2021-08-12

Skytech Becomes Epistar’s Supplier of ALD Equipment for Mini/Micro LED Production

Skytech managed to overcome challenges in developing advanced semiconductor equipment and developed an atomic deposition layer (ALD) instrument, becoming the first Taiwanese equipment supplier that achieved “mass production” of ALD thin-film solutions. With its ALD equipment being verified and adopted by Epistar, Skytech has contributed to Epistar’s endeavor to promote commercialized applications of LED technologies. Founded in 2002, Skytech is a major supplier of critical semiconductor components in Taiwan. In 2017, the company started to invest in...
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2021-01-07

Ennostar Inc. Officially Established and Listed Today

Ennostar Incorporation (hereinafter referred to as "Ennostar"), a joint venture between Epistar Corporation (former stock code 2448, hereinafter referred to as "Epistar") and Lextar Electronics (former stock code 3698, hereinafter referred to as "Lextar") through share swap, is formally established today (January 6, 2021) and listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange with the stock code 3714. The company strives to be the best transnational investment platform of the compound semiconductor industry. Focusing on the rapid development of mini/micro L...
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2020-09-21

Sanan to Supply Mini LED Chips to Apple? TrendForce: Patent is Still the Key

It was reported today on September 21 that Chinese LED chip manufacturer Sanan Optoelectronics has progressed faster than expected with its Mini LED chip development and might begin to supply its product to Apple’s iPad Pro and MacBook in 2021. If Sanan joins the supply chain with lower price, the business of Epistar, the Taiwan-based LED supplier who is reportedly the major Mini LED chip supplier of Apple, may be impacted. However, TrendForce said that Sanan has yet made its way into the Apple supply chain and the low price may not be the first priori...
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2020-09-21

Merge of Epistar and Lextar Delayed as the Case Still under Review of the Chinese Antitrust Authorities

Taiwan based LED companies Epistar and Lextar announced that the share conversion date of their new holding company ENNOSTAR will be delayed. The two companies originally set the date on October 20, 2020 to convert shares of both company and list ENNOSTAR. But since the case has yet pass the review procedure of the Chinese antitrust authorities, the share conversion date is now rescheduled to January 6, 2021. (Image: Pixabay) Epistar and Lextar announced that they are establishing a new holding company through share swapping with the aim to integrate reso...
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2020-09-03

Epistar, Lextar and AUO to Leverage Their Expertise to Expand Micro/Mini LED Business through Collaboration with Big Brands

Mini LED backlight display technology is going to be adopted by Apple and Samsung for tablets and TVs launching next year. Meanwhile, we have seen several Micro LED technology breakthroughs recently with AUO, PlayNitride and ITRI showcasing their prototypes for innovative applications. To speed up Micro/Mini LED display technology, integration within the supply chain is a major strategy recognized by industry players. Epistar and Lextar, the two Taiwan-based LED chip manufacturers, are merging with the aim to leverage their expertise and avoid duplicated ...
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2020-08-26

Taiwan-based Supply Chain Equipped for Upcoming Mini LED Display Applications

2021 is expected to be the year that Mini LED will illuminate the display market. Apple is getting ready to launch the new iPad Pro featuring Mini LED backlight display and Samsung will probably debut new high end TV portfolio based on the technology. Recently a Korean media added that Samsung might produce about 2 million units of Mini LED backlit TV next year. With all the upcoming Mini LED display applications, the supply chain in Taiwan covering LED manufacturers and panel makers who have been dedicating to improving the display technology based on mini...
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2020-08-21

FitTech Expects Revenue Growth in 2021 with Booming Mini LED Applications

LED testing and sorting equipment manufacturer FitTech held investor conference yesterday (August 20, 2020) and announced that in order to meet the demand of Mini LED chip process from its clients, the company will expand its capacity in 4Q20. The expansion is expected to finish in the second quarter of 2021 and will be a major growing momentum for FitTech. (Image: FitTech) Being part of the Mini LED backlight technology supply chain, FitTech provides LED testing equipment for Epistar, who is known for the major Mini LED chip supplier for Apple’s ...
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2020-08-10

Epistar Announces Board of Directors of the New Holding Company ENNOSTAR

On August 7, LED companies Epistar and Lextar held an extraordinary shareholders meeting to pass the share conversion of both companies to the new holding company, ENNOSTAR. The members of the board of directors, supervisors and chairman of ENNOSTAR were also elected. As expected, Epistar holds three seats in the board of directors, Lextar takes one seat and its parent company AUO gets one seat as well. The members of the board of director include Biing-Jye Lee, Chairman of Epistar; Chin-Yung Fan, President of Epistar; Shih-Shien Chang, Vice P...
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2020-07-28

Mini LED Backlight Applications to Drive Demands for Chips

Mini LED backlight products are expect to bring a revolution to the display market with driving momentum from leading brands including Apple and Samsung. The two companies are reportedly launching Mini LED backlight tablets and TVs in the coming months or next year, which will bring up demands for Mini LED chips. LED chips suppliers from Taiwan and China are seeing a surging demands for Mini LED chips in the second half of 2020. Taiwan-based Epistar has been preparing its Mini LED capacity for Apple and will be ready to begin shipment in September. E...
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2020-07-10

New Holding Company of Epistar and Lextar Named ENNOSTAR

Epistar and Lextar, the two LED companies in Taiwan said that they are forming a new holding company via share conversion with the aim to strengthen Micro LED and Mini LED display technology and business. The new holding company is now named ENNOSTAR, revealed Epistar in its announcement following the agreement of both companies. The share conversion ratios of two companies are set at one share of Epistar for 0.5 ordinary share of ENNOSTAR, and one share of Lextar for 0.275 ordinary share. An extra ordinary shareholders meeting and the promoter’...
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2020-06-23

Apple’s Mini LED iPad Supply Chain Reportedly Include Epistar, TSMT and LG Display

Apple’s rumored Mini LED backlight based iPad Pro is said to use display supplied by LG display and chips from Epistar. The LCD module will be assembled by Taiwan’s TSMT and the whole iPad Pro will be completed by Foxconn, reported TheElec, a Korean media. The report also noted that the 12.9-inch Mini LED iPad Pro is in trial production and is scheduled to launch the earliest in 4Q20. (Image: Pixabay) Since Micro LED technology still encounters manufacture difficulties and can hardly commercialize, the progress of Mini LED beco...
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2020-06-19

Apple as Nudge to Epistar and Lextar Merge?

Taiwanese LED chip maker Epistar and Lextar are going to form a new holding company, aiming to intensify its growing momentum in next-gen display technologies Mini LED and Micro LED. LEDinside noticed that Apple, who is reportedly launching Mini LED-based products, could be a nudge that lead to the alliance of Epistar and Lextar. Rumors of Apple to release several Mini LED backlight technology adopted products including a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, a 14.1-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2020 and 2021 have been going on since last year. Epistar, the Taiwan com...
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2020-06-19

Epistar and Lextar to Jointly Establish New Holding Company to Accelerate Mini/Micro LED Development

Two Taiwan-based LED companies, Epistar and Lextar, announced yesterday (June 18) that they will jointly set up a new holding company via share conversion. Through the collaboration, the two companies aim to integrate their resource and focus on their expertise to speed Mini LED and Micro LED technology development. For the new holding company, Epistar and Lextar will swap one share for 0.5 and 0.275 shares respectively. The share swap is scheduled to be completed on October 20, 2020. Once the new holding company is listed upon the share swap date, both Epistar a...
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2020-06-03

Epistar Addresses Back-end Manufacture Process of Mini LED with Its Expanded Investment

Mini LED display technology is on its way to break into the mainstream market with several products including laptops and gaming monitors officially debuted. Apple’s rumored Mini LED-based iPad and Macbook are also expected to show up in the second half of 2020. In addition, leading TV brands are said to launch high-end 8K TVs with Mini LED backlight technology. Epistar, the Taiwan-based LED chip maker, is believed to be benefitted from the increasing demands for Mini LED. Aiming to fulfill the surging Mini LED display applications, Epistar has in...
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2020-06-03

EPISTAR Files Second U.S. Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Lowe’s

EPISTAR Corporation, a leading innovator and manufacturer of LED solid-state lighting technologies, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Lowe’s Companies, Inc. and Lowe’s Home Centers, LLC (collectively “Lowe’s”) in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas Waco Division on May 22, 2020. The complaint asserts that GE LED filament bulbs sold by Lowe’s infringe several EPISTAR patents and seeks damages and injunctive relief to halt further sale of the infringing products. EPIS...
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2020-05-26

Epistar to Deliver over 680 Billion LED Units for Mini LED Display Applications in 2020

LED chip supplier Epistar said that it is seeing surging demands for Mini LED display and fine-pitch display. With its mature miniaturized LED technology, the company is expecting to ship about 689.2 billion units of LED chip in 2020. Epistar is reportedly supplying Apple for the coming Mini LED-based iPad Pro and MacBook. The Taiwan-based chip maker has increased its investment for capacity expansion and turned 95% of its blue LED capacity in Taiwan into Mini LED production to meet the demands of Apple products. Despite that Epistar has already pro...
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2020-05-11

Apple Reportedly Partners Epistar and AUO to Strengthen Micro/Mini LED Technology at Its New Facility in Taiwan

Apple has begun construction of its new facility in Taiwan since last year and LEDinside covered the progress of the building in November 2019. Now the iPhone maker was said to develop innovative display technologies, Micro LED and Mini LED, with its partners in Taiwan, Epistar and AUO, according Taiwanese media, Economic Daily. (Apple's new facility in Taoyuan, Taiwan) The facility is said to be focus on Micro LED and Mini LED technology for iPhone or iPad display applications. As the facility is built within the Longtan Science Park under...
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2020-04-28

Mini LED Supply Chain Sees Positive Sign amid COVID-19 Crisis

Leading laptop and PC makers including MSI, Acer, ASUS and Lenovo are launching products adopting Mini LED technology. The technology is also believed to be seen on the new Apple iPad Pro and MacBook Pro coming in the second half of 2020. With more products using Mini LED entering the market, many hold a positive attitude toward the supply chain. (Image: Pixabay) For Mini LED chip manufacture, Taiwan’s Epistar has expanded its Mini LED production capacity with increased capital expenditures. The new capacity is scheduled to be ready by th...
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2020-04-07

MSI’s Mini LED Laptop to Launch, Warming up the Market for Mini LED Applications

At CES 2020, Taiwan-based laptop manufacturer MSI introduced its notebook product adopting Mini LED backlit display, Creator 17. The Mini LED laptop with 4K UHD resolution will be launched on April 15, 2020 at US$ 1799. Creator 17 is a 17.3 inch laptop with Mini LED backlit display, achieving a resolution of 4K and a brightness of 1,000 nits based on the 240 dimming zones. With the launch of the Mini LED laptop, many LED manufacturers are looking forward to a booming market for the display technology. (Image: MSI) Consumer products adoptin...
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2020-03-16

Taiwan LED Makers to Outpace in Mini LED Production with Less Impacted Production Capacities

LED suppliers in Taiwan are seizing their opportunity in Mini LED with their production capacities in Taiwan which are less impacted by the coronavirus epidemic and free from tariffs. With Apple reportedly to launch iPad and MacBook based on Mini LED backlight technology, many expect that demands for Mini LED will surge. Seeing the trends, industry players in Taiwan believes that they can take the advantages in both technology development and production. Many Taiwan-based companies own capacity in Taiwan, China and also other countries. Since the trade disp...
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2020-03-11

EPISTAR Wins Patent Infringement Lawsuit against Lowe’s on LED Filament Bulbs

Taiwan-based LED chip maker EPISTAR announced that it has received a remarkable ruling on LED filament bulbs in the patent litigation against Lowe’s. On February 11, 2020, the United States District Court for the Central District of California granted summary judgment of infringement against Lowe’s Home Center (Lowe’s). (Image: EPISTAR) The summary judgment order found that the accused Lowe’s LED bulbs infringed claims 1-3 and 8 of United States Patent No. 7,560,738 (’738 Patent), which is entitled “Ligh...
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2020-03-06

Samsung Includes Epistar for Micro LED Chip Supply

Samsung has added Epistar, the Taiwan based LED chip provider, as a supplier of Micro LED chips to diversity its supply chain, reported Korean media, TheElec. (Image: Samsung) The report said that Samsung included Epistar to its Micro LED supply chain to secure its promise for launching Micro LED TVs in the second half of 2020. Samsung revealed its Micro LED TV lineup earlier this year at CES 2020. The company aims to debut four sizes Micro LED TVs covering 75 inches, 88 inches 93 inches and 110 inches to the market in Europe, North Ameri...
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2020-03-03

Seeing High Demands in Mini LED, Epistar Increases Production Capacity

Despite that the world spreading coronavirus epidemic seems to lead to economic decline, LED chip maker Epistar still sees growing demands for Mini LED and has decided to increase capital expenditure to expand capacity for Mini LED chip production. As one of the first Mini LED chip maker, Taiwan-based Epistar has been progressing its Mini LED development for years and began to collaborate with several clients to build Mini LED backlit notebooks, monitors and TVs. As the clients are ready to launch the new products, Epistar is expecting blooming demands fo...
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2020-02-24

LED Industry Players Continue to Focus on Mini LED Applications

Display applications adopting Mini LED technology is expected to bloom in 2020 following the rumors of Apple releasing Mini LED based iPad and MacBook this year. Since last year, related players in the industry are pushing production and development of Mini LED backlight as well as Mini LED RGB displays. (Image: Pixabay) Chip producer Epistar reported that its plans for Mini LED backlight products production and shipment will be process as scheduled, despite the ongoing coronavirus epidemic. Epistar has expanded its capacity in Taiwan for Mini LED...
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2020-01-09

【CES 2020】China Companies Demonstrate Micro LED Displays Backed by Taiwan Supply Chain

CES 2020 gathered more than 170,000 attendees with 4500 companies and 1100 industry experts presenting their latest technologies and insights of the industry. Apart from the Micro LED displays demonstrated by Japan and Korea technology giant, LEDinside found that Chinese packagers, display makers and TV brands also presents their developments in Mini LED and Micro LED, attracting visitors coming from all over the world. Several of the exhibits are supported by technologies of Taiwanese companies including Epistar and EVERLIGHT. Konka The Micr...
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2020-01-02

GCS Holdings Cancels Partnership with Sanan and Turns to Epistar for RF and Optoelectronic Component Development

Semiconductor wafer foundry GCS Holding revealed that it has withdrawn the joint venture plan with Sanan Optoelectronics and turned to Epistar to work together on RFIT and optoelectronic components. Considering the current global market uncertainty, GCS’s board of directors decided to stop collaboration with Sanan and build partnership with Epsitar’s subsidiary to meet the growing production demands in China. GCS and Epistar set up New Epi-Sky targeting RFID and optoelectronic components. (Image: Pixabay) Sanan and Epistar both began the...
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2019-12-26

Epistar and Leyard Join Forces to Set up Mini/Micro LED Production Center

Taiwanese LED chip manufacturer Epistar and the Leyard Group announced their collaboration to set up Mini/Micro LED production center in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, China. Yenrich, the subsidiary of Epistar which focuses on innovative LED technology research and development, and Leyard signed an agreement with the Wuxi government for the Mini/Micro LED production center establishment. According to the agreement, they plan to invest a total of RMB 1 billion (US$142.8 million) in the project and expect to mass production by 2023. Epistar said that it might...
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2019-11-29

Mini LED as Major Target for LED and Panel Producers in Taiwan and China

Since the initial production began in the second half of 2018, Mini LED products including backlit panel and RGB displays are gaining more and more visibility in the industry with a wide range of applications launched in 2019 and the coming 2020. The LED industry players in Taiwan and China see the rising market of Mini LED and are putting their strength into product development and capacity increase. Epistar, as a Mini LED pioneer, has already shipped backlight product for high-end monitors, notebooks, automotive displays and smartphones. The company is going t...
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2019-11-21

Epistar Increases Investment in Mini LED to Boost Capacity for Rising Demands

Chip provider Epistar announced that it will double its capital expenditure to gear up for booming demands with increasing Mini LED applications in the coming years. The Taiwan-based LED chip maker sees rising demands in Mini LED products in the near future and plans to prepare its capacity in advance. As a result, Epistar said that it plans to increase its capital expenditure to above NTD 5 billion (US$ 163.83 billion), comparing to the regular expanses of NTD 2.5 billion (US$ 82 million) in the past. Currently the two major applications of Mini LED a...
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2019-10-31

Apple Reportedly Building a New Facility in Taiwan for Micro LED

Apple is currently constructing a new facility in Taiwan, next to Apple’s Taoyuan plant opened in 2015, reported Taiwan’s Wealth Magazine. According to the report, Apple is building the third plant in Taiwan which is scheduled to be finished in December 2019. Many believe that the new facility, like the old ones, are for Micro LED. (Apple's Micro LED research center in Taiwan, image: Seeking Alpha) Taiwan has been a key place for Apple in developing Micro LED technology where the iPhone maker strategically collaborated with local supply ch...
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Tokushima, Japan - 6 March 2024: Nichia, the world's largest LED manufacturer and inventor of the high-brightness blue and white LED, has started mass production of the new UV-B (308nm) and UV-A (330nm) LEDs in its popular 434 Series packa... READ MORE

New XLamp® S Line LEDs enhance growth, last longer, lower energy costs Horticulture and other forms of agricultural lighting require application-tuned ratios of spectral content, high efficacy and long lifetimes. Whether you are interested... READ MORE