Addressing the burgeoning market for energy-saving, environmentally friendly light-emitting diode (LED) technology, Freescale Semiconductor is now sampling the first LED backlight product in its power management IC portfolio. 

Recently, The UK Technology Strategy Board (TSB) has announced funding for twelve innovative research projects to accelerate the development of more energy-efficient lighting, lasers and displays. The R&D projects are intended to help British manufacturers to stay ahead of international competition - and contribute to the UK's climate change goals.

Recently, Freescale Semiconductor is sampling the first LED backlight product in its power management IC portfolio. The 10-channel MC34844 white LED driver IC with an integrated boost converter is designed for LED backlights in notebook computers, as well as in flat-panel monitors with screen sizes ranging from 10 inches to 27 inches.

Freescale Semiconductor has entered the LED market, and announced that it is sampling the first LED backlight product in its power management IC portfolio. The 10-channel MC34844 (pictured) white LED driver IC is targeted at LED backlights in notebook computers, as well as in flat-panel monitors with screen sizes ranging from 10 inches to 27 inches.

Recently, Freescale Semiconductor is expanding in the LED market, designing semiconductors for LED backlights used in notebook computers and other products equipped with flat-panel monitors. Technology for the new backlight system was developed at Freescale's Tempe facility and in California, and components will be manufactured at the company's Chandler plant.

Recently, Philips and Sony both unveiled new LCD televisions that use LED backlights at IFA, a major consumer electronic show held in Berlin, Germany on August 29 - September 3. Both companies had new TVs that used the LED backlights to achieve local dimming, while Sony also had a 40-inch LCD TV with LED edge-lighting – almost certainly a first.

Recently, Sony Corp announced a new product line of Bravia LCD TVs including the XR1 series, which has an RGB LED backlight unit. The company said that the XR1 series offers "the highest picture quality in the history of Bravia," and also has an extremely wide color gamut of 122% NTSC. It is scheduled for release on Oct 10, 2008, many of the details have yet to be released.

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.

Recently, Dongbu HiTek announced the joint development of an LED driver chip for Back Light Unit (BLU) applications in laptop computers. Developed in collaboration with ADDtek, a Taiwanese fabless company specializing in analog and mixed-signal chip solutions, the new LED driver designed by Taiwan-Based ADDtek uses Dongbu HiTek’s specialized BCDMOS (Bipolar CMOS DMOS) process at the 0.35-Micron Node.

It’s reported that LG Display, the world's No. 2 supplier of LCD panels, will build a joint venture with Nasdaq-listed Cree in LED packaging in Nanjing, China. LG Display is able to cut costs in LED lighting business amid growing demand for the component in notebooks and television sets, adding the company could avoid possible patent infringement troubles if the plan is realized. It's a win-win strategy.

The use of LEDs for the backlight's light source has created new business opportunities in the maturing NB panel market. In contrast to CCFLs, white LEDs provide higher color saturation and are mercury-free and less power-consuming--making them more environmentally friendly.   

Dell today announced a completely new line of Latitude and Dell Precision laptops, ranging from the lightest ultra-portable in the company's history to the most powerful mobile workstation.

All the properties that light sources need for backlighting medium-sized LCDs (5 to 20”)are combined in OSRAM’s new high-power Ceramos Reflector LED in its tiny package.Developed for injecting light into a light guide, it offers high brightness and impressiveefficiency. The LED also withstands temperatures as high as 150°C and is extremelydurable with a life of up to 50,000 hours.

TFT LCD Modules Feature Replaceable LED Backlights, High Brightness and Low Power Consumption

It's reported that Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. (TAEC) has rolled a new color active-matrix TFT-LCD module product lineup for industrial applications that incorporates long-life LED backlighting systems.Developed by Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co. Ltd, the modules are designed to meet the requirements of a broad range of industrial applications, such as test and measurement equipment, medical equipment and portable handheld computing devices utilizing the latest LED backlighting technology.

LED and CCFL NB have a price gap of 50%, but such gap is expected to narrow soon. LEDinside recently has gathered further information about NB with LED backlight on the market. Until February 2008, prices of LED NB range from US$2,100 to US$3,100, while CCFL NB equipped with similar hardware cost $1,280 to $2,000. CCFL NB and LED NB have a price gap of at least 50% (indicated in Figure 1), says LEDinside. Although with advantages in weights, sizes and energy consumption, it is still quite costly to have an environmental, energy-saving and light LED NB.

Apple Computer Inc. has launched a 13.3-inch LED-BLU-based MacBook Air, which is only 0.76-inch (19 mm) thick on the hinge side, and 0.16-inch (4.1mm) for the opposite side. Apple mentioned that this super-thin product is the result of LED BLU technology advances, and moreover, the mercury-free, arsenic-free notebook is more beneficial in power

With industry restructuring and energy-saving awareness, LED applications have extended to handset backlights, auto lighting, notebooks, LCD TV and even indoor lighting. However, several challenges remain. LED for notebooks are still waiting for technical breakthroughs, and only first-rate manufacturers have the capability to produce LCD TV with LED backlights. Affected by budget cell phone program inventory, LED market in 2006 was mediocre, and the legacy has lasted to 2007.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) show, a lot of product launched withLED backlight technology, which is energy saving and better color capacity.LED backlight technology-based LCD screen will be will be new focus product this year, the future desktop computer screen will be lighter, thinner and more energy-efficient.

Since the second half of 2007, NB panels with white LED backlight has been increasingly popular because it’s thinner, lighter and more energy-saving and more portable. Environment protection is another concern among customers, which encourages many NB manufacturers to adopt LED without mercury as backlight. Especially since Apple announced to produce all NB with LED backlight in May 2007, many others follow suit.

Currently, LCD panel’s market is facing fluctuating on its pricing. After those dominate manufacturers are competing each other to promote themselves to next generation product line, the trend is increasing their ratio on using LED backlight module.

In CEATEC JAPAN 2007 exhibited recently in Japan , Japanese electronics giant SONY Corp announced the LED LCDTV back light module technology used in the latest 70-inch module of BRAVIA LCD TV . As one of the leader brands of LCD TV, SONY’s choice of back light module technology will certainly cause some influence to the industry, especially the trend of LED modules used in high-end LCD TV and designs of periphreals. It’s possible that the most common strategy might be mimicking SONY, SAMSUNG and SHARP.