapphire's poor thermal and electrical conductivity by using a patterned laser lift-off technique to simultaneously define the device area and separate the GaN epilayer from the sapphire substrate.  Research results were published as "Use of patterned laser liftoff process and electroplating nickel layer for the fabrication of vertical-structured GaN-based light-emitting diodes," by Shui-Jinn Wang et al., in Applied Physics Letters 87, 011111 (2005). [ News item at CompoundSemiconductor.net, abstract ]

·   Researchers at the National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan) have found the first single-material white phosphor, a zinc gallophosphate laced with nanoscale pores.
The material was made by mildly heating the raw inorganic ingredients in water and ethylene glycol.  The white light seems to stem from blue fluorescence in highly ordered regions of the material, combined with yellow emission where it is more disordered.  The research was published as "Direct White Light Phosphor: A Porous Zinc Gallophosphate with Tunable Yellow-to-White Luminescence" by Yueh-Chun Liao, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 9986-9987 (2005).  [ News item in Nature (subscription required), abstract]

·   Researchers from Samsung Research and Development Center and Kookmin University (Korea) have devised a relatively simple method of making arrays of nanoscale LEDs.  The researchers made a highly ordered array of millions of nano-scale lamps by forming a template of nanoscale holes and filling it with organic semiconductor materials.  Each lamp in the moth-eye array is 220 nanometers in diameter.  The researchers' prototypes are made from organic materials, but the method could also be used to make inorganic LEDs, according to the researchers.  The team expects that it will be five to ten years before the nanoscale light-emitting diodes could be ready for practical use.  The work appeared in the March 7, 2005 issue of Optics Express as "Nanohole-Templated Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Fabricated Using Laser-Interfering Lithography: Moth-Eye Lighting." [ News item in Technology Research News, abstract ]

·   Sharp Laboratories of Europe has demonstrated room temperature continuous wave operation of violet laser diodes fabricated by MBE.  The devices, which are being developed to comply with the Blu-ray DVD standard,  are of the quantum well type and were designed to emit at 405nm.  They were grown on GaN substrates with a low dislocation density.  The first CW devices operated at room temperature with a threshold current of 125mA, corresponding to a threshold current density of 5.7kAcm^-2, and an operating voltage of 8.6V.  Initial devices operate continuously for several minutes without degradation.  Research results were published in Electronics Letters, 41(13) June 23, 2005.  [ Press release ]

G.   Selected Events of Interest

·   Highlights of the BLUE 2005 conference were published in LIGHTimes and DigiTimes.  The conference, held May 16-18, 2005, in Hsinchu, Taiwan, included discussion of IP issues, financial markets, national solid-state lighting programs and emerging technologies and applications.  [ Article in LIGHTimes, News item in DigiTimes (subscription required) ]

·   The CIE midterm meeting (May 12-17, 2005, Leon, Spain) included presentations on emerging LED applications; measurement and calibration methods; and color rendering of white LED sources.  CIE Division 2's existing technical committee progressed the subject of optical measurement of LED clusters, and Division 1 began to draw up the terms of reference for conspicuity models of flashing lights.  Division 4 is assembling a new technical committee to address the use of LEDs in visual signaling.  [ News item in LEDs Magazine ]

·   Strategies Unlimited, in cooperation with Adams Harkness, announced "Bright Ideas 2005: The High-Brightness LED Industry Investor Conference.”  The second annual investor conference dedicated to the high-brightness LED industry will be held Nov. 2, 2005.  The conference will provide the investor community with an update on the growth potential, business outlook and investment opportunities in the HB-LED industry.  [ Press release ]

H.   Government Funding News and Opportunities

·   Applied NanoWorks received funding from New York State Energy Research & Development Agency (NYSERDA) for a $250,000 project aimed at improving the brightness of the company's line of non-toxic nano-phosphors for the white LED and general lighting markets.  The funding will help Applied NanoWorks bring to market in commercial volumes a material which does not contain the heavy metals typically found in phosphors. [ Press release ]

·   Shenzhen,China, started work on the country's largest LED base, which is expected to have an output value of 100 billion yuan (US$12 billion) in five years.  The 3-square-kilometer facility is located at the Guangming Hi-Tech Park in Bao'an District, and will have an initial investment of 3 billion yuan and 20 billion yuan in three to five years.  Shenzhen already has three state-level bases: a national software industry base, export-oriented software base and IC base.  The LED project was inspired by Shenzhen's leading semiconductor LED industry, according to officials.  Products will include LEDs for household lighting, auto and urban lighting, traffic lights and large displays.  [ News item from Shenzhen Daily at ChinaView.cn ]

·   At the conference BLUE 2005, Wu Ling, general secretary of China Solid State Lighting Alliance, estimated that lighting applications use 12% of the electricity generated in mainland China, which was 2.187 trillion kWh in 2004.  If energy efficiency of LEDs reaches 150 lm/W by 2015 and LED lighting is used for 25% of the country's lighting market need, China can expect to save each year approximately 100 billion kWh, she said.  [ News item in LIGHTimes ]

·   Countries such as Japan and Taiwan are leaders in broadband deployment because of committed government investment and the United States will continue to fall seriously behind unless investment dollars are increased, according to Arpad Bergh, president of the Optoelectronics Industry Development Association.  Bergh spoke at the CLEO/QELS and PhAST conference in May in Baltimore.  He discussed how the convergence of communications, computers, and consumer electronics will lead to new optoelectronics markets and a surge in LED and sensor demand for cell phones, optical data storage, optical interconnects, and flat-panel displays.  Shuji Nakamura of the University of California at Santa Barbara also spoke, addressing solid-state lighting for energy-efficient illumination.  [ News item at Laser Focus World ]

·   DOE's "Exceptional Circumstances Determination" regarding intellectual property issues for its Core Technology Research program was discussed in articles in Compound Semiconductor and LIGHTimes.  The articles highlight the move's ramifications for small companies and non-profit groups such as universities.  The resolution is intended to accelerate the market introduction of SSL in the U.S.  [ News item at Compound Semiconductor; News item and commentary at LIGHTimes, memorandum ]

·   In August 2005, the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005, with several provisions for solid-state lighting, passed Congress and was signed into law.  The bill authorizes the formation of the Next Generation Lighting Initiative (NGLI), which supports R&D, demonstration, and commercial application activities related to advancing SSL technologies based on white LEDs.  The bill designates up to $50 million for NGLI programs for each of the fiscal years 2007 through 2009 (sec. 912, p. 818 and pp. 820-825), with extended authorization of $50 million for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2013 (see reference to section 912 in section 911(d), p. 819).  The bill also directs DOE to carry out a program of fundamental research on SSL, in support of the NGLI (sec. 975, "Solid State Lighting," p. 961).  The $12.3 billion bipartisan bill represents a compromise between previous versions of the bill, which had been in the works for several years.  [ Full text of bill ( PDF ); also available at http://thomas.loc.gov/, News item at MarketWatch ]

·   Group IV Semiconductor (Ottawa) received funding from Sustainable Development Technology Canada to use a silicon thin-film process to develop a solid-state light bulb suitable in terms of performance and price for the mass market.  The project was one of 15 "clean technology" projects to receive a total of $43.4 million.  [ Press release ]

·   Kolkata, India , plans to install solar LED streetlights, making it the first metropolitan area in the country to do so.  The 20-W imported LEDs will be installed along a 5-km stretch in Salt Lake and Kolkata, with an initial project cost of Rs 2.5 million.  The West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA) will cover half the cost.  [ News item from Kolkata Scoop ]

·   The National Research Council Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (NRC-CPFC) in Ottawa, Canada, was opened.  The $43 million facility is a partnership between NRC and Carleton University to support growth of the Canadian photonics sector.  It offers companies, universities, and other institutions access to fabrication services to develop leading edge photonic devices.  The Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario contributed $30 million and $13 million, respectively, to the capital cost of the building and leading edge equipment.  NRC will assume the operating costs of the new facility.  [ Press release ]

·   Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute marked the opening of the Center for Future Energy Systems, a New York State Center for Advanced Technology.  The new $20 million research center, in partnership with Cornell University and Brookhaven National Laboratory, seeks to meet the energy challenges of the 21st century by focusing on innovation in and commercialization of energy conservation and renewable energy systems, including "smart lighting.”  Future research priorities will track new scientific developments and marketplace opportunities.  Rensselaer has been awarded up to $10 million in state funds through New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research to create the center, in partnership with Cornell University and the Brookhaven National Laboratory.  Rensselaer has a goal of matching the state funds with an additional $10 million or more in industry and federal support for its energy research.  [ Press release ]