Toshiba to mass produce white LEDs
Toshiba is to start mass production of white light-emitting diodes from October, this year.
The electronics giant will construct a new LED production line at its 200mm wafer facility at Kaga Toshiba Electronics, a production base for discrete products in northern Japan.
As Toshiba puts it, the energy efficiency and long life of white LED is winning wide-scale application in general purpose lighting and television back-lighting.
The market size is expected to increase from some 700 billion yen, or US$8.75billion, to a projected 1 trillion yen by 2013.
The company is applying GaN-on-Silicon technology to the development of white LEDs, and has collaborated with US-based LED lighting developer, Bridgelux, on white LED chip development since January 2012.
By combining Bridgelux's crystal growth and LED chip structure, and Toshiba's advanced silicon process and manufacturing technology, the partners have succeeded in developing a prototype chip with a maximum optical output of 614mW.
Toshiba says it will build on this achievement to start mass production of white LEDs.
The company hopes to enhance its discrete components business by better establishing its white LEDs production in addition to power devices.
In May this year, Bridgelux and Toshiba claimed the industry’s top class 8 inch GaN on Silicon LED chip, emitting 614mW, less than 3.1V at 350mA, with 1.1mm square chip.
