Category Archives: LEDs

July 26, 2012 — DisplaySearch has lowered its 2012 mobile phone displays forecast from 1,917 million units to 1,729 million units, blaming insufficient capacity of semiconductor processes for new application processors, anticipation of the iPhone 5, the European financial disaster, saturation in developed markets, and other unexpected situations.

Smartphones have driven continuous small- to medium-size display growth, with low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) thin-film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT LCDs) and active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays preferred in premium models.

In Q1 2012, mobile phone display shipments totaled about 400 million units, missing NPD DisplaySearch’s forecast.

The traditional boom quarter — Q3 leading into holiday consumer sales — will be hard hit in 2012. NPD DisplaySearch modified its forecast down from 22% Q/Q growth to only 9% Q/Q growth because of the negative factors and poor shipment results seen early in 2012.

Comparing last quarter’s forecasts and actual shipment results by technology, NPD DisplaySearch found that AMOLED actually had higher growth, but other technologies showed declines.

  • NPD DisplaySearch originally estimated 23% Q/Q growth for AMOLED, but it reached 26% Q/Q.
  • LTPS TFT LCD was forecast to be up 7% Q/Q, but was actually down 2% Q/Q.
  • amorphous silicon (a-Si) TFT LCD declined 14% Q/Q.
  • CSTN, MSTN, and PMOLED are no longer mainstream as mobile phone displays, so their declines were less relevant to the results.

Access the full article in the DisplaySearch Monitor, http://www.displaysearch.com/cps/rde/xchg/displaysearch/hs.xsl/login_required_dsm.asp?page=my_dsm.asp

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July 25, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Panasonic, LG Chem and Philips are among the presenters for the upcoming 14th annual OLEDs World Summit, September 26-28, in San Francisco, CA, hosted by Smithers Apex and the OLED Association.

The conference will highlight the “dynamic and newsworthy” organic light-emitting diode (OLED) advances of 2012, said Andrew Smaha, conference director for Smithers Apex. It will focus on investment and markets for display and lighting, plus highlight recent advances in R&D from OEMs and research institutes. “Experts will delve deeper into OLED technology R&D than any other symposium to date,” said Smaha. The event’s focus on OLED lighting R&D and design is nearly double what was presented in past editions.

OLEDs 2012 will also offer attendees three panel discussions: How OLEDs Can Grow from ‘Niche’ to Market Dominance, Strategies with OLED Lighting Designers, and Flexible OLEDs from Concept to Market.

More than 20 presentations will come from Arizona State University; AU Optronics Corp.; Bingham McCutchen; Display Search; EMD Chemicals; First O-Lite; Fraunhofer; IBM; Ignis Innovation Inc.; IHS iSuppli; Kateeva, Inc.; KeyBanc Capital Markets; Konica Minolta Advanced Layers; Novaled AG; OLED Association; OLEDWorks; OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH; Panasonic; Philips Lighting; Soochow University; SRI International; Sungkyunkwan University; Tianma; Universal Display Corporation; the U.S. Army Research Laboratory; and Wolf Greenfield.

The OLEDs World Summit will begin with 2 pre-conference seminars that will allow attendees to gain a deeper understanding of key issues facing the industry. Barbarians at the IP Gate, led by Jed Dorsheimer of Canaccord Genuity, will show attendees how to construct a lasting IP portfolio along with offensive and defensive IP strategies. Options for Innovative Area Lighting, led by Norman Bardsley of Bardsley Consulting, will cover color, control, cost and other key topics.

For complete information about OLEDs 2012, please visit the conference website at www.oledsworldsummit.com.

Smithers Apex, formerly known as IntertechPira, is a global business that provides events, market research, publications and strategic and technical consulting for niche, emerging, and high-growth industries. Learn more at www.smithersapex.com.

OLED Association (OLED-A) provides a forum for the interchange of technical and market information. Our membership includes companies involved in small-molecule OLED technology and polymer technology (PLED or light-emitting polymers).

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July 25, 2012 — Polarizers used in display manufacturing will form a $9.94 billion market in 2012, up 4% from 2011, according to Displaybank. Sequentially, the polarizer market decreased by 9% in Q1 2012, hitting 2.235 billion. This was down 6% from Q1 2011.

The majority of polarizers — 98% — will be used in thin-film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs), with the remainder divvied up between active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) and other display technologies. Starting in 2012, the AMOLED TV market is expected to grow gradually. New films are being developed to meet this need, as compensation films used in small- and medium-sized AMOLED displays are inadequate for large-size AMOLEDs. While just 2% of the overall polarizer market in 2012 ($167 million), AMOLED-use polarizers will grow to 9% of the total segment by 2016, Displaybank reports, exceeding $1 billion.

Figure. Polarizer market forecast by technology/size. SOURCE: Displaybank, Polarizer Market & Industry Trend Analysis.

Acrylic films will also see growth. Acrylic films are used to replace Z-TAC, a polarizer compensation film for IPS. Now, acrylics are being investigated as an alternative to plane TAC films. This has been shown in small and medium-sized applications, and could emerge in 2013 and grow rapidly in 2014.

“Polarizer Market & Industry Trend Analysis” analyzes the market forecast of polarizer, production line status by manufacturer, supply chain, and price trend from 2010 to 2016. In addition, this report intends to give a better understanding of the polarize market where the competition of the  high value-added film production started in earnest through the market analysis of important optical sub-material films, TAC film, PVA film, PET protective film, release film, anti-reflection film, and compensation film.

Learn more and access the report at http://www.displaybank.com/_eng/research/report_view.html?id=15&cate=4

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July 24, 2012 — Silicon carbide (SiC) is a niche material for semiconductor, power electronics, and light-emitting diode (LED) manufacturing. Yole Développement analyzed patents related to SiC growth and wafer manufacturing to glean trends in production, R&D, top companies, barriers to entry, and more.

Despite a cumulative raw wafers + epi wafers market that won’t exceed $80 million in 2012, SiC-related patents comprises over 1772 patent families with more than 350 companies involved in the material since 1928. 83% of patents cover a method; 17% of them claim an apparatus.

Figure. SiC crystal, wafer, and epiwafer patents distribution. SOURCE: Yole, July 2012.

SiC growth

Since 1978, the main technique to grow bulk single crystals of SiC has been physical vapor transport (seeded sublimation method, PVT), covered in 36% of published patents, said Dr. Philippe Roussel, business unit manager, Compound Semiconductors, Power Electronics, LED & Photovoltaics, Yole Développement. PVT mostly deals with the hexagonal polytypenH SiC (n=2,4,6). Liquid phase epitaxy (LPE), an alternative SiC growth method developed in 1961, allows crystals to grow with low dislocation densities and at relatively low temperatures. LPE is an attractive SiC growth method for cubic polytype 3C SiC.

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) almost exclusively dominates SiC epiwafer fab today, and is covered in about 37% of SiC-related patents. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is only mentioned in 1% of patents. The polytype (hexagonal or cubic) is explicitly claimed in 15% of patents.

Numerous strategies to reduce crystal defects (micropipes, carrots, etc.) and make semi-insulating (SI) material are proposed in 23% and 10% of patents respectively.

Patent count vs revenues

About 350 patent applicants are involved in SiC crystal/epiwafer technology, pointed out Roussel, mainly located in Japan (72% of patents) and the US (12% of patents). The five major applicants based on their patents number are Denso, Sumitomo, Nippon Steel, Bridgestone and Toyota. They represent about 35% of studied patents. While Cree Inc. is the 6th major applicant for patents by volume, and the top US company on the list, US companies generate 75% of the SiC wafer business. Leaders include CREE, II-VI, and Dow Corning. Japan is only responsible for 5% of the revenues (at least before SiCrystal was acquired by Rohm). This trend of poor correlation between patent count and revenues is seen in Europe and the rest of Asia as well.

Only 3 Japanese companies are commercially active in SiC material: Showa Denko (epiwafer), Bridgestone (wafer) and Nippon Steel (wafer and epiwafer). China and Korea emerged as new players during the last 5 years, establishing Epiworld, TianYue, TYSTC, and Tankeblue in China and SKC in Korea. However, these companies’ market shares remain very low at the moment.

In the SiC substrate business, Cree holds about 50% market share on a worldwide basis, and has the best reputation in terms of quality, diameter and reproducibility. However, here again Cree does not own the widest patent portfolio.

The only SiC field where number of patents and business size are more balanced is SI SiC technology, where both Cree (vanadium-free) and II-VI (vanadium-doped) have extensively patented their respective developments.

Today’s SiC landscape

Today’s state-of-the-art SiC wafer is 6” diameter, no micropipe, with very low dislocation density. Only CREE seems able to offer such a product today. Barriers to entry and competition in the SiC arena are high, Yole points out.

Cree enjoys funding from the US Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the US Navy, improving its technology for LEDs and power electronics. Cree also likely benefits from cross-fertilization of technologies between LEDs and power electronics.

Virtually no SiC substrate companies are for sale today. Beyond the top 5 SiC substrate leaders, Yole does not see a clear positioning of companies who may want to participate in a sale or merger of their business.

New developments are being made around LPE at Toyota, Denso, and Sumitomo. 3C SiC (Cubic) may also disrupt the current PVT domination.

Report

“Patent analysis of SiC single crystal, wafer and epiwafer manufacturing” from Yole Développement presents the patent landscape for SiC single crystal and epiwafer over a total of 1772 patent families. Several key patents are selected based upon their interest regarding the particular technological issues related to the SiC development, as well as their possible blocking factor for new competing development. It puts in contrast the patent landscape with the current and expected market status, highlighting the most active companies, the patent transfer and the sleeping IP. The document also highlights and describes the key patents that could possibly block newcomers, for both crystal and epi-growth.

The analysis goes along with spreadsheets presenting the 1772 patents (Publication Number, Publication Date, Priority Date, Title, Abstract, Assignee(s) and Inventor(s), Legal Status) with direct link to the full patent text and pictures.

Report author: Philippe Roussel holds a PhD in Integrated Electronics Systems from the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) in LYON. He leads the Compound Semiconductors, LED, Power Electronics and Photovoltaic department at Yole Développement.

Companies cited in this analysis: ABB, ACREO, AIST, Ascatron, ATMI, Bridgestone, C9 Corporation, Cabot, Cree, Crysband, Denso, Dow Corning, Ecotron, Epiworld, Fuji Electric, Fujimi, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Hoya, II-VI, Infineon, Kansai Electric Power, Kwansei Gakuin Univ., Mitsubishi, Mitsui, NASA, National Tsing Hua Univ., N-Crystals, NEC, NeoSemitech, Nippon Pillar Packing, Nippon Steel, NIRO, Nisshin Steel, Norstel, North Carolina Univ., Northrop Grumann, NovaSiC, Okmetic, Panasonic, POSCO, Rohm, Sanyo, SemiSouth, Sharp, Shikusuon, Shinetsu Chemical, Showa Denko, SiC Systems, SiCilab, SiCrystal, Siemens, Sumitomo Metal Industries, TankeBlue, Toshiba, Toyota, TyanYue, TYSTC, United Silicon Carbide, US Navy, Widetronix, etc.

Yole Développement is a group of companies providing market research, technology analysis, strategy consulting, media in addition to finance services. Learn more at www.yole.fr.

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July 23, 2012 — Strategies in Light 2013 will take place February 12-14 in Santa Clara, CA, hosted by PennWell Co.’s Strategies Unlimited and LEDs Magazine. The event’s theme is “Exploring the Growth Opportunities in the LED and Lighting Markets.” Submit an abstract through August 3 for a chance to present at the conference.

Also read: Strategies in Light 2012 takeaways: LED expectations for the short- and long-term

Strategies in Light seeks presentations on these or related topics:

Technology–

• Automotive lighting

• Display backlighting

• Phosphors-new materials, remote, quantum dots

• Packaging-HV,AC LEDs, COB/multichip arrays

• Color quality metrics, optical safety, test & measurement

• Drivers, dimming & control networks

• Replaceable modules and light engines

• Luminaire design: role of thermal management, advanced packaging & optical concepts

• Measuring color quality

• Light & human biology

• Advances in LED cost, performance, lifetime and reliability

• Development of OLEDs and other competing lighting technologies

• Testing-chips/packages, luminaires

• Controls — components and systems — design & implementation

Market Transformation–

• Market growth and outlook, penetration of LEDs into key applications, barriers to further market penetration

• Case studies of specific installations: cost and performance analysis, user feedback, lessons learned

• Product differentiation

• Industry consolidation

• Regional- and country-specific activities to promote LED lighting

• Quality control and labeling programs

• Customer awareness and acceptance, incentives and subsidies

• Funding from governments and investment community

• Standards development and implementation

• Intellectual property issues

• LED Lighting–design perspectives, luminaire design

• End-user requirements: lighting designers, specifiers, architects

• New applications

• Color (quality, reliability, tunability)

• Non-visual response to light

• Perception of light & color

LED Manufacturing–

• Supply and demand, capacity constraints, availability of materials and equipment

• Advanced chip design and lower-cost manufacturing; epitaxial growth and processing

• Process automation

• Yield management

• Metrology

• Substrates, GaN on silicon

• Transition to larger substrates

• Adapting existing semiconductor facilities to LED manufacturing

• Advances in MOCVD technology

• LED packaging — advanced materials and processes

• Manufacturing standards

Also consider presenting a 3-4 hour workshop or tutorial.

All abstracts must be submitted in English between 100 and 300 words. Overtly commercial submissions will be automatically rejected. Submit an abstract by August 3 at http://forms.events.pennnet.com/fl/forms/sil/online_abstract_main.cfm.

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July 20, 2012 — Maxim Group LLC analyzed metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) utilization and revenues at light emitting diode (LED) makers in Taiwan, finding that MOCVD orders are placed just to maintain capacity, not add, and high utilization rates are only at the top LED makers.

The next uptick in MOCVD spending is likely to “fall far short” of the peak seen in 2010-2011, Maxim reported. The analysts expect H2 2012 MOCVD orders at about 130 tools.

High tool utilization reports are coming from Epistar, ForEpi, and Genesis Photonics. Large LED players like Sanan are expanding in H2 2012. Epistar is planning new LED fabs (Miaoli and Fujian) by 2014. Still, near-term spending doesn’t signifies a return to growth, but instead what is needed to maintain spending levels in 2H 2012 and 2013, Maxim said. Higher MOCVD utilization rates are not the norm across all LED makers, but rather at sector leaders.

Figure. Revenue Rebound Points to High Utilization at Epistar and Genesis Photonics but Not Others

After falling three quarters in a row, revenue at seven Taiwanese LED chip makers jumped 29% Q/Q in Q2 2012 on a rebound in display backlighting applications. While this has driven utilization at high-quality vendors with exposure to general lighting like Epistar to >95%, Maxim estimated small, lower-quality players remain at ~70%. With Taiwan’s TV subsidy ending and Europe entering a recession, Maxim does not expect backlighting to drive a new wave of MOCVD spending.

Also read: LED cost and manufacturing topics of Veeco LED maker gathering in Taiwan

Lower subsidies and lower profitability will keep MOCVD spending in check, unlike 2010-2011. Maxim does not see a traditional cyclical downturn/boom, despite some pick up once general lighting adopts LEDs. In 2013-2014, expect MOCVD tool orders to hit about 300 systems, far below the peak numbers of 700+.

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July 20, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq:VECO) hosted more than 150 LED manufacturers and customers of its metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) products recently during its MOCVD User Meeting in Tainan, Taiwan. The talks largely focused on reducing light emitting diode (LED) cost through manufacturing, as well as using silicon as an LED substrate.

Representatives from most of Taiwan’s top LED manufacturers such as Epistar Corporation, FOREPI, Genesis Photonics Inc. (GPI), Huga Optotech Inc., Tekcore Co. Ltd., Epileds Co. Ltd., and Arima Optoelectronics Corp. attended.

Invited speaker Charles Li, Ph.D., VP of R&D at LED maker GPI, presented “The Trend of LED Chips for Lighting.” He addressed key drivers that will help to commercialize LEDs for general lighting, such as cost reduction, which can be achieved by developing better high-current LED chip technology.

Jia Lee, Ph.D., Veeco’s senior director of marketing and business development, also spoke on LED manufacturing costs, focusing on Veeco’s TurboDisc MOCVD offerings. Veeco recently introduced a new suite of MOCVD systems based on its TurboDisc technology, aiming for reduced LED manufacturing costs.

An update on gallium nitride on silicon (GaN on Si) LED manufacturing came from Kenny Sun, Ph.D., Veeco’s director, Taiwan Technology Center (TTC), located in Hsinchu Park. Dr. Sun also presented the mission of Veeco’s TTC and technical projects since its establishment a year ago. Veeco’s Taiwan Technology Center conducts process demonstrations, arranges rapid start programs to transfer best known methods, provides early access to evaluate system upgrades, and supports joint technology development programs. It is equipped with Veeco’s MOCVD systems.

Tim Liu, Veeco VP & Greater China country manager, said the event enables Veeco to share its MOCVD solutions to problems of yield, productivity, and fab costs.

Veeco’s process equipment solutions enable the manufacture of optoelectronics, LEDs, power electronics, hard drives, MEMS and wireless chips. For information, please visit www.veeco.com.

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July 20, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Universal Display Corporation (NASDAQ:PANL), OLED patent licensor and supplier of materials and technologies for energy-efficient OLED displays and lighting, formed a strategic alliance with Plextronics, Inc., maker of printed electronics technologies, to accelerate the development and commercialization of solution-based organic light-emitting diode (OLED) material systems. The companies will combine Plextronics’ hole injection and hole transport materials with Universal Display’s phosphorescent OLED emissive layer materials. The aim is to enable OLED manufacturing with ink-jet, nozzle, or other cost-effective, solution-processing techniques

The joint development agreement covers 3 years, and Universal Display made a $4 million investment in Plextronics.

Plextronics’ Plexcore HIL materials for phosphorescent OLED applications were developed with Universal Display for PANL’s UniversalP2OLED platform. The results of that collaboration compelled the companies to expand their joint work to cover hole transport layer materials.

The OLED materials systems will target display and lighting applications.

Plextronics, Inc. is an international technology company that specializes in conductive polymers and printable formulations that enable advanced electronic devices. The company develops customized inks to enhance the performance of OLEDs for next generation displays and lighting applications, lithium ion batteries, polymer metal capacitors, and emerging organic electronic devices. It was founded in 2002 as a spinout from Carnegie Mellon University based upon conductive polymer technology developed by Dr. Richard McCullough. For more information about Plextronics, visit www.plextronics.com.

Universal Display Corporation (Nasdaq: PANL) supplies state-of-the-art, OLED technologies, materials and services for the display and lighting industries. Universal Display licenses its proprietary technologies, including its breakthrough high-efficiency UniversalPHOLED phosphorescent OLED technology that can enable the development of low power and eco-friendly displays and white lighting. The company also develops and offers high-quality, state-of-the-art UniversalPHOLED materials. In addition, Universal Display delivers customized solutions through technology transfer, collaborative technology development and on-site training. To learn more about Universal Display, please visit www.universaldisplay.com.

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July 19, 2012 — Osram Opto Semiconductors developed a concept for uniform solder pads based on the Oslon light-emitting diode (LED) component family. This enables second sourcing by Osram’s LED customers without an additional soldering board, potentially reduces the costs of storage and process modification.

LED components from different manufacturers can differ in the dimensions and shape of their solder pads. For second sourcing, two different soldering boards are made, to suit the LEDs from two different manufacturers.

The combined board design comes from the design of one of the two LED components. The individual solder surfaces are divided into segments, electrically connected and electrically disconnected. By selecting appropriate spacings between the solder surfaces, makers can attach the second LED product — rotated 90° — to the uniform board design. The anode and cathode of the two LED components are connected to the same electrically contacted segments. Because solder surfaces are divided, the two LED types automatically align themselves to the edges of the solder surfaces during the reflow solder process.

Osram Opto Semiconductors has developed a concept for ceramic LED components, such as the Oslon family, that makes the board solder pad design so adaptable that it can be used for LED components from at least two different manufacturers. The concept can also be used for metal core, FR4, and ceramic boards.

For both LED components, the luminous area is in the same lateral position on the board. If the LEDs have the same emission behavior, the same secondary lenses and reflectors can be used. This means that neither the LED components nor the end application are changed in terms of their characteristics.

OSRAM AG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens, is a leading lighting manufacturer. Its subsidiary, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH, offers semiconductor-based technology for lighting, sensor and visualization applications. For more information, go to www.osram-os.com.

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July 17, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas, part of Avnet Inc. (NYSE:AVT) opened a lighting lab in Chandler, AZ, to measure light-emitting diode (LED) properties for various applications.

Avnet LightLab’s 900sq.ft. facility is equipped with the latest LED metrology suite from Instrument Systems. Tools measure the key optical, electrical and thermal characteristics of high power LEDs, modules and luminaires. Typical tests measure total flux, illuminance, thermal intensity and distribution, luminous efficiency, spectral power disruption (SPD), and the LED’s color rendering index (CRI). All photometric, radiometric and colormetric testing is conducted in accordance with specifications from the Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE), the international commission on light.

Avnet opened the lab to support the “explosive” growth in demand for LEDs, said George Kelly, technical specialist and LightLab manager, Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas. Avnet also has a national team of LED-focused illumination engineers (the company calls them “illumineers”). The illumineers and test labs (in Chandler and in Munich, Germany) are meant to enable lighting designers to compare various design options and optimize products.

Avnet’s LightLab supports a broad range of LED applications including general illumination, medical, industrial, transportation, military, signage, and security applications. Watch a video about the new lab here.

Avnet Electronics Marketing is an operating group of Avnet, Inc. that serves electronic original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and electronic manufacturing services (EMS) providers, distributing electronic components from leading manufacturers and providing associated design-chain and supply-chain services. The group’s website is located at www.em.avnet.com. Avnet Inc. (NYSE:AVT) is one of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer products and embedded technology.

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