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August 24, 2005...Wired News reported that Sony and
Toshiba have failed to agree on a single next-generation DVD standard and have
suspended talks indefinitely. Junko Furuta, Toshiba spokesperson said that the
higher capacity Blu-ray disks would be more difficult to integrate into laptops
and car navigation systems. The two sides of the debate focus on the choice of
Sony’s Blu-ray DVD format or Toshiba’s HD-DVD format as the one, next-generation
DVD standard. Both sides are developing products with their respective formats.
Toshiba says it will come out with HD-DVD players by the end of the year, and
Sony’s game console, Playstation 3 with the ability to play Blu-ray disks,
will come out in the spring 2006.
Both the HD-DVD and Blu-ray formats utilize blue lasers which have a shorter
wavelength than the red lasers used in current DVD and CD devices. This allows
more information to be stored. The HD-DVDs reportedly have a capacity of 15Gb.
Whereas Sony has had conflicting reports about its capacity. The Blu-ray disks’
reported capacities have ranged from 25 GB, (the most recent claim) up to 50Gb.
Many media companies are taking sides in the issue. Recently movie maker, Lions
Gate Entertainment announced that their entire movie library will be made available
in Blu-ray format. Strategy Analytics Predicts Increased GaAs Demand for Fiber-Optic Networks
CompoundSemi News StaffAugust 24, 2005...In a recent report from the research firm, Strategy Analytics, the company predicts
that GaAs IC vendors will benefit from expansion of the fiber-optic network, back
bone infrastructure. The report says that after a period of stagnation, service
providers are again purchasing optical capacity to meet their growing traffic
demands. The company says that GaAs is especially suited for the high speed data
transmission requirements of the network cores.
Asif Anwar, Director of GaAs Service at Strategy Analytics said, “Increase
in IP traffic will lead to expansions at 2.5 and 10Gps, used in network cores,
with 10Gbps forecast to account for 57% of the market in 2009. GaAs will continue
to command the 10Gbps market for the next five years.” He added that
GaAs will be of particular importance for the laser driver function because
the optical component, OC-192 speeds, can only be obtained with GaAs. “SiGe
will, however, begin to make inroads at 10 Gbps for the TIA and post amplifier
functions and at lower speeds,” he said. He noted that silicon will continue
to dominate at lower speeds.
Despite the positive outlook for market demand, Strategy Analytics warns that,
“…industry consolidation will be required to counter the effects
of oversupply and intense pricing competition.” "The market for fiber-optic
devices is there and it is growing. However, the IC industry is in a structurally
poor state. For profitability to return, what is needed is not only growing
demand, but some consolidation and stability among IC suppliers, "
added Anwar. Company
News Release
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GE Global Research Creates "Ideal" Nanotube Diode
CompoundSemi News StaffAugust 22, 2005...GE Global Research, the centralized research organization of the General Electric
Company, has further developed the nanotube diode device into what it calls an
“ideal” carbon nanotube diode, according to the August 15 issue of
Applied Physics Letters. What makes the GE scientists call it an “ideal” diode
is that they say it operates at the “theoretical limit,” or best possible performance.
GE says that this new device will enable smaller and faster and more efficient
electronic devices than are currently manufactured. The technology could be used
in an enormous array of applications, especially for use in solar energy. LIGHTimes
SecondPage members can access details... Content continues for LIGHTimes SecondPage members... Color Kinetics Wins Against Super Vision
LIGHTimes StaffAugust 22, 2005...Color Kinetics Incorporated of Boston, Massachusetts USA, a pioneer in solid state
lighting, was vindicated in a Massachusetts court when it won a summary judgment
against Super Vision. Super Vision claimed that Color Kinetics violated its patents,
and that it also engaged in “inequitable conduct” with the United
States Patent and Trademark office. Super Vision reportedly plans to appeal the ruling. Content continues for LIGHTimes SecondPage members... Picolight Gets Additional $14.5 Million in Funding RoundAugust 18, 2005...Optical transceiver maker, Picolight, of Louisville, Colorado USA, has closed
a new funding round with an additional $14.5 million. The funding was a combination
of $7 million from a new investor, Investor Growth Capital, and $7.5 million in
debt financing from Orix Venture Finance, LLC. BA Venture Partners, Vesbridge
Partners, and Coral Capital Management collectively invested $13 million in the
first close of the round. The company will get $27.5 million in total funding
from the two completed rounds. Picolight says it will use the new funding to expand
its operations, scale its manufacturing process to meet growing customer demand,
and extend its 1310nm VCSEL products from 4 Gigabit fibre channel to 10 Gigabit
Ethernet at long-reach over single-mode fiber. Picolight's revenues and bookings
for the past 12 months reportedly doubled year-over-year. The company sited its
strengthened product offering and expanded customer base for the improvements
in bookings and revenues.
"The completion of this funding round combined with our increased
sales performance positions us to invest in new technologies to meet the needs
of our growing customer base and establishes us as a market leader for high-performing
enterprise, storage area and metro network interconnect technology,"
said Steve Hane, Picolight's president and chief executive officer (CEO).
Albert Kim of Investor Growth Capital, who joined Picolight's board of directors
as a result of the investment said, "Picolight's VCSEL technology expertise
and product development in the optical marketplace are key attributes that will
help drive the company's continued success, and we are enthusiastic about its
future prospects." Company
News Release Strategy Analytics Predicts Increasing Business for Wi-Fi PA Module Makers
CompoundSemi News StaffAugust 18, 2005...Strategy Analytics, a technology research firm in Boston, Massachusetts USA,
projects continuing growth in the Wi-Fi chip market. The firm anticipates that
by 2009 the $900 million current market for Wi-Fi chips will more than double
to about $2.1 billion with Wi-Fi enabled Cell phones eventually outpacing Laptops
as the most common Wi-Fi application. Strategy Analytics predicts that GaAs
and SiGe power amplifiers will increasingly replace the better established power
amplifiers for Wi-Fi chips.
The company says the power amplifier market is experiencing a heated technology
race for Wi-Fi applications. Strategy Analytics predicts GaAs will lead the
5 GHz segment with its low power consumption and ability to provide good performance,
and SiGe's potential integration and cost advantages will allow SiGe vendors
to make inroads against GaAs at 2.4 GHz. Furthermore, according to Strategy
Analytics, SiGe will continue to push this technology over the next five years
in the high value power amplifier and front-end module markets. Skyworks, SiGe
Semiconductor, and RF Micro Devices have introduced power amplifier modules for
Wi-Fi applications. Power amplifier modules also known as front-end modules
for Wi-Fi such as those produced by Skyworks are comprised of a power amplifier
with bias control, input/output filters, and a diversity antenna switch. (Ref:
Skyworks
News Release). Strategy Analytics said that it is worth noting that Skyworks
and RF Micro Devices have considerable experience in manufacturing PA modules
for cell phones, and that experience may certainly be useful in the Wi-Fi market.
"Several SiGe and GaAs power amplifier vendors have made dramatic inroads
against better established Wi-Fi power amplifier vendors in 2004 with the introduction
of front-end modules incorporating filters, switches and power amplifier chips.
We believe that the simplicity of modules for system makers means that this
trend will continue," said Asif Anwar, director of the Strategy Analytics
GaAs Program.
"Broadcom, Atheros and Intel presently control over half of the Wi-Fi
chip market," stated Chris Taylor, Director, Strategy Analytics' RF &
Wireless Component service. He added, "The number of vendors has fallen
dramatically over the past two years, but we count at
least 58 players still
in this market, which is still far too many. We only expect around 20 to survive the next five years."
Company
News Release Strategies Unlimited Releases Latest HB LED Market ReportAugust 17, 2005...The advanced LED market has grown so rapidly that Strategies Unlimited has
divided their invaluable industry resource, the High-Brightness LED Market Review
and Forecast, into two parts. The first part of the 2005 report covers the demand
side, and is now available. The supply side report will be due out in a few
months. According to SU's Bob Steele, who holds a remarkable record over the
years for numbers that are right on target, the HB LED industry continues to
uphold its remarkable history of successful growth. "From 1995 onward,
the market for HB LEDs grew at an average annual rate of 46%, reaching $3.7
billion in 2004. In recent years, much of this growth has been driven by the
increasing use of HB LEDs in mobile appliances (mobile phones, digital cameras,
PDAs, etc.)."
According to Strategies, the mobile appliance segment accounted for 57% of
the HB LED market in 2004. "As the mobile appliance application begins
to saturate, the HB LED market is entering a period of slower growth than it
has experienced historically. For the next five years, growth rates may be expected
to be in the range of 10-15% per year, rather than the 40-50% that the industry
has come to expect," says SU's Bob Steele who adds, "However,
even with these lower growth rates, the HB LED market is still expected to reach
$6.8 billion in 2009, nearly twice the level of 2004. Growth will be driven
by emerging applications such as illumination, automotive headlamps, and backlights
for LCD monitors and TV screens." This is the 6th such report from
Strategies and analyzes the entire HB LED market in depth, including supplier market shares. As usual, detailed quantitative market analysis is provided, including breakouts by application and product type, in terms of units, ASPs and revenue. Five-year market forecasts are provided for each application and HB LED product type and is basically a "must have" for anyone in the business.
The new Strategies Unlimited report is the sixth from the company on LED applications
and markets. It analyzes the HB LED market in depth, from both the demand side
and the supply side, including supplier market shares. Detailed quantitative
market analysis is provided, including breakouts by application and product
type, in terms of units, ASPs and revenue. Five-year market forecasts are provided
for each application and HB LED product type. High-Brightness LED Market
Review and Forecast -- 2005 is available for immediate delivery from Strategies
Unlimited for $4,950. More information on the report is available by contacting
Tim Carli, Sales Manager, at +1 650 941-3438 ext. 23, or by email at tcarli@strategies-u.com.
Company
news release
TDI Releases Novel 3-inch Semi-Insulating Substrates
August 17, 2005...Technology Devices International, Inc. (TDI) of Silver Springs, Maryland USA,
will now make new 3-inch semi-insulating substrate materials available for nitride-based
semiconductor devices. The company's new product consists of 10 - 18 micron thick
single crystal AlN film deposited on a conductive silicon carbide (SiC) substrate.
The company says the product is targeted for use in substrate applications for
ultra high power AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). Other
possible applications include: ihigh power blue and ultra violet (UV) light
emitters, light emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes (LDs).
The low defect AlN/SiC substrates reportedly have both the thermal conductivity
of SiC and the high intrinsic electrical resistivity of AlN. In addition TDI
says they have a good lattice and thermal match to GaN-based devices. Also according
to TDI, the product provides reliable insulation and low current leakage for
HEMT devices at a fraction of the price of semi insulating SiC
"Substrate related issues in nitride electronics are well known. Due to
lack of native AlN and GaN substrates, nitride devices are fabricated on foreign
substrates, which are not lattice and thermally matched to the device structures,
limiting their performance, reliability, and causing device degradation. Proprietary
stress-control technology developed at TDI allows us to put in production these
new substrate materials, which will allow the nitride community to speed up
development and commercialization of advanced nitride semiconductor devices,"
stated Vladimir Dmitriev, President and CEO of TDI. Company
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