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March 28, 2005...Strategies Unlimited, a Silicon Valley-based market research firm, projects
more than double gallium nitride production to $7.6 billion by 2009. The company
estimates that Gallium Nitride production for 2004 was at $3.2 billion. While
high brightness LEDs currently dominate the gallium nitride market, laser diodes
and other electronic devices are in the early stages of growth and will attain
substantial volumes over the next five
years. Bob Steel of Strategies Unlimited predicted that the market for HB-LEDs
would nearly double by 2009 to about $7 billion at the recent Strategies in Light
Conference. (See
Related Story...)
The company reports that as of early 2005, 232 companies were participating
in gallium nitride production, an increase of 26% over the 2003 number. The
report also states that 394 universities and research centers were involved
in gallium nitride R&D. This figure represents an increase of 35%, since
the publication of Strategies Unlimited’s previous gallium nitride report
in June 2003.
The company looked at 725 companies, universities, research centers and government
agencies, and profiled 32 such organizations involved in gallium nitride production,
development, R&D. The report titled, “Gallium Nitride 2005 –
Technology Status, Applications and Market Forecasts” is available for
immediate delivery from Strategies Unlimited for $3,950. More information on
the report is available from Tim Carli, Sales Manager, telephone +1 650-941-3438
ext. 23, or e-mail tcarli@strategies-u.com. Company
News Release
Agilent Update on China Development Forum and Product Releases
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 28, 2005...At the China Development Forum, Bill Sullivan, President and CEO of Agilent Technologies Inc. of Palo Alto, California USA, recently announced that they would increase the number of employees in Agilent’s China locations by 36% (from 1,100 to 1,500) by the end of 2005. The company has facilities in 16 cities in China and is currently investing in operations in Bejing and Shanghai. “China is Agilent’s second-largest market, right behind the United States and ahead of Japan,” Mr. Sullivan commented. He explained that the company would contribute to the communities in which it operates by providing support for education and environmental programs, and the company would establish strong partnerships with the government, customers and research centers at universities in China.
Agilent also announced its family of 4 mm by 4 mm power amplifier (PA) modules with CoolPAM technology, which reduces battery power consumption and allows mobile handsets to run cooler. The technology was acquired in January with the company’s purchase of the Korean company, Wavics. Agilent's CoolPAM technology utilizes InGaP (indium gallium arsenide) HBT (heterojunction bipolar transistor) MMIC (microwave monolithic integrated circuit) technology to provide temperature stability, cool operation and ruggedness and reduced power consumption. Agilent points out that CoolPAM power amplifiers are already proven in handsets from leading manufacturers in Korea.
In other Agilent news, the company announced improvements in its core electronic design automation (EDA) frequency-domain simulation technologies for fast and accurate RFIC, MMIC, and RF system-in-package (SiP) design. Users have reported simulation speed improvements of up to 50 times for large and complex circuits used in wireless products, aerospace, and defense applications. The company says that designers will be able to accurately predict the performance of RFIC’s, MMIC’s, and RF SiP’s prior to production with the new simulation breakthroughs, eliminating costly iterations. "Our customers' designs are continually becoming larger and more complex, so we have been investing heavily in our core RF simulation technology," said Larry Lerner, research and development manager of Agilent's EEsof EDA Division. "Based on early reactions from customers, these investments are paying off substantially."
HRL Licenses MMIC Technology From Caltech
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 28, 2005...HRL Laboratories, located in Malibu, California USA has licensed millimeter-wave, low noise and power monolithic MMIC technology from California Institute of Technology (CalTech). The technology, originally designed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) personnel, uses the HRL indium phosphide high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) MMIC process. HRL Laboratories, LLC is a corporate R&D laboratory that develops and produces InP HEMT MMICs for millimeter-wave applications such as power amplifiers and low noise amplifiers. For the past seven years, HRL has been offering discrete InP HEMT devices, MMICs, MMIC design services, and InP HEMT MMIC foundry service to selected customers. HRL says that it has MMIC designs ranging from Ka-band (26.5-40 GHz) to the D-band (110-170 GHz) that are available for component prototyping. While initial applications are expected in the military sector, HRL hopes that the technology will cross over into commercial applications such as radar components in adaptive cruise control modules for automobiles. The specifics of the 15 new MMIC’s are available in the company news release.
Intematix Adds Fuel to the Fire of SSL Growth With Merchant Supply of Patent-Backed Phosphors; Announces AOT Win
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 24, 2005...Intematix Inc. of Moraga California
USA, completed a royalty-bearing Agreement related to white LED technology with
Advanced Optoelectronic Technology (AOT),
a dominant manufacturer of blue spectrum LEDs, of Hsinchu, Taiwan. According
to the licensing agreement, AOT can manufacture white LEDs based on Intematix-patented
technology that utilizes a blue InGaN (indium gallium nitride) LED combined with
a suitable fluorescent converter. The agreement was reached shortly after Intematix
created a family of patent-backed Phosphors in a 14 month development effort
using their Bulk, Thin Film and Nano Discovery Engines.
The White Lightning Y450 (operating at 450 nm wavelength and below) and the
White Lightning Y460 (operating at 460 nm wavelength) reportedly deliver YAG-equivalent
performance and color for bright light applications such as: LCD and keypad
backlighting, camera flash, automotive lighting, and large area signage and
architectural lighting. The production ready, patented Phosphor family will
be made available beginning March 24th for high volume use for designers and
manufacturers of white LED products and solutions.
“The availability of Intematix Phosphors and their acceptance by leaders
such as Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Inc. will begin a market transformation
leading to truly cost effective High Brightness White LED production,” said
Ruediger Stroh, Intematix Chief Executive Officer. Intematix VP of Sales & Marketing,
Nik Bahram said, “Our Discovery Engines allow us to develop unique material
compositions that can then be rapidly customized for our customer’s unique manufacturing
processes, and Bills of Materials including a choice of chips at various wavelengths
and support for a variety of resins.” Dr. S. H. Chan, Chief Executive Officer
of AOT said, “We will provide non-infringing white-lighting solutions to
all of our customers, and we believe Intematix will be one of our key partners.”
According to Intematix, the WL-Y450 and the WL-Y460 are available in production
quantities now. Company
News Release
Prospects Brighten for IQE in 2005
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 24, 2005...IQE of St. Melons, United Kingdom, reportedly has good prospects for 2005 with some important bright spots in their year-end earnings report. 2004 wafer volumes increasing by 27.3% or 30,000 units to about 140,000 over 2003 volumes, and IQE won a major outsourcing contract worth approximately $25.000 million over the first two years for RF wireless applications. Production for the contract commenced in last few weeks of 2004. "The winning of a major outsource contract worth around $25.0 million over the first two years has enabled the Group to exit the year with its largest order book for over twenty four months and an exit revenue run rate which will deliver substantially improved revenues in 2005. I am confident the Group can achieve its key initial objective of ongoing monthly cash generation in the near future with the outlook for 2005 being positive,” said
Dr Drew Nelson, President and CEO.
2004 was a trying year for IQE. According to the company, the weak dollar, selling price reductions and a weak third quarter impacted sales and decreasing revenues by 18.2% to £15.344 million (2003: £18.753 million). Their annual sales were down 8.5 % to $27.907 million. Dr Drew Nelson, President and CEO explained that despite these results IQE finished the last few weeks of 2004 with a solid boost from increased RF product demand and a major contract. “After some setbacks in our main market sectors during quarter three, the last few weeks of 2004 saw a significant upturn in business with the commencement of a major outsource contract, increased demand for RF products driven by renewed growth in the mobile handset marketplace, and the completion of some significant qualifications.” Interesting LED Technology Development Patent
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 24, 2005...We occasionally come accross stories about individuals
or companies with interesting patents that are looking to license their ideas
to manufacturers. Paddy Salam of London, England, the Technical Director of Unisplay
of Geneva, Switzerland, has a group of pre-prototype development patents that
our readers might find intriguing. According to Mr. Salam, the object of his patent
is to avoid the high cost of clustering and at the same time improve the electrical
efficiency of light-production by alleviating problems of light trapped or lost
in an LED chip. Mr. Salam said that there is theoretically no limit to the
size of the LED chip you could create with his design as long as the heat is dissipated.
The group of patents address high power monochrome GaN LEDs, high power monochrome
AlGaInP/AlGaAS LEDs, high power white LEDs, red/amber/cyan 2-chip traffic-lights,
and 2-chip RGB lamps. US patent #’s: 6,346,771;
6,663,120;
6,720,730; Contact Paddy Salam at Unisplay for more details and possible licensing arrangements: Unisplay S. A., 63 Lowther Road, London SW13 9NT, psalam@advanceled.com, Tel: 44 20 8741 3285.
Cree Gets Key European Distributor for XLamp
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 22, 2005...Cree Inc. with headquarters in Durham, North Carolina USA has signed an agreement with Vossloh-Schwabe Optoelectronic, a European Union distributor of optoelectronic components with headquarters in Kamp-Lintfort, Germany, to distribute its XLamp LEDs in several countries of the European Union including: Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, and the Benelux Countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg). Content continues for LIGHTimes SecondPage members... Lumileds Lighting and Future Electronics Partner in New Solid-State Lighting Business Model
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 22, 2005...While vertical integration and standards making bodies offer solutions to help engineers and manufacturers to develop truly interchangeable parts and integrated solutions in solid-state lighting, Lumileds Lighting and Future Electronics have taken a different approach with their new business model for the solid-state lighting industry. Lumileds Lighting of San Jose, California USA and Future Electronics of Montreal , Canada formed Lumileds Future Electronics, a joint effort to make it easier to develop and manufacture Luxeon-based lighting solutions. Content continues for LIGHTimes SecondPage members... Our news features are reported
by the CompoundSemi News staff writers.
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editor -at - compoundsemi.com
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