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Editorial: BLUE 2005 Gets Underway in Hsinchu
... Westerners are winging their way to Taiwan as Asians hurriedly sign up for last minute seats for the event of the year: BLUE 2005, which gets underway in Hsinchu, Monday evening, May 16th and goes through the end of the day, Wednesday, May 18th. This 3rd Annual get-together of...
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Satcon Awarded Army Contract for Power Electronics and Pulse Energy
Scott McMahanMay 12, 2005...Satcon was awarded a $2.8 million contract from the United States Army Research
Laboratory (ARL) to help develop power control and conversion electronics for
hybrid electric vehicles and pulse energy applications such as electromagnetic
armor. A Forbes magazine article
that we covered in our pages featured companies whose power control and conversion
electronics can go into hybrid electric vehicles. It seems that the military has
taken an interest in power technology in hybrid electric vehicle applications
as well. This interest is probably the result of higher oil and gas prices. Hopefully
the military involvement will lead to improvements in the commercial sector.
Another interesting aspect of the Satcon contract is its support for the development
of pulse energy applications such as electromagnetic armor (a kind of active
armor not to be confused with the gear to protect laptops and handhelds produced
under the trademarked name Active Armor). Electromagnetic armor is being developed
for light mobile vehicles against RPG’s which explode and shoot streams
of liquid copper out of the warhead. According to a glossary on a web site entitled
“Space & Electronic
Warfare Lexicon,” in electromagnetic armor, the penetrating jet of
a shaped charge (SC) such as those of RPG’s is detected; an intense electrical
discharge is created between electrically conductive plates, creating a powerful
magnetic field; the magnetic field interacts with the charged particles of the
penetrating jet of liquid copper; and the electromagnetic field slows the dispersion
of liquid copper from the RPG warhead. (The electric field causes magnetohydrodynamic
instabilities which disrupt the jet.) This may sound like science fiction,
but Wired news reported
on a proof on concept demonstration in the UK in 2002. Both USA and British
engineers are attempting to develop such technology. Hopefully it won’t
be too late for soldiers in Iraq and Afganistan.
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May 11, 2005...The Blue 2005 conference is beginning with an evening reception
Monday, May 16, and several companies have recently extended their list of attendees to the event taking place
in Hsinchu, Taiwan. The conference runs through May 18, and the organizers report that accomodations have been made to support a substantial growth in the number of attendees. As a result, on-site registration has been announced for both Monday, beginning at 4:30 in the afternoon, and Tuesday, beginning at 7:00 in the morning. Online registration is available, and is encouraged as a means of speeding up the check in process. "As a high level business conference, it's all about the connections," said Tom Griffiths, President of CompoundSemi Online, the conference organizer. He noted that, "Many of the leading companies who influence the direction of the solid state lighting industry will be on hand, and so far, we haven't heard from an attendee of a past Blue that didn't feel it was a substantial return on the investment of attending." Veeco, Aixtron, Accent,
and BOC Edwards are among the list of the event’s leading sponsors. Among
the many notable speakers at this year's Blue is a first-time attendee, Ms. Wu Ling, General Secretary of China SSL Alliance, who
will outline China’s SSL lighting initiative. Dr. Robert Steele, of Strategies Unlimited, is slated to kick things off Tuesday with a worldwide market growth report, while George Mueller, retiring CEO,
and Founding Chairman of Color Kinetics (ref. article)
is the featured keynote speaker just prior to lunch on Tuesday. CyOptics Completes Acquisition of TriQuint's Opto Divison and Raises Additional $24 Million in VC Funding
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 11, 2005...CyOptics of Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania USA has completed the acquisition of TriQuint’s
Optoelectronic Division in Pennsylvania and Matamaros, Mexico for approximately
$23.5 million in cash, equity, and seller financing (ref. previous article).
CyOptics hopes to combine its design and packaging technologies with TriQuint's
greater market share and production capability. CyOptics also plans to expand
market opportunities with Indium Phosphide (InP) optical chips and laser and detector
components.
CyOptics has closed its Series F funding with an additional $24 million. This
adds to the $10.3 million from their Series E round of funding. According to
the company, major equity participants in the latest round include JVP (Jerusalem
Venture Partners), Sprout Group, TowerBrook Capital Partners (formerly Soros
Private Equity Partners), and Eurofund.
"We are pleased to announce this acquisition and capital raise, and are
extremely satisfied with the Company's growth and the continued support of our
investors," said Ed Coringrato, President and CEO of CyOptics. "TriQuint's
optoelectronics business is regarded as one of the best in the industry, because
of its talented people and pioneering development of optoelectronic products.
The acquisition allows TriQuint's broad portfolio of products to be coupled
with CyOptics' exceptional design and packaging technologies to create a new
standard of innovation and customer service excellence." Company
News Release
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Toshiba and Sony to Showcase Their Versions of DVD Technology at Media-Tech Expo 2005
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 11, 2005...The DVD negotiations between Sony and Toshiba are still unresolved, but both are showcasing their versions of the technology at the Media-Tech Expo 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Toshiba is unveiling a new and improved version of its HD-DVD technology which uses a third layer to record data and can reach capacities of 45 GB instead of 30 GB with the original two layer technology. The Sony’s Blu-Ray disk format can record up to 50 GB, but it may have a higher production cost, according to an article in The Nihon Keizai Shimbun.
Sony hopes to reduce production costs with an optical disc replication line capable of turning out 800,000 units per month. The production line was co-developed with Singulus Technologies AG, a marketer of disc-manufacturing equipment. The replication equipment will be sold at a price of 100 million yen at the end of May. It boasts the same cost as production equipment for existing DVDs. Teijin Ltd. and others are to announce a polycarbonate film for protecting optical disc surfaces at about a third of current costs.
Both sides in the DVD negotiations are hoping to gain advantages by showcasing their format’s strengths. Blue lasers that make both versions of the new DVD technology possible will be featured at Blue 2005, in Hsinchu, Taiwan on May 16-18. Register now if you haven’t already.
Anadigics PA Modules Selected by Samsung ElectronicsMay 10, 2005...Anadigics of Warren, New Jersey USA, announced that Samsung Electronics has ordered their ' 6 mm by 6 mm quad-band GSM/GPRS PA modules. The company says their modules provide industry leading efficiency, output power, and harmonic suppression. The modules use a pin-out RF engine and power control scheme are compatible with the company’s 7mm by 7mm PA modules. This reportedly reduces software changes and production calibration needs.
"The selection of our cutting-edge GSM/GPRS power amplifiers by Samsung for several new handset models validates the performance advantages offered by our products," said Brian Hurst, Vice President of Worldwide Sales & Marketing at Anadigics. "Our proven high-volume manufacturing capabilities coupled with support centers located around the world allow us to deliver superior service to multiple tier-one customers. We are proud to expand our successful relationship with Samsung to include Anadigics' world-class GSM/GPRS products."Company News Release APA Enterprises To Establish Manufacturing Subsidiary in New Delhi, India
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 10, 2005...APA of Blaine, Maine USA, a maker of nitride and other wide band gap electrical and optical devices, has established a subsidiary in a country our pages rarely cover, India. In an effort to lower labor costs APA Optronics (India) Private Limited will support manufacturing in addition to software development. The company expects to begin manufacturing in low volume later in 2005. In March the company acquired certain assets of two entities operating in the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) Special Export Zone (an area near New Delhi), including a 550 square meter facility which will suffice for early manufacturing efforts to begin later this calendar year. The company expects to complete construction of a new facility in New Delhi, in the later part of 2006.
"We are pleased with the potential cost saving opportunities which could be realized by owning a subsidiary in a rapidly developing country with relatively lower labor costs but with the talent available to support our business activities," said Anil K. Jain, APA's present and chief executive officer. "We anticipate that these cost saving measures will serve us well in improving our gross margins as well as increasing our revenues by realizing a larger portion of the available market," added Jain. French Company, Saint-Gobain Acquires China-Based SiC Producer DanfengMay 6, 2005...Saint-Gobain, a materials producing company based in Paris, France, has acquired Danfeng, a silicon carbide (SiC) producing company headquartered in the Heilongjiang Province of northern China. Danfeng is China’s leading producer of fine silicon carbide powders, which is used in the form of a grain or grit in a wide range of products, such as semiconductor parts, abrasives and refractory products. Danfeng has produced about 15,000 metric tons of SiC per year with sales of over $20 million. With the acquisition, Saint-Gobain High-Performance Materials says it has become the leading producer of SiC powders in Asia. Company News Release Our news features are reported
by the CompoundSemi News staff writers.
For submissions or content suggestions, you can contact us using
editor -at - compoundsemi.com
For more information and to reserve promotion space contact
Info7 -at - compoundsemi.com
or call +1 (512) 257-9888
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Commentary & Perspective...
BLUE 2005 Gets Underway in Hsinchu
May 11, 2005...Westerners are winging their way to
Taiwan as Asians hurriedly sign up for last minute seats for the event of the
year: BLUE 2005, which gets underway in
Hsinchu, Monday evening, May 16th and goes through the end of the day, Wednesday,
May 18th. This 3rd Annual get-together of international manufacturers, suppliers,
key packagers, and systems integrators of blue spectrum LEDs and laser diodes
looks to be a sellout.
As our event
sponsors, exhibitors, and key suppliers realize precisely who will be attending,
and the actual strength of the speaker
roster sinks in, more are signing up to take advantage of what BLUE provides
best... networking opportunities. After all, that's what BLUE is all about:
building the kind of knowledge base and relationships it takes to be truly successful
in the exciting field of solid state lighting.
Our own team that will be there to
meet and greet attendees to BLUE 2005 in Taiwan will be led by our President
and CEO, Tom Griffiths. Tom and the
business staff here at Compound Semi Online Inc., have worked tirelessly "24/7"
fielding calls in the wee hours of the Texas nights, when Asia is wide awake
and working. We've found that our Asian colleagues appreciate not having to
worry about what time it is there, compared to here. 24/7 (meaning
we work basically around the clock) has been our motto since 1996 when the concept
of CS Online began.
Our Senior Technology Editor, Dr.
Alan Thompson will be covering the BLUE 2005 scene, in addition to his host
role, which Alan shares with Dr. Robert
(Bob) Walker and his staff at YEBY Associates.
Bob and Alan have done a wonderful job putting together another world class
program. For those of you attending BLUE, be sure to spend some quality time
with them, and Bob's fellow co-chairs, Dr.
Yung-Sheng Liu, Vice President and General Director, Opto-Electronics
& Systems Laboratories (OES) at the Taiwan Industrial Technology Research
Institute (ITRI), and Dr. Tae-Il Kim, President of the Korean
Photonic Technology Institute (KOPTI).
As the co-founder of our BLUE event, CS Online and SSLighting.net, I'd like
to thank everyone for their continued support and participation in BLUE 2005,
especially our premier diamond Sponsor, Veeco,
and diamond sponsors Aixtron, Accent,
and BOC Edwards. The sales forces and
senior management of these key industry suppliers will be on hand in Hsinchu
to also meet and greet attendees. If you're new to the solid state lighting
(SSL) industry, look for those nametags and shake those hands. These are the
SSL industry's prime drivers.
For those unable to attend in person,
stay tuned to these pages as our News Editor, Scott
McMahan and I hold down the fort and report on the many great talks at BLUE
2005, along with the rest of the daily news. With Alan's, Tom's and our co-chair's
input, we'll be highlighting the keynote presentations. Tuesday's keynoters
are: Dr. Robert Steele, Director, Optoelectronics Practice at Strategies Unlimited
and George Mueller, Founding Chairman and CEO of Color Kinetics. Wednesday's
keynoters are: Dr. H.S. Chung, Senior Executive VP, Dongbu Anam Semiconductor
Inc. and Former General Manager -- Samung/SEMCO; and Patricia A. Martone, Partner
-- Fish & Neave IP Group, Ropes & Gray LLP addressing the timely topic of SSL
industry intellectual property (IP). Links to the websites of these very important
people, and a complete listing of speaker names and links to their businesses
can be found on our agenda
page at www.BLUE 2005.com.
I'd like to also call attention to
the excellent coverage and promotions our media colleagues have provided this
year, led by IOP's Compound
Semiconductor Magazine and LEDs
Magazine. My personal thanks to CS mag's editor, Michael Hatcher and
LEDs' Tim Whitaker for their support. And this year, we've been working closely
with Taiwan's leading electronics online and print journal, DigiTimes.
Only yesterday I banged out a hefty article about the origins of the blue spectrum
technology. I cited GaN and HB-LED market stature and forecasts from Strategies
Unlimited, underscoring the incredible ramp in Asia. The article will appear
shortly in Chinese language. We also pointed DigiTimes, as we do you,
to Color Kinetics' photo page
on their website that shows the myriad of ways SSLighting is evolving the world
from conventional, power hungry light sources to energy efficient solid state
solutions. Take a look for
yourself and simply click on any photo for an enlargement. It's truly brilliant!
While we can never guarantee the
number nor type of press that will actually attend any event in person (other
than promising ourselves), we can assure you excellent follow-up coverage in
these pages. With the caliber of presentations, I'll bet you'll be reading abut
BLUE 2005 in the pages of the above, and other technology journals as well as
this is a truly exciting and remarkably innovative time in solid state lighting.
For sure...
...All
eyes will be turned to BLUE at the Ambassador Hotel in Hsinchu, Taiwan May 16th
through 18th. Aren't you glad you'll be there too? If you have news or
views to share about the compound semiconductor, LED or solid
state lighting industries
contact our Publisher, Tom Griffiths
His direct tel in Austin is +1-512-257-9888
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