Category Archives: LEDs

October 5, 2011 — Scientists at SIMES, the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, which is a joint institute of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University, have combined two known topological insulators to create a new one, which carries only surface currents. The researchers fabricated thin, tiny plates with the new topological insulator and gated them, creating an insulator-based transistor.

To create the gated topological insulator architecture, Stanford Associate Professor Ian Fisher’s group prepared crystals of the new compound (comprising bismuth, antimony and tellurium). SLAC Chief Scientist Zhi-Xun Shen’s group tweaked the elemental combinations for the best electronic properties, aided by the Advanced Light Source instruments at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). The resultant material maintained the highest current flow on the material surface with the least leakage into the bulk material.

Yi Cui, an associate professor on the faculty of Stanford and SLAC, led a group that formed the compound into 6-sided nanoplates with properties controlled by switching a separate electrical current on and off. The current changed the nanoplates between n- and p-type materials.

Figure. Electrons are unimpeded in a topological insulator, traveling along the edges of the sample, regardless of where they enter or leave it. In this diagram, based on a sample of mercury telluride, red arrows correspond to electrons with "spin up" and blue arrows indicate "spin down." An electron injected into one leg of the "H" can end up in the other without bumping into other electrons or material defects. Image courtesy Shoucheng Zhang.

Controlling the material’s properties with gates will enable "future electronic devices" based on topological insulators, said Cui. This study demonstrates that it’s possible to toggle a whole piece of topological insulator between n- and p-states using a gate, a "very important" step, said Desheng Kong, a fourth-year graduate student in Cui

September 29, 2011 — Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) named Vladimir Bulović as director of MIT’s Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL). Bulović is a professor of electrical engineering and a MacVicar Faculty Fellow.

Beginning October 1st, Bulović will replace current director Anantha Chandrakasan, the Joseph F. and Nancy P. Keithley Professor of Electrical Engineering. Chandrakasan became head of MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in July.

MTL is an interdepartmental laboratory that supports microsystems research encompassing work in circuits and systems, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), electronic and photonic devices, and molecular and nanotechnology. Annually, MTL supports 550 students and staff who are sponsored by contracted research of more than $40 million. MTL has 35 core faculty members and 100 research affiliates.

Bulović currently leads the Organic and Nanostructured Electronics Laboratory, co-directs the MIT-ENI Solar Frontiers Center, and is the co-head of the MIT Energy Studies Program. He researches physical properties of organic and organic/inorganic nanocrystal composite thin films and structures and novel nanostructured optoelectronic devices.

Bulović has authored more than 120 research articles and holds 48 US patents in areas of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, photovoltaics (PV), photodetectors, chemical sensors, programmable memories and micro-electro machines. Bulović and his students have founded two startup companies that employ more than 120 people: QD Vision Inc., which is focused on development of quantum-dot optolectronics; and Kateeva Inc., which focuses on the development of printed organic electronics.

Bulović received his MS from Columbia University in 1993 and his PhD from Princeton University in 1998. He is a recipient of the U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the National Science Foundation Career Award, the Ruth and Joel Spira Award, the Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society Award and the Bose Award for Distinguished Teaching, and was named to the Technology Review TR100 list. In 2009, he was awarded the Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellowship, one of MIT’s highest undergraduate teaching honors.

Learn more at http://mtlweb.mit.edu/

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September 28, 2011 – Business Wire — Samsung Venture Investment Corporation (SVIC) has become a shareholder in Novaled AG, high-efficiency organic light-emitting diode (OLED) maker with expertise in synthetic and analytical chemistry.

The Novaled PIN OLED technology is designed to reduce energy consumption in longer lifetime devices. Based on more than 400 patents granted or pending, Novaled has a strong IP position in the field of OLED technology.

Michael Pachos, Senior Investment Manager at SVIC, called Novaled an established market leader with "significant business in the OLED space." SVIC was attracted to the company’s technical and business vision for OLED displays and lighting, he added.

Novaled is nominated for the Deutscher Zukunftspreis, the Federal President’s Award for Innovation and Technology.

Samsung Venture Investment Corporation is the Venture Capital arm of the Samsung Group.

Novaled AG makes OLED structures and is an expert in organic electronics. For further details please visit www.novaled.com.

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September 28, 2011 — Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have failed to meet commercial expectations set a decade ago, and another carbon nano material, graphene, is being considered a viable candidate in the same applications: computers, displays, photovoltaics (PV), and flexible electronics. CNT and graphene transistors may be available commercially starting in 2015, according IDTechEx’s report, "Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene for Electronics Applications 2011-2021".

Printed and potentially printed electronics represent the biggest available market for these transistors: the value of devices incorporating CNT and/or graphene will top $44 billion in 2021.

Graphene materials have become commercially available in a short time, prompting application development and processing advances, notes Cathleen Thiele, technology analyst, IDTechEx. Graphene is a fraction of the weight and cost of CNTs, and could supplant it, as well as indium tin oxide (ITO) in some applications. Graphene has no band gap, and therefore must be modified (stacking layers of graphene in certain patterns, for example) to act as an electronic switch.

OLED and flexible PV cells will make up a $25 billion market in 2021, says Thiele, and some of these products will use graphene combined with other flexible, transparent electronic components

Graphene-based transistors are demonstrating high performance and lower cost, thanks to new graphene production methods. Graphene transistors are a potential successor to certain silicon components; an electron can move faster through graphene than through silicon. Tetrahertz computing is a possible application.

CNTs are still a strong research area, Thiele notes. They can be used in transistors and conductive layers in touch screens, and as a replacement for iTO. The cost of CNTs is dropping from prohibitively high levels seen a few years ago. Chemical companies are ramping manufacturing capacity. Carbon nanotubes face challenges related to separation and consistent growth. Electronics applications require CNTs of the same size, as size affects CNT properties.

For more information on “Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene for Electronics Applications 2011-2021,” contact: Raoul Escobar-Franco at [email protected], +1 617 577 7890 (USA), or visit www.IDTechEx.com/nano.

Printable CNT inks and graphene-based inks are beginning to hit the printed electronics market. IDTechEx will host the Printed Electronics & Photovoltaics USA conference & exhibition in Santa Clara, CA, November 30-December 1, www.IDTechEx.com/peUSA, with talks on both nanomaterials.

Graphene:
Dr Narayan Hosmane from Northern Illinois University will share how he almost by accident produced high-yields of graphene instead of the expected single-wall carbon nanotubes using the Dry-Ice Method. He will discuss synthetic methodologies for producing large volumes of graphene.

Kate Duncan from CERDEC, the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, will present on direct write approaches to nanoscale electronics.

Prof Yang Yang, head of the Yang Group at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), will give a brief summary on olymer solar cells and UCLA developments with G-CNTs, a hybrid graphene-carbon nanotube material.

Dr Sanjay Monie, Vorbeck Materials, will give the latest R&D news on the Vor-ink line of conductive graphene inks and coatings for the printed electronics industry.

Carbon nanotubes:
Stephen Turner, Brewer Science, will talk about Aromatic Hydrocarbon Functionalization of carbon nanotubes for conductive applications. Brewer Science’s CNTRENE carbon nanotube material was developed for semiconductor, advanced packaging/3-D IC, MEMS, display, LED, and printed electronics applications.

Dr Philip Wallis, SWeNT, will discuss proprietary V2V ink technology and how SWeNT fabricates and tests TFT devices.

Dr Jamie Nova, Applied Nanotech (ANI), will cover CNT field emission.

September 27, 2011 — Seiko Epson Corporation (TSE:6724) introduced the IP-2000 inkjet semiconductor marking system to print identification data, such as the manufacturer’s name or a production number, on the surface of a semiconductor package.

The system prints faster and more clearly than laser engraving, protecting the chip inside the semiconductor package from damage. Semiconductor packages are "smaller and thinner," said Hideo Hirao, responsible for Epson’s Factory Automation Division, and require protection from die breakage and chipping, and cuts from lasers engraving too deeply. Since the system does not need printing plates, it can be used for small-lot production.

The IP-2000 cleans the package surface, then uses Epson’s proprietary Micro Piezo technology to apply high-visibility white ultraviolet (UV)-cured ink, also developed by Epson. Ultraviolet irradiation is undertaken simultaneously with printing to solidify the ink.

Epson is a global imaging company offering printers and 3LCD projectors for business and the home, to electronic and crystal devices. The Epson Group is led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation. Learn more at http://global.epson.com/

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September 27, 2011 — The US Department of Energy (DOE) is accepting funding applications through December 15, 2011, for developers of energy-saving lighting technologies. The Obama Administration authorized up to $10 million for manufacturing research and development on solid-state lighting (SSL), such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic LEDs (OLEDs).

The DOE expects solid-state lighting, which can be more than 10x more efficient than incandescent lighting, to reduce the amount of electricity used for US lighting by one fourth by 2030. This would save $15 billion and be the greenhouse gas emissions reduction equivalent of 21 million cars.

Applicants should focus on reducing the cost of LEDs/OLEDs through better manufacturing equipment, processes, and process control. Between 2 and 4 project awards will be granted. These will address the technical challenges facing SSL in the mainstream lighting market, particularly considering cost.

This is the third round of funding directed toward this solid-state lighting research and development program area. Over the course of the program, the Manufacturing Research and Development area has been funded with $28.2 million in federal funding, and leveraged $36.8 million in funding from the private sector.

To apply or for more information, see DOE

September 27, 2011 — Pixelligent LLC, nanocrystal additive maker, closed $5.1 million in funding. The round was 6 times over-subscribed, requiring the company board to significantly upsize the round.

Pixelligent will purchase production equipment, install new systems and hire employees. It will provide the resources for Pixelligent to bring NanoAdditives to a broader market, said Craig Bandies, CEO Pixelligent Technologies.

New investors included the Abell Foundation, WISE LLC, and an Angel group. The Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) and the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) added funds, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively. Pixelligent has raised nearly $9M in equity and has been awarded more than $9M in government grant programs during the past 30 months.

Pixelligent "demonstrated tremendous progress" over 24 months, said Robert Embry, president of the Abell Foundation. The nanotechnology products address critical challenges in electronics, industrial, and lubricants sectors, added Lisa Gordon-Hagerty of WISE LLC.

Pixelligent recently moved into a new 10,500sq.ft. pilot manufacturing facility in Baltimore, MD. The facility has room for expansion, and Pixelligent is recruiting senior manufacturing, sales, and finance staff. The facility will open in Fall 2011.

Pixelligent Technologies supplies nanocrystal additives for the electronics, industrial and military markets. Learn more at www.pixelligent.com.

September 22, 2011 — Rogers Corporation’s (NYSE:ROG) Board of Directors elected Bruce D. Hoechner as the materials company’s new president and CEO, effective October 3, 2011. Hoechner’s past positions were with Rohm and Haas and Dow Chemical.

Hoechner also will join Roger’s Board of Directors. Current company leader Robert D. Wachob will become Chairman of the Board of Directors in this transition. Wachob and the Board of Directors have been executing this CEO succession plan for about 2 years. Wachob plans to retire sometime in 2012.

Hoechner comes to Rogers after 5 years in Shanghai, China, with Rohm and Haas Company and Dow Chemical, which acquired Rohm and Haas in 2009. Hoechner spent 28 years with Rohm and Haas.

His roles have included president, Asia Pacific region, Dow Advanced Materials Division with regional revenues of more than $2 billion, and a number of specialty chemical global business units.

Wachob set the strategic direction of Rogers, said William E. Mitchell, Lead Director of the Rogers Corporation Board of Directors. Hoechner’s experience and global business expertise make him "well suited to continue to successfully execute the Company’s vision."

Hoechner holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University and is a graduate of the Wharton Management Certificate Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Rogers Corporation (NYSE:ROG) is a global technology leader in specialty materials and components that enable high performance and reliability of consumer electronics, power electronics, mass transit, clean technology, and telecommunications infrastructure. For more information, visit www.rogerscorp.com.

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September 21, 2011 – BUSINESS WIRE — Samsung LED’s mid-power 2323 LED package exceeded 6,000 hours of independent, EPA-recognized 3rd-party IES LM80 testing. Samsung LED will provide LM80 test data upon request.

The standard IES LM-80-2008 defines the method for testing LED lamps, arrays, and modules to determine their lumen depreciation characteristics. It aims to establish uniform test methods for LED comparisons. The standardized test also enables LED luminaire and lamp manufacturers to satisfy ENERGY STAR Lumen maintenance requirements and lessens the qualification time for ENERGY STAR qualification while using the Samsung LED 2323 LED package.

Also read: LED test standards, packaging material challenges

Samsung LED

September 21, 2011 — InstruTech released its Cold cathode Ionization vacuum gauge CCM501, which the company is calling its Hornet module. The CCM501 is a rugged Cold Cathode gauge based on double inverted magnetron technology. It measures pressures from 1 x 10-8 to 1 x 10-2 Torr.

The electrometer auto zeroes to prevent temperature drift in readings. The sensor assembly can be easily disassembled and cleaned.

The standard CCM501 model includes OLED display, one analog output, one setpoint relay and RS485 serial communications. 16 common gases are pre-programmed into the user module. Users can also set warnings to alert for fault conditions. Anode voltage and ion current can be monitored in real time.

InstruTech makes microprocessor-controlled vacuum gauge sensors used in numerous vacuum measurement and control applications. Learn more at www.instrutechinc.com.