Friday, December 25, 2009

Osram LED Business

Siemens AG, Europe’s largest engineering company, predicted LEDs, will outgrow the current global market for illumination.



The market for LEDs will triple to almost 13 billion euros by 2012 as they move from illuminating mobile phones and cars to streets and homes, Siemens said in a press release 24 Dec., citing market researchers. Osram, the Munich-based company’s lighting division, today generates 15 % of its sales with LED technology, making it No. 2 in that market, according to Wellingborough, England-based IMS Research.


Governments are discouraging the use of conventional light bulbs, which turn only 5 % to 10 % of the energy used into light and have 12 times shorter life spans than LEDs. To help reach its target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions 20 % by 2020 from 1990 levels, the European Union in September started to phase out conventional clear incandescent light bulbs of 100 watts or more. By 2012, other models such as frosted bulbs and high-energy halogen lights will also be prohibited.


Osram sales fell 13 %to 4.04 billion Euros in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, the second annual decline. Earnings tumbled 78 % to 89 million Euros as Siemens booked charges to reduce capacity and wrote down the value of its inventories. “Osram reached bottom,” CTO Peter Loescher said on Dec. 3.


Osram’s 2.2% operating margin last year missed its profitability target of 10 % to 12 % by the largest margin among Siemens’s six industry divisions. It was the only industry division to lose money in the fourth quarter.


Osram is the world’s second-largest lighting company, trailing only Royal Philips Electronics NV.


General Electric Co. said it July it will close its last U.S. factory making common household incandescent light bulbs as demand rises for more energy-efficient lighting.


Siemens shares rose 1.9 % to 62.87 Euros at 11:48 a.m. in Frankfurt trading for a market value of 57.5 billion Euros.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

10 good signs of Electronics Business 2010

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- 2009 started off bad, but the year is now seeing some positive signs.


Thankfully, the IC industry is seeing a recovery. But what about 2010? Heading into 2010, there are both good and bad signs in the marketplace. Here's what various analysts think:

Good signs
1. Seasonal demand for ICs is better than expected. Craig Berger, an analyst for FBR, said: ''Recent checks with Asian chip distributors suggest their 4Q chip shipments should fall 4-to-8 percent sequentially, better than our month-ago checks of minus 10 percent sequentially, driven by strong industrial, consumer, and smartphone chip orders in November. Specifically, mid-single-digit month-over-month growth in November was better than our forecast of a mid-single-digit month-over-month decline as a robust Golden Week holiday required downstream OEMs to place rush orders for Christmas and provided confidence to begin placing orders for Chinese New Years (mid February).''

2. Companies are raising guidance, such as Altera, Amkor, AuthenTec, Fairchild, IR, Vishay, Xilinx and others. Berger of FBR said: ''For 4Q, we believe Atmel's revenues are tracking at or above the high end of guidance of $327 million to $340 million (3-to-7 percent up sequentially), better than the consensus estimate of $335 million.''

3. Demand to pick up in 2010. Doug Freedman, an analyst at Broadpoint AmTech, said: ''In the near-term we are bullish on electronic equipment unit demand (minus 5-to-10 percent in 2009, plus 15-to-25 percent in 2010); however, this is offset by our bearish view on terminal growth rates. We believe 5- and 10-year CAGRs will be 5 percent versus more bullish consensus estimates of 8-to-10 percent.'' We believe overall long lead times and lean inventory throughout the supply chain continue to help drive above-seasonal results in Q4 and Q1 guidance. We also believe 2Q10 shipment results are likely to be above seasonal with a return to normal or below normal seasonal patterns in 3Q10 and 4Q10.''

4. PCs up in 2010. Freedman of Broadpoint AmTech said: ''MPUs should benefit from notebook and server unit strength. We believe notebook unit growth will be above 20 percent year-over-year expectations and may exceed 25 percent year-over-year. We expect server MPU ASPs and units (13 million units) will drive improved margin mix.''

5. A DRAM rebound? Andrew Norwood, an analyst at Gartner, said: ''Gartner expects January 2010 pricing to be down for DDR2 as demand continues to reduce and supply, especially from Taiwan, increases. DDR3 pricing is harder to predict and will, at best, remain flat or else see small price declines. A return to mild pricing declines in the contract market will be a good thing, as DRAM content in PCs is already above 10 percent of bill of materials (a historic pressure point for PC OEMs) for high-end and midrange machines. Pricing easing during the next few months will allow PC OEMs to slowly increase the gigabyte content of their PC lines and therefore create a healthy demand environment in 2010, which will in turn soak up the increasing capacity in the second half of 2010 that comes from the move to 40 nm technology by the major vendors.''

6. NAND to grow. Joseph Unsworth, an analyst with Gartner, said: ''The outlook for the remainder of December is that pricing is likely to remain soft, but given optimism during recent channel checks, it appears that prices will remain stable leading into 2010 before sliding again in the second quarter. The year 2010 will be a strong one for NAND vendors (with revenue growth of more than 20 percent), but exactly how strong will be influenced by NAND customer sentiment, gauged at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January.''

7. LEDs are another bright spot. Jagdish Rebello, director and principal analyst at iSuppli, said: "The LED industry is on the threshold of a new expansion phase--a phase that will be characterized by growth rates in the high double digits during the next three years. This growth will be driven by the increased adoption of high brightness (HB) and high flux--also referred to as high power or ultra high brightness (UHB)--LEDs into a new range of next-generation lighting applications. Global LED revenue will expand by 10.9 percent in 2009 to reach $7.4 billion, up from $6.7 billion in 2008. This comes in stark contrast to the overall semiconductor market, which is expected to contract by 12.4 percent in 2009 because of the slowdown in the global economy. By 2013, the global LED market will reach $14.3 billion, nearly double from 2009.''

8. Solar is sunny. Edwin Mok, an analyst with Needham & Co., said: ''Heading into 2010, we are seeing strong demand in several key regions including Germany, Italy and the U.S. Industry participants have confirmed that the near term strength should extend into at least 1H10. In 2010, we continue to believe the U.S. solar market will see substantial growth driven by increased availability of federal stimulus spending and a number of state/local subsidies.''

9. TVs in cars? Richard Robinson, an analyst with iSuppli, said: ''Worldwide shipments of mobile television systems for cars, consisting both of solutions embedded into autos and included in Portable Navigation Devices (PNDs), are expected to more than double from 2009 to 2015. Global automotive mobile television shipments are expected to exceed 17 million units in 2015, up from 8 million in 2009. Car passengers will be able to take advantage of live television services in an increasing number of vehicles with embedded front and rear displays."

10. Connected cars roll. Egil Juliussen, principal analyst and fellow for iSuppli, said: ''An estimated 62.3 million global consumers will have Internet access in their cars by 2016, up from 970,000 at the end of 2009. With smart phones having become more affordable and ubiquitous, consumers are demanding Internet connectivity in cars. Car makers are serving this demand by adding various forms of Internet connectivity to cars."

Source : EE Times.
EE Times an informative source for Semiconductor and Electronics Business
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222002983&pgno=1

10 bad signs for Electronics Business 2010

Bad signs


1. Prices to rise in analog? Berger of FBR said: ''Note that we already raised financial estimates on Fairchild Semiconductor and International Rectifier as these companies preannounced 4Q results positively over the past few weeks. Given channel strength and the potential for distributor inventory replenishment in 1Q10, we think that these discrete and lower margin analog chip vendors can raise prices on some products to some customers in early 2010.''

2. Application processor war is coming. Freedman of Broadpoint AmTech said: ''While application processors see huge growth with smartphones, we do not seek out investment as it may turn into profitless growth. Numerous emerging competitors (Qualcomm, Nvidia, Broadcom, NXP, ST Micro and MediaTek), eager to take share from established vendors (TI, Marvell), could turn price aggressive as they continue to invest tremendous amounts in ecosystems for their particular application processor development environments. We see parallels to baseband, given the high volumes and minimal barriers to entry of this attractive wireless growth market.''

3. Touch screens notebooks not taking off yet. Daniel Amir, an analyst with Lazard Capital Markets, said: ''Demand for touch screen notebooks, which were enabled by the debut of Windows 7, is still fairly lackluster. HP expected to ship 80,000 touch screen notebooks every month, but current demand is only 1,500 notebooks a month. Higher prices for the capacitive touch screen panels are posing a challenge to mass adoption of touch screen enabled notebooks. We believe that we have yet to reach a high adoption rate because of the lack of touch applications that are targeted to the PC market. We believe that the touch PC concept will begin to have higher adoption rates in late 2010.''

4. NOR is a bore. Analysts from Gartner said: ''NOR flash pricing showed mixed results in December. Most densities saw prices gently increase, while 512Mb declined by 3.8 percent. Although NOR flash contract pricing was flat because of a temporary shortage, we continued to see a NOR flash/pseudo SRAM MCP pricing decline. Gartner expects NOR flash pricing in the first quarter of 2010 to remain flat or post a mild decline. However, since the application of NOR flash is limited and most smartphones will use a NAND flash solution, the overall revenue from NOR flash will continue to decline in 2010.''

5. Fab tool downturn continues. Freedman of Broadpoint AmTech said: ''Maturing 300-mm fab assets will continue to drive unit costs lower (and faster than ASP declines) as process upgrades are less capital intensive. As such, we believe the foundry build-out opportunity in 300-mm will be among the best investments for semiconductor corporations in the past decade. However, this is likely a negative for capital equipment manufacturers on efficiencies from re-use and longevity of equipment.''

6. Backend capacity remains tight at Amkor and others. C.J. Muse, an analyst at Barclays Capital, said: ''Amkor raised its guide for 4Q based on broad-based demand. Focus remains on 1Q10 outlook where we expect better than seasonal guide for 1Q10 led by still tight OSAT capacity.''

7. More backend woes. Amir of Lazard Capital Markets said: ''Our contacts have indicated that we are seeing back-end capacity tightening and that it could be a challenge for semiconductor companies to increase shipment volumes beyond the current run rate. According to our channel checks, tight Amkor capacity may drive the company to break its delivery commitments. Major clients of Amkor include Toshiba, Numonyx, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Conexant, and Marvell.''

8. Solar shakeout hits. Robert Castellano, president of The Information Network, said: ''We forecast that in 2010 as many as 50 percent of the more than 200 solar manufacturers, mired in red ink with current selling prices above $2.00 per watt, may not survive. The freefall has begun.''

9. Chinese firms ride vertical integration to solar cost leadership. Henning Wicht, senior director and principal analyst at iSuppli, said: "Yingli and Trina, along with U.S.-based First Solar Inc. represent the most notable success stories in the PV market today. In the price-driven environment of 2009, vertical integration provides the scale and control needed to contain costs, and to provide a competitive edge."

10. Netbooks to slow? John Jacobs, an analyst at DisplaySearch, said: ''Mini-notes continue to be a significant piece of the notebook PC pie, in terms of both units and revenue. However, our long-term outlook is that the mini-note share of the notebook PC market has stabilized, and will remain at approximately 20 percent through 2011 before starting to erode. While mini-notes offer lower ASPs and are thinner and lighter than notebook PCs, the performance of larger notebook PCs continues to improve while prices continue to steadily decline, increasing the performance gap while narrowing the price gap. In 2010, DisplaySearch expects the notebook PC market to grow by 16 percent, with higher than average growth for mini-notes and ultra-portable notebook PCs. Growth in the latter segment is expected to be fueled by numerous new 11.6-inch and 12.0-inch products built on CULV platforms and with aggressive, sub-$500 ASPs.''

Source: EE times

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

ASM Assembly Automation Ltd.; World No.1 SemiConductor Equipment Supplier


As 2009 draws to a close, some people will argue that it's been a tough year since 15th Sep 2008 when the Lehman Brothers melt down. Most IC business experts agree that things have changed forever. However, as I have said in the past, change is neither intrinsically good nor bad in all cases. It is almost always an opportunity and that is certainly true for the future of our industry!


ASM technologies are perfectly aligned to address the emphasis on 'Green-Technologies' adopted by all governments world-wide. From IC, Discrete components, LED, CMOS Image sensor assembly equipment to photovoltaics inspection machines. ASM offers innovative and effective solutions to the most challenging demand of the Electronics and Semiconductor customers.

From the powerful support of the factories in China, Singapore and Hong Kong, we have successfully captured most of the IC players, gained their trust on the Equipment performance and reliability. Outperform other strong European, Amercian Japanese Competitors in term of Output per dollar and Stability. Therefore, ASM continue to maintain the World No.1 Position as a Semiconductor Equipment supplier since 2002.

The share price of ASM hit a historical high at HKD$80.00 yesterday and that may be an indication of the fund managers who have good speculation on ASM‘s future success, and as an acknowledgement of ASM‘s strong backlog and future business vision in 2010.

Being a Hong Kong Citizen, and we should be proud to see such successful Company that can be stand up with good track record in the past 34 years. Whereby neither Working diligently with the hardworking engineers and flexible problem solving tradition of Typical HK way, without any financial nor support of any kinds from the Government of Hong Kong.

We are are looking forward to see this Company would have another big organic growth in 2010.

HK Snob

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Hong Kong Christmas Lights- LED




Tsuen Wan MTR station goes LED Christmas Decorative lighting

Every year Tsuen Wan MTR terminus has being well make up with lot of lights from end November till Chinese New Year. Since 2008, Tsuen Wan District office had decided to go LED to replace the incandescent lamps for such Christmas lights.

In Hong Kong, there are a lot of Christmas lighting in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui Commercial Centre. In recent studies 20 out of 24 major buildings in Hong Kong Island are still using incandescent lights, rough estimation there are minimum 100,000 light bulbs that could produce 1,100 tons of CO2 in beginning of December till 20 Feb 2010.
That amount of Energy is an equivalent of 360 Families' total electrical power consumption for 1 year.

I think Hong Kong is an advance City, but in the sense of environment protection, we are still in the Stone Age. Same as this Super Powers gather in Denmark spending two weeks time in meeting.They created 200,000 Tons of Co2 emission by flying Denmakr. After all, there is no committment at all. The cars are still running with low efficient enginrs, People are till using incandescent light bulbs. There is only about 0.1% of the general lighting is using Efficient LED.

Only LED manufacturer and LED manufacturing equipment company could possibly save the world by producing High Power LED that can beat the price of the Incandescent Lamp with same amount of lighting intensity output. I think we have to wait for another 3-5 Years!
feverip

Sunday, December 13, 2009

A new Car to adopt LED Head Lamp



After the exotic Audi R8, Audi Q7 and this Nissan Leaf will adopt the use of a Real LED Power Lamps for his High Beam.

The maker is an Prominent LED technology and LED manufactuer. Let's Watch out in a few months to welcome Nissan Leaf to land onto the Road of Hong Kong!
Feverip

Saturday, December 12, 2009

3M Mpro120 Pocket Projector




Since 3M uhced the First projector last year, this is the more practical one as an improved version launched in Hong Kong Recently.

new MPro 120 includes a built-in speaker, a brighter, stronger projection with 12 Lumens light intensity, and comes packaged with a number of helpful accessories to make it easier to find a purpose which the original model seemed to lack. It is selling at HKD3,380 as a chiristmas hoit item in the electronics shops.

While the first model could project an image 39 inches in diagonal at eleven lumens brightness, this new version can project an image 50 inches in diagonal. The light source is still an LED bulb, perfect for reducing heat, and the image is processed using an LCOS chip, delivering a resolution up to 1200 x 800 While the image is stronger, it’s not a major leap forward and you still have to eliminate any other light source in the room to see the image with any sharp clarity.
3M Recommends a viewing audience of about 1-5 people in a small room and that seems about right.

Key Specification:
2 hour battery life
VGA, Composite video output
20,000 hours Lamp Life!
Mpro110 MicroProjector
With lower budget concern, we can have Mpro110 MicroProjector which is selling at HKD$1,980.00 in Hong Kong.

Wth lower 7 Lumens light intensity, and 10,000 Hours of LED life time,
Feverip

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Preview of Philips's World First 21:9 Cinema Format LCD TV

Philips Cinema 21:9 9000 Series BDP9100 TV , launched in Hong Kong.
An Eisa award best Product 2009-2010,
World First Cinema Screen aspect Ratio 21:9.

Not like the traditional 16:9 that has to chop of the left and right portion of the picture,
This 21:9 matches perfectly with the Blue Ray format, full display to fill up the whole screen
Plus other stunning feature as the Ambilight Spectra 3 technology, an extension of the picture by the illumination from the back side of the LCD TV onto the wall.
This improve he vibrant of the picture display, reduce eye tiredness, enlarged screen effect.

This technology was developed by Light Research Centre Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2005.

World fasters LCD response 1ms, Made in USA, 200Hz frame rate, Perfect Pixel HD Engineer 09 CPU that manipulate 500M pixels in 1 second, 17 bit video processor that can create 2250 Trillion colors.

Size 56” Price is about HKD$50,000. One shortcoming is the LCD Back light built by CCFL, not LED!. I think the next advance model will be LED White direct back Light format!

Feverip

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Seagate Pulsar SSD


The Seagate® Pulsar™ solid state drive (SSD) is the first SSD product in the new Pulsar solid state drive family from Seagate. The Pulsar SSD is designed to meet OEM performance, power, size and reliability requirements for enterprise blade and general server applications.
Key Advantages
Single-level cell (SLC) technology optimizes SSD reliability and endurance
0.44 percent AFR for high reliability and endurance
Up to 200GB capacity in a 2.5-inch form factor and 7mm z-height
Power loss data protection to ensure against data loss upon power failure
5-Year Limited Warranty
SATA 3Gb/s interface to support current blade server chipsets
Leveraging industry-leading, global enterprise support
Industry-leading SSS and SSD standards development through JEDEC and SNIA


Feverip

Toshiba Regza LED TV

Toshiba has been a strong HD DVD major maker, after keeping quiet for two years watching the Korean LED TV makers got the first bite of the TV cake, announced that their Regza LED TV is unveiled in the Market of Hong Kong.

Everyone is wondering this traditional old Japanese Maker would do something about the Korea leader in LED TV for so long. Well, w have found that the are not puppy, yet not much information is being found for mid range and lower end LED TV, they have show their Flag ship series as SV650.

Using all White LED direct back lit design to complete with the Korean by a better contrast and even colour of the TV especially at the four edges.

SV650 series has two major model 46SV650CH and 55SV650CH for 46” and 55” respectively.

These are their good feature: Dynamic Contrast Ratio of 2,000,000:1, built in up scaling function can play Full HD output, support Dolby Volume new audio technique, and maintain an average volume when we change channel or being switching between ads of different kind. 4 sets of HDMI supporting HDMI instaport for faster connection, just 2 second after the HDMI connection, would start the movie.

There is Autoview and 200Hz, function like AGC light control with some sort of sensor in the front panel for light adjustment, 200 Hz is nothing new in the market.
There is LAN to support DLNA, can be connected to computer’s movie and music. SD and USB slot for reading JPEG file. These are not too mush a surprise as gadget, but the Picture quality talks, and this would bring some of the lost market in the Blue Ray DVD.

Price of the SV650 series LED TV 46” HKD$29,990, 55” HKD$49,990
There are also ZV650 CCFL back lit unit with 200Hz and XV with CCFL Back lit unit with 100 Hz.

Their spec and prices are:-

ZV650 42”/47’/55” 50,000:1, 500cd/m2, 200Hz. 6.5ms
ZV650 Price is N/A

XV650 32”/40”46”/52”. 50,000:1, 500cd/m2. 100hz, 6.5ms (32”). 4ms (40”), 6ms (46”’52”)

XV650 $7,290 (32”)/ $10,490 (40”)/ $14,490 (46”)/ $25,990 (52”)

Feverip

Monday, December 7, 2009

Kodak is the inventor of OLED

Kodak is the inventor of OLED.

5th Dec, Eastman Kodak Co announced that they would sell one of their business thin film OLED display technology to South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc, at same time to share the patent with LGE, to end the patent dispute for years between these two companies.

OLED has a better advantage over LED for its ultra low power consumption, thinner as comparing with LED, No need to have Back light.

Feverip

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Silicon WLP modules as the Next HBLED packages





HB-LED Thermal dissipation capability roadmap: all lead to Silicon WLP (Courtesy of Visera)



According to a recent article to CENS Taiwan Publications, Dr. Yan-Kuin Su, President of Kun
Shan University in southern Taiwan, believes silicon substrate`s impressive heat-resistance makes the silicon-based wafer-level packaging (WLP) technology, already a mature packaging process in the computer-chip industry, a suitable packaging solution.

Silicon melts at 1,000 C, its CTE or coefficient of thermal expansion is below 4 ppm/C, and its TC or thermal conductivity is in the 150-180 W/m.k. range according to Mr Su, who is also an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) fellow and has been studying semiconductors for over three decades.

"Most of all, leading-edge silicon process technologies enable devices on silicon to be reduced to nano-scales, allowing LED packagers to integrate all devices, including drive IC, into a miniscule silicon lead frame."

Currently, ployphthalamide (PPA) is the major lead-frame material for packaging low-power chips while ceramic and liquid crystal polymer (LCP) are primarily used for high-power packages, according to Su`s studies. "Ceramic has a good melting point, but ceramic-based lead frame, like PPA and LCP lead frames, has to be made with tooling, hence limiting the frame reduction to micron scale," Su notes. A PPA lead frame, for instance, can be miniaturized to 3mm long by 1.4mm wide at best, holding a 9-mil (0.225 square millimeter) LED chip.




Thermal conductivity of different substrate options (Courtesy of VisEra)




Miniaturization Possible"The micro process makes possible integrating driver ICs into the WLP.LED package by etching circuits on the bottom of the silicon lead frame, thereby eliminating the need for a stand-alone current driver IC to significantly shrink the size of LED modules," says Huang, a member of Su`s WLP project team.

Having an ultra high melting point also makes silicon suitable for eutectic bonding, which is noted for a high melting point of minimum 280 C. "The gold-zinc alloy is used to affix LED chip to silicon lead frames.

As epoxy glues used in most LED packages melt at 180 C, eutectic bonding is much better in thermal resistance and does not capture light in the package during high temperatures as epoxy," Huang notes. Eutectic bonding, Huang asserts, will also become a trend in high-power LED packaging, based on Cree`s use of such approach in its high-power LED packages.

"The difference is that Cree, as far as I understand, uses eutectic to bond LED chips on generic lead frames, not silicon frames.

To prevent the high melting temperature from destroying the lead frame construction during the bonding process, Cree first bonds the chip on a heat-resistant board and then adheres the board to the lead frame," he says. Excellent thermal resistance also makes silicon superior to other lead-frame materials: enabling reflective layers to be grown on silicon lead frames in the burning-hot chemical vapor deposition chamber. "The layer can reflect at least 5% more light from the chip relative to generic lead frames, thereby boosting efficacy of a lamp," Huang notes.

AdvantageousCost efficiency and high reliability, the president stresses, make WLP advantageous. His study shows the cost of ceramic packaging is the highest whereas WLP is the cheapest, with PPA and LCP in the middle. "If a ceramic package costs US$0.25, a PPA would be around US$0.06, an LCP would be around US$0.08 and WLP would be around US$0.03," Su estimates, ascribing the lowest cost mostly to the maturity of the WLP in the chip-making industry.


Miniaturization Possible"The micro process makes possible integrating driver ICs into the WLP LED package by etching circuits on the bottom of the silicon lead frame, thereby eliminating the need for a stand-alone current driver IC to significantly shrink the size of LED modules," says Huang, a member of Su`s WLP project team.

Having an ultra high melting point also makes silicon suitable for eutectic bonding, which is noted for a high melting point of minimum 280 C. "The gold-zinc alloy is used to affix LED chip to silicon lead frames. As epoxy glues used in most LED packages melt at 180 C, eutectic bonding is much better in thermal resistance and does not capture light in the package during high temperatures as epoxy," Huang notes. Eutectic bonding, Huang asserts, will also become a trend in high-power LED packaging, based on Cree`s use of such approach in its high-power LED packages.


"The difference is that Cree, as far as I understand, uses eutectic to bond LED chips on generic lead frames, not silicon frames. To prevent the high melting temperature from destroying the lead frame construction during the bonding process, Cree first bonds the chip on a heat-resistant board and then adheres the board to the lead frame," he says. Excellent thermal resistance also makes silicon superior to other lead-frame materials: enabling reflective layers to be grown on silicon lead frames in the burning-hot chemical vapor deposition chamber.


"The layer can reflect at least 5% more light from the chip relative to generic lead frames, thereby boosting efficacy of a lamp," Huang notes. AdvantageousCost efficiency and high reliability, the president stresses, make WLP advantageous. His study shows the cost of ceramic packaging is the highest whereas WLP is the cheapest, with PPA and LCP in the middle. "If a ceramic package costs US$0.25, a PPA would be around US$0.06, an LCP would be around US$0.08 and WLP would be around US$0.03," Su estimates, ascribing the lowest cost mostly to the maturity of the WLP in the chip-making industry.

TSMC 8-inch wafer silicon based high-power LED packaging technology (Courtesy of VisEra)


Focusing on LightingGenius Electronic Optical Co., Ltd. (GSEO) is Taiwan`s second biggest optical-lens maker. Founded in 1990, the company has provided lenses for use on consumer electronics, such as mobile-phone cameras and notebook computers. More recently it expanded into the LED lighting field. Company chairman T.C. Chen stresses that LED lights provide focal illumination and therefore require lenses to evenly diffuse the illumination.

"GSEO`s LED lights absolutely have the industry`s top quality given the company`s some 50 R&D engineers and its leading-edge lens technology," he boasts. The company`s LED-lighting operation has mostly focused on streetlights, which are rapidly converted to LED lamps with the aid of government energy-saving programs. "Government contracts under stimulus programs are boosting demand for LED streetlights in the recession.

have delivered 3,000 lights under government contracts," says an unnamed sales executive at the company. He adds that mainland China is currently the fastest-growing market for LED streetlights. The company is closely watching the mainland`s ambitious plan to install millions of LED streetlights as part of public-work projects in 21 major cities in the second half of this year. The company is promoting its second-generation lights, which are sleeker than its more boxy first-generation products. The G901 family of lights is composed of 90W, 130W, 180W and 260W lights, with 90W and 130W each delivering 5,000 and 7,500 lumens of luminous flux and the other two delivering 10,000 and 15,000 lumens, respectively.

The company`s G003 line is made up of 155W and 60W streetlights, giving off 9,300 lumens and 5,700 lumens, respectively. According to the sales executive, GSEO`s streetlights meet Taiwan`s CNS15233 standard for LED streetlights. "Tests have shown that our lights can withstand a wind force scale 17 and are qualified for the IP65," he says. The company makes its lights with chips from Cree. The lights have achieved efficacy of 100 lumens per watt this year, up from 80 lumens per watt in 2008. Its eight-meter lights rated at 100 watts give off same amount of illumination as 250-watt mercury lights. Recently, the company added washer lights and tunnel lights to its outdoor lighting line.

GSEO recently won a large contract from Philips for lens used on LED indoor lamps, a market that the company has initially tapped with a 25W light tube. The tube, specifically designed for office lighting, projects 205 lux of illumination to a distance of 1.5 meters and has a guaranteed lifespan of 30,000 hours. The tube is reportedly now available in Japan. GSEO also sells an LED zoom-lens flashlight. The light is fitted into an aluminum-alloy wafer-proof body and projects a 1.5-lux beam up to 100 meters away. The flashlight has a guaranteed lifespan warranty of 10,000 hours.

Wafer level lens molding technology : high productivity & good lens shape control (Courtesy of VisEra)

Impact on Taiwanese industryTaiwan is currently the world`s second largest supplier of LED lighting products by quantity, providing everything from epitaxy wafers and chips to packages and lighting modules. In each segment, manufacturers are tapping unique expertise to turn out niche products. One promising development in the industry is the use of silicon-based materials by LED lighting packagers, whose products are used in lighting modules. Silicon has an excellent heat resistance, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and transparency, making it well suited for lighting applications. Some packagers underscore the excellent color rendering achieved by their products by using a full chromatic spectrum of phosphor powders.

Others have expanded into the lighting-module design sector and are diversifying their product lines for different applications. Collaboration in new product promotion is also gaining traction among Taiwanese LED manufacturers, who realize they can get more bang for their buck by integrating resources rather than going it alone. MEMS PackagingHELIO Optoelectronics Corp. is an LED packaging startup founded in 2006 by a team of optoelectronics specialists who formerly worked at the government-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

The company is working to integrate packaging with micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology, representing the fourth stage on the company`s technology-development roadmap. Company general manager Cater Chen notes that MEMS technology enables the packaging of single silicon-carrying control integrated circuits and a high-power LED chips, reducing packaging costs. Current LED packaging generally consists of a light emitter coupled with various external controllers, complicating the manufacturing process and increasing the size and cost of the emitting system. Chen was a former ITRI manger in charge of a wafer-level-packaging project.

The technology enables IC packagers to encase system-on-chip (SoC) components directly on silicon wafers. "Our R&D team is mostly composed of MEMS specialists," he says. Chen`s company is testing MEMS integration in cooperation with a big-name silicon-chip assembler on the island. "We`re planning to do the packaging on 200mm and 300mm silicon wafers and project to put out 2,000 3.4mm by 3.4mm packages on a wafer in our factory," he says. He estimates the company will begin volume production using the new packaging technology in one year.

So far, the company has tried lead-frame packaging, ceramic packaging and silicon packaging approaches, which mount LED chips on polymer-based substrate, ceramic substrate and silicon substrate, respectively. The first two approaches are used widely in the industry now, while silicon is gaining ground thanks to its advantages over other materials. For example, silicon melts at 1,000 centigrade, has a CTE below 4 ppm/C, and has a thermal conductivity (TC) in the range of 150-180 W/m.k. HELIO also uses silicone rubber to encapsulate LED chip as a lens, and it is one of the few LED packagers good at silicone molding injection.

According to Chen, the injection technology has considerably reduced the chance of lens bubbling and fissuring--a frequent problem when using conventional adhesive methods--enabling light to pass smoothly to the surface of the emitter. As to the future market for silicon-based packaging materials, Chen notes that, "Silicon will win out over other materials because of its excellent performance and low cost." The company has been focusing on high-power LED packages for lighting purposes since it was founded. Its product line includes 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-watt emitters for general lighting, auxiliary lighting and auto lighting.

Its 1W white emitters have an efficiency rating of 110 lumens per watt, and its 3W white emitters give off 180 lumens. The company sources chips from big-name suppliers, including BridgeLux of the United States, in which silicon foundry giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) holds stakes. Since its establishment, the company has won at least 42 patents, including a patent for AC LED packaging.

The company`s 40-person R&D team is formed by engineers with degrees in materials, mechanics, physics, optics, and biotech sciences. The company also has cooperated with elite schools in Taiwan, including National Sun Yat-sen University, National Central University, National University of Tainan and National Chiayi University on medical lighting and bio lighting. The company has also entered into alliance with end-product makers Coretronic Corp., and Foxsemicon Integrated Technology Inc., as well as LED chipmaker Optotech Corp. HELIO has sold its packages to over 300 lighting-module suppliers, making it one of the top three suppliers of high-power LED packages in Taiwan. The company now puts out 1.2 million emitters and 200,000 modules a month, delivering an equal half of its outputs each to indoor lighting suppliers and outdoor lighting suppliers.

Wafer level lens molding technology : high productivity & good lens shape control (Courtesy of VisEra)


LED AllianceEverlight and 18 other Taiwanese manufacturers across the LED industry have formed a camp aimed at prompting AC LED lighting products. Among the other 18 members are chipmaker Epistar Inc. and consumer-electronics manufacturer Forward Electronics Co., Ltd., packager Lustrous International Technology Ltd. and thermal-solution provider Liquidleds Lighting Corp. The alliance, which is backed by ITRI, has introduced at least 30 product applications, including desk lamps, floor lamps, bulbs, light tubes, lighting modules, and nightlights.

An alliance representative says: "AC LED is an ideal solution for stationary LED lighting products ranging from desk lamps to streetlights." According to James Chu, director of the Opto-Electronics Device and System Application Division (ODSAD) and leader of a project to develop AC LED technology, semiconductor devices have been designed to run on direct current electricity since day one, making them dependent on DC adapters plugged into household AC outlets.

"However, adaptor circuitry, as any other, has resistance and impedes around 30% of the current flow, compromising electrical efficiency. So the ideal design is to raise the current tolerance of LEDs so they can be directly powered by AC electricity," Chu says. Chu points out that the alliance is working on industrial standards as well as developing applications. "As soon as we set an industrial format for AC LED, we can be free of the restraints posed by DC LED patents," he says.

LED grouping is also supported by the Small and Medium Enterprises Administration (SMEA) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). One of the teams aims at promoting the intelligent LED thematic lighting system and LED dental lighting system developed by ITRI. Under contact by the SMEA, J.H. Chang, manager of ITRI`s Technology Center for Service Industries, has brought together around 13 Taiwan-based manufacturers from all segments of the LED-lighting industry to form an alliance for the development of intelligent thematic lighting systems, which change light intensity and colors with the aid of computer programs.

Chang hopes within four years to develop the technology to enable color and intensity changes via wireless remote. "After surveying this sector for two years, I saw an excellent niche market that calls for a team effort," says Chang. He notes that the small-volume, high diversity production model in Taiwan is an asset in this market, one that few other countries can match. The lack of industry standards is another plus as Taiwan producers position to succeed in the emerging market. "World-class players also don`t mind the rivalry for small-volume, big variety orders, which are simply too troublesome to fill," he adds.

LED lighting is also well suited for medical lighting systems, which require good color rendering, low shadowing, low temperatures and high luminosity. "Our medical lighting lessens shadows to only 45% to 60% at one meter compared to traditional lights, allowing doctors to see wounds more clearly. Also, such light emits no infrared light, minimizing heat-related problems during surgery. Good or natural color rendering allows doctors to better identify and examine pathogens," Chu says. The medical lighting system gives off 9,000 lumens and is 20% more power efficient than traditional types, Chu adds. Another major proponent of LED grouping is the government-backed China Productivity Center (CPC).


The organization has recently organized six local manufacturers scattering in printed-circuit board (PCB), drive IC, LED-lighting system and metal-product sectors, including Yuan Lung Co., Ltd., Davitek Corp. and Galaxy PCB Co., Ltd. According to Yuan Lung`s general manager, Goosen Su, the camp began forming a year ago and aims to promote indoor lights for the domestic market in the initial stage. "Indoor LED lighting techniques are already mature, posing a lower entry threshold to new entrants," he says. Su points out that industry grouping allows companies to integrate resources to achieve a shared aim. "Each member has its own profession, but without integration none can go any further in the LED lighting sector," Su stresses. The alliance will first develop lights for uses in offices and classrooms. "LED lamps are ideal for indoor applications due to their slim profile, good color rendering and energy saving merits," Su notes.

Source :Micron News , CENS

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

More PID Display will be launched in 2010

In 2010, new Public Information Display (PID) panels are expected to be launched. According to recent update made in Quarterly Panel Roadmap Report by Displaybank, each LCD panel makers are planning various PID-use only panels in next year.

PID market, followed from the existing TV/Monitor/NotePC market, is expected to undergo rapid growth and become new application area which gathers many makers attention that market is expanding by adding various additional functions as well as enlarging in size.

For most PID-use only panels from LCD panel makers had been added increased brightness, reliability and Portrait function onto normal TV panels but in 2010, each makers are planning to add various products with 3D, Triple Display, Mirror Display and LED-BLU.

So I can say that the Back lit unit business for LED is still growing supported by this PID Display.
Source :Displaybank
Feverip

Monday, November 23, 2009

LED light bulbs

More and more LED light bulbs are made for sale in Hong Kong.
We have various types of LED light bulbs, all these makers are providing choice for us, Philips MasterLED, CitiLED, Toshiba, Optiled, and some local assembly houses using good renowned LED such as SSL, K2, Seoul Semi LED, They are selling at price of HKD$138 for 5W, HKD$250 for
7 W consists of 7 pieces of K2 Leds, Cold Warm white is also available.

From what we can see, the average selling price of LED light bulb is dropping at a rate of -20% per year. I am expecting that large company will soon having it LED,replacement light bulb in volume production, plus the over demand MasterLED in Hong Kong Market.

I am using all K2 type LED replacement light bulb at home. We believe that by 2012 the ASP of a 7 W LED light bulb will be merely HKD$50.00 (approx. USD$4. That was a reasonable and affordable price for most of us.

Of course there is certain theory saying that only the LED light bulb is selling at 2X of the incandescent are able to attract for huge penetration. But I think that is a thereorical case, and 2X is far away. Probably 8X-10X will be feasible in not long later… let’s prepare for this huge market of LED replacement light bulbs to come.

ASM is the one who is supporting the requireed LED bonding equipment for the lighting industry. ASM's Web site:www.asmpacific.com

Feverip

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Sharp starts Supplies LED Backlights to Sony

TVs that use LED backlights are expected to be a major battle ground for consumer electronics makers, and such move would likely improve their competitiveness against industry giant Samsung Electronics Co LTd.

Japan's Sharp will begin supplying LED backlights for LCD televisions to Sony Corp, expanding their alliance in LCD panels. The two will also jointly develop next-generation backlights, it said without citing sources.

Sony plans to invest about 68 billion yen by April 2011 to take a one-third stake in a joint venture with Sharp to jointly produce LCD panels at a cutting-edge plant in western Japan.

The plant, which started output last month, is the world's first factory that processes so-called 10th-generation glass substrates, which are bigger than earlier-generation substrates and help reduce per-panel output costs.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Soraa Inc. USA

Momentive Performance Materials will receive $4.5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to continue the development of breakthrough technology for the low cost production of light emitting diodes (LEDs) used in solid state lighting.

Based on Momentive's platform technology and initiated by Momentive, the two-year energy research project brings together a team of companies that are expert in ammonothermal bulk gallium-nitride (GaN) crystal growth technology, high pressure/high temperature reactor development and LED device testing and development.

Collaborating with Momentive on the award-winning project are Soraa, Inc. and Advanced Photonic Crystals, LLC. Soraa was co-founded by world-leading experts in GaN materials and devices. Advanced Photonic Crystals, LLC is an on-shore manufacturer of innovative laser and optical crystals, with expertise in high-pressure autoclave engineering and crystal growth that is being brought to bear on this project. They would focus on HBLED for lighting and illumination.

feverip

Illumitex will go for 300 Lm/watt LED in 2015


Illumitex LLC (Austin, Texas), started in 2005, the company now has 25 employees, with the toolset required to create and test HB-LED prototypes. Mass production will be done in Asia.

Paul Winberg VP of Engineering said a new startup aimed at the high-brightness light-emitting diode (HB-LED) market, says it has proprietary optics technology that will increase the amount of light emitted from the package.

Co-founder and CTO Dung Duong brought optics engineering ideas to the table, when three co-founders started the company in Winberg's garage. "Our packaging technology is such that we approach it from an optics standpoint, with the use of secondary optics," Winberg said. "By doing that, we can direct the light so it all comes down to the front of the package, which gives customers a much smaller package.

Illumitex buys commercial epitaxial sapphire wafers, and builds the diode much as other HB-LED vendors do. The company's advantage lies in the metal reflective layers incorporated into the flip-chip package, the external quantum efficacy is the more important metric. The highly refractive surfaces in an LED and its package can quickly dissipate the emitted brightness and turn light into heat, reducing the thermal benefits that LEDs offer.

The package measures 1.1 mm on a side, and 1.5 mm high, which Winberg said is "much smaller than anything else out there. That advantage stems from the secondary optics in the package, which get more light out." Flip Chip technology is mainly the process of Lumileds and that has certain good points as Gold to gold has very good heat dissipation highway, but the negative side is the high manufacturing cost as the Flip Chip process is slow typical in term of 1-1.2sec a LED, plus the need to have underfill by jetting machine.

There are only a few companies in the world produce Thermosonic Bonding equipment for LED. Namely, ASM, Panasonic and TDK.

Illumitex’s primary product will start at 100 then 150 Lm/W at 300ma driving current...till 2015, they would produce a LED with 300 Lm/W!


Feverip

Monday, November 16, 2009

Coming LED show

LDI 2009
November 19-22, 2009
Orlando, Florida, United States
Lighting and sound show for the entertainment industry.

White LEDs 2009
December 01-05, 2009
Taipei, Taiwan
The Second International Conference on White LEDs and Solid State Lighting (ICWLEDSSL 2009)

Strategies in Light 2010
February 10-12, 2010
Santa Clara Convention Center, California, United States
The leading conference and exhibition for the LED and Solid-State Lighting global community.

LED China 2010
March 02-05, 2010
China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex, Area B, Guangzhou, China
With an overwhelming success of the last edition, LED CHINA 2010 will take place at Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou, again from March 2nd to March 5th, 2010. It is estimated that LED CHINA 2010 will gather about 350 exhibitors taking 25,000 sq. m. exhibition space. LED CHINA is a leading global event for LED application.

Light+Building 2010
April 11-16, 2010
Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Lightfair 2010
May 12-14, 2009
Las Vegas Convention Center, United States

electronica 2010
November 09-12, 2010
Munich, Germany
The world's leading trade fair for components, systems and applications. Meet decision-makers, developers and buyers.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Starbucks Goes LEDs



Illumination Lighting is undergoing a revolution change On Dec. 31, the hugely popular and highly inefficient Edison incandescent lamp turns 130 years old. The next day it's 2010, and Australia will move to phase them out. The EU, the U.S. and other nations will follow over the next few years

Recently Wal-Mart had proceeded a deal with Cree to use their HB LED lighting solution for their 6,500 stores.


Next time, when you are in a Starbucks, make sure to look up at the ceiling and check out the lights.


Coffee behemoth Starbucks will replace conventional lights with LED bulbs in 8,000 stores by March 2010.


The switch from incandescent lamps and other vacuum-and-chemical lights to solid state lighting is expected to reduce energy consumption in a store by 7 percent. Starbucks overall has a goal of reducing energy consumption by 25 percent by the end of 2010.


You just don't get that Starbucks mood lighting out of a box. 1,000 outlets in the U.S. have already been retrofitted with LEDs.


Those LED lights come from General Electric, which tweaked one of its existing designs to meet the aesthetic and design criteria of Starbucks.

While the bulbs still cost far more than conventional bulbs, the price is coming down. Panasonic, Sharp, Philips, Osram and Lemnis Lighting all have 60-watt equivalents that cost around $40. The commercial market will likely adopt LEDs first – the lower maintenance and replacement costs lead to a quicker payback.

Consumers generally don't hire people to change their bulbs so the economic argument is tougher.
Still, LED-makers like GE and Osram are experimenting with ways to these enhance lights – Osram has one coming for consumers that can splash muted colors into a room – to boost the shelf appeal.

Potentially, LEDs can also cut air conditioning bills because the light itself doesn't generate heat. The fridges in the supermarket will be benefited if they are fitted with LED.
Hong Kong, yet still promoting the CFL lighting by our Executive Officer… a bit not feeling uncomfortable as we are lag behind other countries, not US, EU, even Singapore, Taiwan, Korea and China.

Not even go in par with our motherland China! China is doing a lot of afford in promoting the use of LED… In Singapore, Taiwan and China. Almost 90% traffic light is LEDs, whereas in Hong Kong…. I can tell you, we are the loyal Customer for Edison incandescent lamps, we are all 100% Incandescent lamps…. Is it Sarcastic!

Feverip

Samsung Loses LCD Patent Dispute, Sharp Wins

Samsung lost a LCD patent-infringement case brought upon by Sharp.

The US International Trade Commission upheld a ruling by an ITC administrative judge on 9 Nov. stating that Samsung infringed on four of Sharp’s LCD patents. The LCD patents are related to improving viewing angles and response times. The ITC also said that Samsung must stop selling displays in the US that infringe on those patents. Sharp originally filed the suit against Samsung in March 2008. Samsung claimed that the company expects no major impact on its LCD business from the ITC’s ruling and is confident of its ability to meet demand for its LCD products. Samsung also noted that the company has no plans to negotiate with Sharp on the issue.

According to James Chung, Samsung spokesman:
We are fully committed to honor our responsibility to our business partners and are taking appropriate actions to meet the market demand for Samsung LCD panels and products without any interruption.

Presidential Review Samsung is required to post a bond worth 100% of the affected products pending a review of the ITC ruling by President Barack Obama. Obama can overturn the ban if he finds the ruling contrary to the public’s interest. The presidential review period can take up to 60 days. The ITC case number is 337-TA-631. The import ban should not have any impact on the LCD goods that have already been imported into the US. Also because of the duration of the presidential review Samsung’s holiday season sales should have little to no impact.

Vertical Alignment Sharp, Samsung, AU Optronics (AUO), Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO) and many other LCD manufacturers make use of LCD panel technology that is based on VA or Vertical Alignment to enhance viewing angles. The few exceptions include LG Display and IPS Alpha that make use of a different technology called IPS or In-Plane Switching to improve viewing angles.

Source:DisplayBlog by Jin on November 10, 2009

Thursday, November 12, 2009

LED Flowers



This high-tech plant life does away with such petty annoyances as dirt, water and sunlight, replacing them with an ongoing thirst for electricity. Each kit comes complete bendy branches, tipped off with bright and colorful LEDs.

While these particular ones are only available in Korea and come with a 220-volt power adapter, not long later, we should be able to get it in China and Hong Kong.

Design a dramatic and elegant atmosphere in any lobby or entryway, or create a garden of light with these beautiful illuminated L.E.D. Cherry Blossom Trees. They are safe, as they emit little heat and run off low voltage UL approved adapters. Each LED is sealed by a PVC shell and can take some damp weather. They consume only little power. Ideal for indoor use or covered outdoor use. These Trees are approximately 30" tall.

· Crafted by hand, this tree glows with 200 vivid LED blossoms
· Cannot be placed in water
· UL-approved
· 12" wide, 30" tall
· Cool to the touch

About $122
Please do not water it! It won’t grow with your water!
Feverip

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Struggling LG Innotek LED Unit Could Hurt LG's TV Business

LG Innotek CEO Hur Young-ho

Flat screens using LED backlights are slimmer, more power-efficient and offer sharper images than those lit by traditional cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs).

Since Mar 2009, LED backlit LCD TVs are currently at the focus of the television industry’s competition. There are pioneers like Samsung, Sony, Sharp and LG who are the major suppliers of LCD TV in the past. They are now working on plan how to pursue the champion of this huge dollar valued Consumer sales. According to the LCD TV shipment data, Samsung was the No.1, followed by Sony, Sharp and LG as the world largest LCD TV supplier in 2008. In this year, Samsung maintains No.1 and LG is the 2nd and followed by Sony and then Sharp as the Rank of World LCD TV shipment . And this will be likely the same for next year.

Led by Samsung Electronics, the global LED TV market has rapidly been increasing as consumers are allured by the enhanced picture qualities and energy saving features amid signs of economic recovery. Sep 09, Kang Shin-ik, LG's television chief, had said it would sell 7 million units of LED TVs in 2010. LG Electronics had lowered its LED TV sales target for 2010 to 5 in a third quarter earnings briefing last month.

"It is difficult to predict the global LED TV market as the segment has been on a faster expansionary track. That's why our target sales are having flexibility," an official at LG Electronics said.

The troubles at LG Innotek is leading to uncertainties over LG Electronics' LED backlit LCD television business, with the consumer electronics maker continuing to adjust targets seemingly every other week.

LG Electronics’s LED chip provider is LG Innotek is not able to meet the demand of LED for LGE. LG Electronics, being the world's second-largest flat-screen television maker, is worrying that they are not afford to be lagging behind of in LED backlit LCD TVs business.

Improving cost competitiveness is critical for LG Electronics as one of the South Korea’s biggest Conglomerates, has been forced to go for intensive vertical integration in order to get the best production cost for LCD TV. On the other hand, Samsung has been facing with this headache, just been a bit smarter to have the LCD TV being launched into the market earlier with the LED-backlit models.

LG Innotek and LG Display is handling the chips and LCD screens business respectively would be a way to run their core business effectively and independently.However, recent struggles of LG Innotek continues to see its stock prices plummet with 40% drop and its ability to supply LED chips was questioned by LG Electronics.

The drop in stock prices reflects the worries of investors over LG Innotek's capability to finance its LED business and uncertainties over the market conditions for LED products.LG Innotek, which makes LED components and LCD modules, said it planned to invest about $970 million by the end of 2010 to boost its production capability.

Company officials are struggling to find ways to raise more fund for its LED business including plans to issue new shares. At the end of October 2009, LG Innotek's debt-to-equity ratio stood at 64 percent, and the company has already issued bonds worth more than 100 billion won combined.

It will be challenging for LG Innotek to finance its aggressive LED capital expenditure with only EBITDA (Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) earnings and debt. A sharp deterioration of the company's printed circuit board (PCB) margins, higher competition and rising inventories amid the approaching year-end season are also expected to weigh on the company's profit structure, analysts said.

Some say the lowered target was due to insufficient chip capability from Innotek. However, we could receive the necessary components by expanding our outsourcing channels.The Innotek spokesmen said the company was on a stable route to strengthen its LED chip abilities and added that more related measures would come.Additionally, LG Display is planning to absorb the LCD module operations of LG Innotek.

Innotek, in return, will receive a cash infusion that will allow it to concentrate on LEDs. "LG Innotek will earn 1.5 trillion won in LED sales in 2012. Still, they are in the process of vertical integration of our LED businesses from LED backlighting, wafers, chips and packaging to module operations.LG Innotek, which merged with another LG Group component-producing arm, LG Micron, in July, has LG Electronics, LG Display, Nokia, Motorola and Japan's Sharp as its biggest clients.

Feverip

Source Korea Times.

Asia Biggest Light Fair


13-Apr-2010 to 16-Apr-2010
Event Timing:
09:30am - 06:30pm

Industry:
Electronics & Electrical Goods & Supplies
Event Place:
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong S.A.R.)

Organizer:
Hong Kong Trade Development Council

Expected Visitors: 30,000

Event Profile
Hong Kong International Lighting is an International Electronics & Electrical Goods & Supplies Industry exhibition. It features the cutting edge technologies & ground-breaking designs of lighting industry.
The previous edition 27-30 Oct covered 1,572 exhibitors from 33 countries & 28,210 visitors from across the globe.


Feverip

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

ASM MS899DL Map sorting LED machine


The LED wafer has to be tested by wafer prober machine at wafer level, that was tested by probing onto the LED e-poles and the light intensity and lambda are measured. This measured data together with the known X-Y coordinator was record sequentially into a map file. This wafer will be sawn either by Blade sawing machine or laser cut and then break by rolling with special non-electrostatic roller.

Then the LEDs will be passed onto a Map sorter machine to perform the map sorting
There is roughly 30K LED chip of 7milx7mil on a 4” sawn and wafer.

ASM Map sorter MS899DL had been the earliest developed machine platform with enormous experience and process know how on handling the alignment of the chip on the Wafer.

As we can see that if there is a die being sorted wrongly, the rest of the dies will not be correctly been binned. That is a huge losson the LED and that could write off a few thousand dollars.
MS899DL is the latest 3rd generation platform with high speed sorting time of 220 ms for 9mil x9 mil LED Chip.

There is a total 100 bin grades on film frame stored up in form of cassettes. All the operation will be done automatically. An option of AOI (Automatic Optical Inspection) system on the wafer inspection to screen out all those bad cut dies, contaminated or chipped die which was not found at the original panel form.
A auto bar code scanner to read the bar code for auto retrieve of the maps from intranet is the standard operation.

There are certain similar map sorting machines in the market but due to lacking or process experience and support from a mature core technology of vision, motion and linear motion control Technology. There is no way to be qualified by larger LED supplier in the world due to weak software integrity, higher down time and not able to meet a good placement accuracy of +/-1.25 mil at CpK 1.33.

Supported by a team of professional service and process engineering team, ASM can be your only choice for your next buy of Map sorter.
For More Information, you may visit ASM official website :
http://www.asmpacific.com/asmpt/index.htm

Feverip

The Competition between Samsung and Vizio LCD TV

According to iSuppli Corp. when Vizio Inc maintained its leadership in the US LCD TV market in Q2, No.2 ranked Samsung Electronics Co Ltd closed the gap significantly as buyers gravitated toward its LED-backlit sets.

Samsung's share of US LCD TV unit shipments rose to 21.3% in Q2, up 3.5 points from 17.8% in Q2. This represented the largest increase of any LCD TV brand in the US in Q2. With its strong rise, Samsung of South Korea in Q2 cut Vizio's lead to only 0.4 percentage points, down from 3.6 points in Q1.

Samsung in Q2 was very aggressive in introducing and marketing its LED-backlit LCD TVs allowing it to boost sales of these sets. US consumers increasingly are warming up to higher-specification LCD TV models, including those using new LED-backlighting technology.

We estimate 2.4% of LCD TVs shipped in the US in Q2 used LED backlights, up from zero during the same quarter a year earlier. In mature markets like the US, while many consumers are moving up from their CRT or rear-projection, Projector TVs, an increasing number of LCD TV purchases are replacements of first-generation flat-panel sets.

Despite Samsung's surge, Vizio retained leadership in the US LCD TV market for the second consecutive quarter. US-based Vizio continues to benefit from its combination of low-cost and full-featured sets, combined with its high-volume retail channels, including Wal-Mart. Vizio seems to have found the right balance formula of price and features that appeals to many US consumers.

A lot of research predicts that global penetration of the LED-backlight technology for LCD TV panels will increase to almost 40% of all shipments in 2013, up from 3% in 2009.

Feverip

OptiLED Secures Exclusive LED Lighting Distribution Deal with Philips Lighting of Mexico

OptiLED, global manufacturer of innovative LED lighting systems, announced a partnership with Philips-Construlita, a division of Philips Lighting in Mexico, further expanding the company's global reach into Mexico and the surrounding vicinity. With this deal, OptiLED LED lights will be sold in 55 major stores in Mexico and supply hundreds of other lighting distributors. In addition, Philips-Construlita will incorporate OptiLED lamps in their new Terrane product line of in-ground and submersible fixtures.

Philips-Construlita is the largest network of retail lighting stores and exclusive dealers in Mexico. This exclusive distribution deal will allow OptiLED to increase its global customer base, which has been spreading throughout Latin and South America over the past year. The partnership also speaks to the worldwide growing acceptance of LED technology as the regions are noting the products' durability, energy conservation and long life.

World Thinnest LCD TV : 3.9mm

For the Competition of LCD TV, After Samsung, Then LG, JVC, now Samsung Electronics Co Ltd unveiled its "world's thinnest" 3.9mm-thick 40-inch full-HD LCD panel for TVs at FPD International Oct 2009.

To achieve the thinness, Samsung Electronics made improvements to the optical elements so that LED light efficiently and evenly comes to the liquid crystal cells.

Due to the edge-lit backlight, there were a few streaks seen on the screen. But the company said that they can be eliminated by improving technologies in the future. The luminance, contrast and frame frequency of the panel are 400cd/m2, 5,000:1 and 120Hz, respectively.

Samsung Electronics also showcased two ultra-slim LCD panels that use the same technologies and are designed for monitors and notebook PCs, respectively. The panel for monitors is 24 inches in size and 3.5mm in thickness, pixel count and luminance are 1,920 x 1,200 and 250cd/m2, respectively. The panel for notebook PCs features a screen size of 12.1 inches, a thickness of 1.64mm and a weight of 120g. Its pixel count and luminance are 1,200 x 800 and 200cd/m2, respectively.

Toshiba Regza LCD TV


As for LED backlit unit for LCD TV, generally speaking, RGB LEDs, rather than white LEDs, broaden "color gamut," one of the major indices of image quality. Nevertheless, Toshiba used white LEDs for its new LCD TVs, which it claims are "the highest image quality models of Regza products."


When asked why, Toshiba’s Motomura said, "In fact, image quality is higher with a white LED backlight."


He explained it as follows. First, white LED light sources are more efficient in boosting image quality because the white balance fluctuates more easily when the light source is RGB LEDs. Second, image quality becomes more likely to degrade if the color gamut is extended more than necessary because it causes the display to render incorrect colors.


It is true that RGB LED backlights offer a wider color gamut than white LED backlights, but the color reproduction range of white LEDs is sufficient to render colors of most objects, Motomura said.


On the other hand white LED back light is mch cheaper than RGB backlit unit at least 60%!


Ref.
The Above picture illustrates the comparison of image quality between Toshiba's previous LCD TV (right) and its new product (left), which combines a white LED backlight and local dimming. The LED-backlit model on the left uses a glossy panel.


Feverip


Cree's huge move into China

According to Cree, it will build its first chip production facility outside of North America at Huizhou, which is in southern China.

Cree didn't announce how many employees it plans to hire at the new plant. Already more than half of the company's 3,500 employees work in China, mostly at an existing plant in Huizhou.
Cree employs about 1,500 at its headquarters and manufacturing plant in Durham, but it said last month that it planned to add 575 workers by the end of 2012 -- including 200 within a few months -- as part of its expansion plant expansion there.

Cree revenue for the fiscal first quarter that ended Sept. 27 totaled $169.1 million -- up 20 percent compared with a year ago and a 14 percent increase over the previous quarter.
Profits for the quarter totaled $21 million, versus $5.9 million a year ago.

Cree previously said it would spend between $150 million and $165 million during its current fiscal year to expand its plants in Durham and China to meet growing demand. Probably this announcement from Chuck Swobada (CEO of Cree) had mentioned earlier that they will have lessen Chip supply of Q2 2010, as partly due to this new chip manufacturing facilities installation.
With such big Move, Cree will be sustaining his position in Chip and his Package LED supply as Crees’ smart approach in using China competitive labour and skillful technical people as a to turn out supply of LED with competitive price into China huge LED demand for their Lighting.

Wal-Mart Goes LEDs

Wal-Mart is going to use with Cree’s LRP-38, a PAR38 style LED lamp in 650 of Its Stores in the first year. The LED bulb is designed to last 50,000 hours and consume 82 percent less energy than the 70-watt ceramic metal halide bulbs it replaces.

It was a signed deal between Cree and Wal-Mart on 4 Nov.

Though we do not have any figure of the value of this deal for Cree, or exactly how many lights Wal-Mart bought. This move has an implication for the LED Lighting industry and Cree Market position in the USA.


Feverip

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Lemnis Lighting and Pharox LED light bulbs


As consumers look to cut down on energy use and the federal government's 2012 ban on incandescent bulbs approaches, sales of compact fluorescent lights have increased. These spiral-shaped lights use much less energy than traditional incandescent lights, which waste most of the energy they draw. CFLs also last seven to 10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs.


But LEDs, promise a next generation of lights that are even more efficient, last longer, are more easily dimmable and, unlike CFLs, don't contain mercury.


Lemnis Lighting Inc. Announced the full-scale release in the U.S. market of a light-emitting diode bulb, its entry in the race to replace 60-watt incandescent lights.


Lemnis’s Pharox light looks like a traditional incandescent light, with a metal piece wrapped around the midsection of the light that acts as a heat-sink, keeping the 6 Watts LEDs cool and ensuring a long life of 35,000 hours. The soft white bulbs are about $40 each.


Lemnis Lighting is owned by Tendris Holding, a business incubator and operator in sustainable technology and services based in Naarden, Netherlands. Both Lemnis and Tendris are run by Warner Philips, the grandson of Royal Philips NV co-founder Anton Philips. Tendris was formed in 2002 with investments from its insiders and friends and family. Philips is a 10% shareholder in Tendris.


Mr. Philips said in an interview that Lemnis is in talks with major U.S. retailers to sell the Pharox product.


Coming up with a quality, affordable 60-watt replacement light has been a challenge for the LED industry, partially for the reason that LEDs are by nature directional sources of light, as opposed to traditional incandescent light bulbs that shine in 360 degrees. Top LED companies have been concentrating mostly on directional light sources for commercial and industrial purposes, which make up the bulk of the lighting market.


But the Department of Energy recently established the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize, known as the L-prize, which is a competition for companies to come up with the best 60-watt replacement light. The DOE said that more than 425 million 60-watt incandescent light bulbs are sold each year in the U.S. alone, representing approximately 50% of the incandescent light bulb market.


So far Amsterdam, Netherlands-based Philips is the only company to submit a product.
The DOE said an LED replacement for this purpose could save 34 terawatt-hours of electricity in one year, enough to power the lights of 17.4 million U.S. households and avoid 5.6 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually.


New York-based Lighting Science Group Corp. has a 40-watt incandescent LED replacement that the company says draws about 7 watts, lasts 40,000 hours and is dimmable.
Thomas Griffiths, an LED industry expert, said in an interview that he sees these three companies as the main competitors at the moment on the LED replacement light scene. Griffiths said the Pharox light looks like a good product, but only time will tell for sure, and he thinks the $39 sticker price is still too high.


Lemnis offers a three-year warranty on the product and the company estimates that an average utility rate of 15 cents per kilowatt-hour, a consumer will achieve a payback within three years.
"I think they're representing where the state of the technology affordably has us right now, but there's still a ways to go before there's a real replacement, and right now Philips is the one to watch because of this announcement," Mr. Griffiths said.


Philips said in a statement that it is confident its product meets the criteria of the L-prize, which calls for a higher level of efficiency, better quality light and more light output than the Lemnis and Lighting Science products.


Although Philips and Lemnis are competitors in this context, Philips acquired an equity stake in Tendris in January.


Mr. Philips said that if Lemnis, with the help of Los Angeles-based partner Digital Light LLC, can reach its goal of selling 10 million lights world-wide within the next 24 months, the price could drop to $30 per bulb.


Griffiths said LED replacement lights need to reach the $15 to $20 range before they'll really be viable.


Tendris' first investment was Oxxio, a supplier of renewable energy, which was sold to Centrica PLC in 2005. That exit gave Tendris at least $39 million more to play around with. The same year, the Dutch National Postcode Lottery also bought a 10% stake in Tendris, giving the company more capital to push its innovations out into the market.


Lemnis, based in Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, was founded in 2005 and is on the verge of profitability, Mr. Philips said in an earlier interview.


Mr. Philips said he isn't looking for an exit with Lemnis, but he said long-term partnerships are always a possibility.


Source :WSJ

Osram Opto creates a new warm white 104lm/Watt LED

A LED that is claimed to offer high efficacy, good colour rendering and a warm white light has been developed by Osram Opto Semiconductors.

The prototype offers three properties that are important for general illumination applications: a colour temperature of 3,000K, (at 3,000K, the light colour of the LED is similar to that of a halogen lamp). And a colour rendering index of 82 and an efficiency of 104lm/W.

The light from this warm white LED is the result of an advanced phosphor conversion process.
The combination of these properties is said to be essential for the widespread use of LEDs for general and domestic illumination.

Its colour location is precisely on the Planckian curve and the light is exactly white, showing no shift to the green spectral region, according to the company.

With an operating current of 350mA and a chip surface of 1mm2, the prototype of the new single-chip LED achieves a brightness of 124lm. This corresponds to an efficiency of 104lm/W.

Source of Information: Electronicstalk editorial team Nov 6, 2009