29 Jun 2011 - 05 Jul 2011

29 Jun 2011

Philips to acquire LED outdoor-lighting specialist Indal

The Spanish company will join Philips’ Professional Luminaires business and add to its capabilities to offer LED outdoor lighting.

Philips has unveiled the latest in a series of acquisitions that have helped build the company’s capabilities in LED lighting. Indal, a professional luminaires company based in Spain, is well known for its expertise in the field of LED outdoor lighting.

Headquartered in Valladolid, Spain, Indal employs approximately 1,000 people over 11 countries, with sales of EUR 156 million in 2010. Details of the deal were not disclosed.

Indal has been particularly active in LED-based outdoor lighting through its subsidiary Indal WRTL, which is the sole supplier to the very large project to supply LED street lights to the city of Birmingham. Indal WRTL has also supplied linear LED lighting to a road tunnel in London.

Indal's press release said that the agreement is subject to EU Competition Authorities’ approval, which is expected to take up to nine months.

The company also said that its Stela LED luminaire has been adopted by more than 100 local authorities in the UK, with more than 60,000 units currently installed.

+++ Philips Press Release +++

Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Valladolid, Spain – Royal Philips Electronics (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG), today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Indal, a leading Spanish professional luminaires company mainly focused on outdoor lighting solutions.

The acquisition will fuel Philips’ growth in professional lighting solutions and create a platform to further strengthen Philips’ market position in Europe. Upon closing of the transaction, subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions, Indal will become a part of the Professional Luminaires business of Philips Lighting. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

“Philips works with its customers to deliver total lighting solutions that control light to create functional, beautiful and safe environments, enabling people to experience light in a whole new way,” said Marc de Jong, General Manager Professional Luminaires at Philips Lighting.

“Indal’s capabilities in delivering lighting solutions make it a natural fit with Philips, further strengthening our ability to offer our customers integrated and high-value options for professional lighting.”

“Indal and Philips have always had an excellent relationship – now with this agreement, we will join forces, pooling our technologies, our experienced teams and best practices to strengthen our joint capabilities and lead the LED revolution, offering further value to our customers”, said Sebastian Arias, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Indal.

The acquisition of Indal is a step further in Philips’ ambition to grow its presence in professional lighting solutions, creating a platform to expand its capabilities to deliver lighting solutions and lead the transition to energy-efficient LED-based lighting applications.

Indal was established in 1950 as a lighting company and employs approximately 1,000 people over 11 countries, with sales of EUR 156 million in 2010. The company designs, develops and manufactures lighting solutions for professional markets including road, industrial and floodlighting applications. The company also has a strong competitive position in LED technology solutions. The company is headquartered in Valladolid, Spain and has a distribution presence in over 60 countries worldwide.

29 Jun 2011

DOE releases Caliper round 12 summary results 

The latest round of Caliper testing focused on six product areas including SSL recessed downlights, SSL track lights and various LED replacement lamp types.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has completed Round 12 of product testing through the DOE Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Caliper program. A Summary Report containing the results from Round 12 testing is now available for download on the DOE SSL website.

Round 12 of product testing included six primary focus areas: SSL recessed downlights, SSL track lights, SSL A-lamps, benchmark 100W incandescent A-lamps and 70-100W halogen equivalents, SSL replacements for linear-fluorescent lamps in high-performance troffers, and SSL and benchmark cove lights.

The Round 12 Summary Report provides an overview of photometric performance results, and discusses the results with respect to similar products that use conventional light sources, results from earlier rounds of Caliper testing, and manufacturer ratings.

The Department allows detailed test results from Caliper testing to be distributed in the public interest for noncommercial, educational purposes only. Detailed test reports for Round 12 will be available soon through the searchable online Caliper system.

30 Jun 2011

China to have largest number MOCVD reactors in 2012

By the end of 2012, China is expected to be the global leader in MOCVD ownership with over 1000 tools according to a newly updated report from Displaybank.

A newly updated report from Displaybank, a market research and consulting firm based in Seoul, Korea, reveals that China is rapidly becoming the largest owner of metal-organic CVD (MOCVD) systems in the world.

The report, entitled LED Chip Production Capacity Analysis and Forecast by Maker (MOCVD, Epi-Wafer/LED Chip), shows Chinese LED manufacturers are investing heavily due to government support, foreign investment and expansion from existing players in the country.
 
By 4Q 2012, China will own over 1000 MOCVD tools. Veeco recently estimated the total available market for MOCVD systems from 2011 through 2015 at greater than 5,000 reactors.

“Overall LED industry has seen many changes such as delayed investments due to the year-long oversupply and many Chinese makers entering the industry,” said Brian Bae, senior analyst at Displaybank research group.

Bae added “especially in the case of China, as fast-paced investments are made, China’s share of the number of MOCVDs owned remained at 3 percent in 2009 but the share grew up to 15 percent as of second quarter of 2011. If the current investment plan holds, China will show growth rate of 64.2 percent year-over-year and [will be] ranked as world’s number one for the number of MOCVDs owned.”

As a latecomer to the industry, the current LED manufacturing technology level of China is not as sophisticated as that in other countries, but China is rapidly recruiting engineers from developed regions including Taiwan. The growth rate is rapidly increasing due to demand from Chinese LED manufacturers.

Duke Lee, research director at Displaybank noted “In the case of Korea, the demand for MOCVDs have increased sharply from 2009 to 2010 as LED backlights for large-sized LCDs grew. Investments have gone down due to the downed LCD TV market but it is expected to resume with the preparation for the general lighting market.”

Taiwan also sees increased MOCVD demands through the growth of LED backlights for large-sized LCDs with investments coming from such companies as Lextar and CMLT, affiliates of AUO and CMI Group.

Japan is more advanced in LED technology and its general lighting market is seeing rapid development with equipment investments from several significant players. Japan’s LED manufacturers are putting more emphasis on lighting and automotive LEDs, and have greater penetration into the large-sized TV backlighting sector.

30 Jun 2011

Iowa footbridge features inspired LED design

The High Trestle Trail Bridge utilizes iLight Plexineon Blue Light fixtures.

An interesting LED installation has been installed along the High Trestle Trail Bridge footbridge over the Des Moines river in Iowa.

The design firm, RDG Planning & Design, selected LED fixtures from iLight Technologies Inc. (Chicago, IL) based on their durability and reliability.

“We’ve used iLight products on several other projects, so we have confidence in their reliability,” said David Raver, lighting studio director at RDG Planning & Design.

iLight Technologies has also provided the lighting for architectural designs at Microsoft’s office in Cambridge, MA and a rapid transit station in Eagan, MN.

In this project, RDG Planning & Design was engaged to develop the artistic elements, conceptual design and lighting design related to the 41 steel frames that stand 13 stories high over the bridge. Within the 18 frames located directly over the water, specially constructed channels house Plexineon Blue Series fixtures from iLight.

LEDs were chosen because of their ability to create a dramatic effect, while providing high reliability and durability.   

From the start, iLight worked with the firm to ensure smooth installation, including supplying detailed, custom drawings. The product - a total of 976 linear ft (~300m) -was supplied in palletized boxes.

“It was a smooth process,” he says. “We were able to put all of the cribs up in a week’s time.”

The final result is a new state icon that’s quickly become a destination for families, hikers and cyclists alike. The “wow” factor can be appreciated both while crossing the bridge on foot or by bicycle, and when viewing the bridge from a distance, especially after darkness falls.

01 Jul 2011

Nitride Solutions raises $1.8 million to produce AlN substrates

A developer of aluminum nitride substrates, Nitride Solutions, will use $1.8 million in financing to optimize its substrate manufacturing technology and begin manufacturing and sales this year.

Nitride Solutions (Wichita, KS) has secured $1.8 million in financing commitments to develop aluminum nitride (AlN) substrates for the manufacture of UV LEDs, lasers and power electronics.

The company has secured the financing from Nebraska Angels (Lincoln, NE) and Aurora UV (Santa Barbara, CA), firms that join Mid-America Angels (Lenexa, KS) and Manhattan Holdings (Manhattan, KS) in the round.

For the epitaxial growth of GaN-based devices, AlN substrates are designed to provide a superior alternative to grown AlN layers on sapphire substrates. AlN substrates offer the advantage of reduced threading dislocation density in the active region of the fabricated device, which affects external quantum efficiency.

Nitride Solutions is developing a high-volume, low-cost manufacturing process to fabricate AlN substrates with projected defect rates ten times lower than currently available substrates.

One specific use of AlN substrates is to grow UV-emitting LEDs, which may find broad use.

Manufacturing to begin this year

Nitride Solutions will use the funding to optimize the technology, and says it will begin manufacturing and sales in late 2011. "The number of biomedical and industrial applications of LED technology is rapidly growing," said Karen Linder, co-deal lead for Nebraska Angels. "Nitride Solutions' novel method of creating substrates on which these crystals can be grown will change the market."

Muriel Taylor, president and CEO of Aurora UV added, "We expect to benefit with both high financial rewards and the satisfaction that we will have been part of the effort of applying hard science to alleviating some of the world's most vexing problems, including cheap access to pure water."

Nitride Solutions is still seeking a small group of financial and strategic investors to finalize the round, which will stay open until September.

Founded in 2009, Nitride Solutions maintains strong ties to Kansas State University in Manhattan, with key employees and advisors hailing from the university. President and CEO Jeremy Jones was named Kansas Pipeline 2010 Innovator of the Year for his work at Nitride Solutions. 

01 Jul 2011

GE plans to submit 60W-equivalent LED lamp for DOE’s L Prize 

GE Lighting and Cree have collaborated to develop a 60W-equivalent lamp with conventional looks that will be submitted to the DOE L Prize competition.

GE Lighting has announced plans to submit a 60W-equivalent LED lamp to the US Department of Energy (DOE) Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize (L Prize) competition targeted at solid-state-lighting (SSL) replacements for inefficient legacy lights. GE has collaborated with Cree using the latter’s TrueWhite Technology in a design that the companies believe will meet the decidedly-challenging L-Prize requirements.

Thus far, GE has only submitted a letter of intent to the DOE signaling its intent to compete for the L Prize. For the actual entry package, the DOE requires 2000 lamp samples, a commercial manufacturing plan, and detailed technical specs. GE has not yet said when it will make the entry.

GE said the lamp would utilize a custom Cree TrueWhite LED component. The TrueWhite technology mixes red LEDs with phosphor-converted white LEDs to deliver warm-white light with increased efficacy.

Traditional lamp look

The GE statement also asserted that the lamp would look similar to legacy incandescent bulbs. GE Lighting Vice President of Marketing and Product Management Steve Briggs said, “Our L Prize journey is inspired by the challenge to deliver advanced technology in a form factor that delivers on consumer expectations. We won’t be the first to submit an L Prize candidate, but we believe our solution will more closely match consumer preference for an incandescent look and feel.”

The GE stand on look and form factor appears directed at Philips – the first and only company with a candidate lamp undergoing the L Prize evaluation process. The Philips design relies on remote-phosphor technology that makes the lamp appear yellow when not illuminated. Moreover the Philips design is segmented by cooling air channels that cut deeply into the lamp form. But the LPrize requirements don’t address the look of the unlit bulb.

GE used similar language about a traditional-looking white lamp when it first demonstrated its 40W-equivalent LED lamp (pictured) at Lightfair International (LFI) in 2010. The company subsequently brought that product to market in December 2010 and was the first company to achieve Energy Star compliance with a LED retrofit lamp. The company demonstrated a similarly-designed 60W-equivalent LED lamp at the recent LFI 2011 event, although the company has not said whether or not that was the L Prize candidate.

Over the course of the last month, there has been rampant speculation and rumor suggesting that Cree had won a commitment from GE to supply LEDs for a 60W LED lamp. Given this latest news, it’s clear that Cree will supply LEDs, or LED modules, for the L-Prize candidate but we await word from GE as to whether there is a second 60W-equivalent product.

It would not be a surprise if the GE L Prize candidate differs from the first 60W-equivalent lamp that GE brings to market. Philips took exactly that approach. While the 60W-equivalent Energy-Star-certified Philips EnduraLED lamp that’s available at major retailers looks similar to the Philips L Prize candidate, the shipping product outputs only 800 lm whereas the L Prize calls for 900 lm. At LFI 2010, Philips said the EnduraLED lamp was designed to meet a lower target prize relative to the L Prize candidate.

L Prize requirements and update

The DOE has acknowledged the tough requirements of the L-Prize since establishing the program and offering both cash prizes and the promise of implicit DOE endorsement and promotion of winning products. In addition to 900 lm output, the 60W-replacement category requires a 10W (or lower power) lamp with a CRI of 90 or more, color temperature between 2700K and 3000K, and projected lifetime of greater than 25,000 hours.

The L-Prize competition initially included 60W and PAR38-Halogen categories. Earlier this year the DOE temporarily suspended the PAR38 competition having received no entries. The agency had said it would re-launch the PAR38 competition this past May, but has not done so as yet. The DOE also plans to add a 21st Century Lamp category that is not yet defined.

Lighting Science Group (LSG) has also announced its intention to compete for the 60W L Prize. The LSG design utilizes and inner dome with a remote phosphor and an outer dome that appears white. The DOE had said that it expected the complete LSG entry in late June but there has been no indication as yet whether or not LSG has satisfied the aforementioned entry requirements.

As for the Philips entry, the evaluation process is nearing completion. The DOE hasn’t publicly commented on the prospects of the Philips entry. But the L-Prize website shows that long-term testing of the Philips lamp was due for completion this past spring.

02 Jul 2011

IMEC and Siltronic partner for GaN-on-Si LEDs

With a 5-year goal of manufacturing nitride-based LEDs on large-diameter silicon substrates, Siltronic has joined IMEC's gallium-nitride-on-silicon program.

IMEC (Leuven, Belgium), a global research institute, and Siltronic AG (Munich, Germany), a silicon wafer manufacturer, have concluded an agreement to collaborate on the development of gallium-nitride-on-silicon wafers (GaN-on-Si) as part of an effort to enable production of LEDs and power semiconductors.

GaN-based materials exhibit excellent light emission properties in a very broad range of the visible and ultraviolet (UV) spectrum. However, solid-state lighting (SSL) using GaN-on-Si LEDs can only become competitive if high-volume manufacturing processes are developed that enable 150lm/W efficacy at acceptable cost.

For LEDs, inexpensive and efficient production methods for epitaxial deposition of GaN structures on silicon wafers are under development. With this agreement, Siltronic joins IMEC’s GaN-on-Si industrial affiliation program (IIAP), a multi-partner R&D program to develop process and equipment technologies for manufacturing LEDs. Siltronic gains access to IMEC’s research facility in Leuven, its technical resources and fellow partners including Micron Technology, Ultratech and Applied Materials.

In this program, Siltronic AG can draw on its experience in epitaxial deposition of materials on silicon substrates, while IMEC nanoelectronics research institute contributes experience in GaN deposition on silicon substrates of diameters ranging from 2 to 6 in.

The long-term (5 year) goal of IMEC is to manufacture high-efficiency nitride LEDs on 6- and 8-in. silicon substrates. The integration of IMEC’s proprietary concept of surface roughening in combination with mirrors will allow a higher external quantum efficiency of thin-film textured LEDs.

05 Jul 2011

LED drivers and light sensors enable compelling displays

TAOS has released light and proximity sensors while Supertex and iWatt have launched new drivers to enable compelling LED-backlit displays.

LED-based display backlighting continues to be the largest market for high-brightness LEDs despite the fact that the general-illumination application gets more notice. New LED driver and sensor products from Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions (Taos), Supertex and iWatt promise to enable displays with the latest solid-state-lighting (SSL) technology for optimal image quality and minimal power consumption.

Indeed light and proximity sensing is needed in devices based on LCDs to set the appropriate backlight level for maximum display quality without wasting power when ambient light is sufficient or when no one is present to view the display. Taos is targeting mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets with its new TSL2x72 family, although the company also expects the sensors to be used in computer-display and HDTV applications.

The new products include the TSL2572 family for digital ambient light sensing (ALS), the TSL2672 family for proximity detection, and the TSL2772 family that includes both light and proximity sensors.

To serve in mobile applications, the sensors must work in very bright environments and the new Taos products are designed for use in full sunlight at levels to 60,000 lx and beyond. “Mobile device vendors are continually striving to deliver more compelling products with an improved user experience; therefore, they demand ALS and proximity detection solutions capable of operating in a very wide range of lighting conditions,” said Jerry Koontz, TAOS Director of Marketing.

Taos uses programmable signal-gain modes, including a reduced-gain mode, to boost the dynamic range of the light sensors. Meanwhile the company boosted the signal-to-noise performance and added crosstalk-compensation technology to deliver more-accurate proximity detection. Both sensor types can be used sporadically while remaining in sleep mode much of the time to minimize power consumption – especially important in any battery-powered application.

The sensors work with any type of light source including fluorescent and at virtually any lighting level. Moreover the dual-diode architecture can provide accurate results even when mounted behind glass that can distort the spectrum.

Supertex driver handles six strings

Supertex is also targeting battery-powered, mobile devices with its new six-channel HV9957 LED driver. Moreover, the driver offers fault protection features for over-temperature, over current, and over- and under-voltage conditions.

”By providing superior fault protection, HV9957 offers manufacturers a precise LED driver that can handle difficult fault conditions in individual LED strings,” states Stephen Lin, Supertex Vice President of Marketing. “HV9957 also features sophisticated digital circuitry to provide frequency control, fault protection, and phased dimming that is controllable to very low duty cycles for high dynamic range in today’s LED backlighting drivers.”

The HV9957 integrates a switch-mode boost converter and six individual linear low-dropout (LDO) regulators for precise control of each LED string. The driver circuit can supply 30 mA to each LED string, a level typical of battery-powered designs.

iWatt targets TVs with 32-string driver

iWatt, meanwhile, is targeting both edge- and direct-lit HDTV designs with its iW7032 driver that can handle 32 LED strings. The driver uses what iWatt calls adaptive-switching technology to both reduce power consumption and component temperature. Gyan Tiwary, Senior Vice President at iWatt, said, “By overcoming the thermal problems of driving large numbers of LEDs together, our engineers have made a large contribution towards cutting costs for the dynamic backlighting industry.”

The adaptive-switching technology senses the mismatch of the forward voltage of the different LED strings, and adapts that drive current individually for each. The company says that the technique reduces the driver power consumption by 2-5W relative to competitors. The technique both saves power and reduces the heat generated by the driver that in turns extends LED component life.

A single iW7032 driver can power a total of 480 LEDs with stack voltages as high as 56V. The driver also integrates the MOSFETs required to handle the output current to each string. The IC supports three different pulse-width modulation (PWM) schemes with 10-bit granularity for brightness control.

Strategies Unlimited projects driver market

The LED driver market is certainly a significant one as Strategies Unlimited details in a new report on the LED driver market segment. The research firm (like LEDs Magazine a PennWell business unit) projects that driver sales will grow to $3.5 billion by 2015 from $2 billion in 2010.

Strategies Unlimited confirms that display-backlight applications will dominate the market through 2015. But the firm expects general-lighting to be the next major market mover for LEDs and associated technology such as drivers.