Topic:  Industry Application Recently, SemiLEDs, a market leader in LED lighting with proprietary technology releases its new-generation, high-brightness, low voltage LEDs designed for battery powered mobile applications. It’s disclosed these new GaN based LEDs available in Blue, Green colors feature extremely low operation voltage, normally below 3V for standard current density, resulting in much longer battery life for mobile appliance applications such as flash for cameras, back light for notebook computer, small cell phone and PDA screens…. .. Read more

Topic:  Industry It’s reported that Ultratech, Inc., a leading supplier of lithography and laser-processing systems used to manufacture semiconductor devices, announced it received a multiple-system order from U.S.-based SemiLEDs Corp., a leading supplier of high-brightness, laser-emitting diodes (HBLEDs).
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Topic:  Industry On October 1, 2008, Korea Intellectual Property Tribunal ("KIPT") ruled that a patent, related to LED element, (Patent # KP 491482, hereinafter "'482 patent") owned by Nichia Corporation ("Nichia) is invalid based on lack of inventiveness.
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Topic:  Industry It’s reported that Lite-On Technology Corp., a world leading supplier of mobile keypads, is venturing into the LEDchip market by investing US$10 million in SemiLEDs Corp., a U.S. producer of high-power LED chips.
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Topic:  Application Lite-On Technology is confident that about 15% of new notebooks will feature LED backlights, according to company CEO KC Terng, despite that some industry players believe the penetration rate of LED-backlit notebooks will be lower than previously expected in the short term. Quote:  Lite-On Technology is confident that about 15% of new notebooks will feature LED backlights, according to company CEO KC Terng, despite that some industry players believe the penetration rate of LED-backlit notebooks will be lower than previously expected in the short term.

Terng noted that panel customers are still urging Lite-On for LED shipments, implying that demand from the notebook segment is still solid. He anticipated that about 15% of new notebooks shipped in 2008 will be LED backlit, adding that substantial market growth should be seen in 2009.

Terng revealed that shipments to a single customer averages at about 7-8 million units and the company currently has two customers in the LED-backlit notebook segment, with sales contribution from each exceeding NT$25 million (US$794,050) per month.

Terng commented that the aggressive expansion by fellow LED makers in 2008 is a negative factor in the near term, since massive capacity expansion drags down average selling prices (ASPs). But Lite-On is conservative over its own expansion and will not be seriously impacted by the industry trend, he emphasized.

However, given that leading player Nichia has taken an aggressive path in its deployment in top-view LEDs, Terng said Lite-On is seeing ASP pressure in this segment and has adjusted its strategy by pursuing other orders.

In related news, Lite-On has also approved plans to invest US$10 million at US-based high-performance LED (HPLED) maker SemiLEDs to build a strategic alliance. Terng pointed out that the alliance frees Lite-On from any patent issues related to HPLEDs as the metallo-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) equipment that SemiLEDs uses is different to that of its rivals. News Source:  Digitimes