IHS: GaN-on-silicon LEDs forecast to increase market share to 40% by 2020

The penetration of gallium nitride-on-silicon (GaN-on-Si) wafers into the LED market is forecast to increase at a CAGR of 69% from 2013 to 2020, by which time they will account for 40% of all GaN LEDs manufactured, according to IHS.

IHS-Gan-on-Silicon-LED-forecast-to-increase-market-share-to-40-by-2020

The penetration of gallium nitride-on-silicon (GaN-on-Si) wafers into the LED market is forecast to increase at a CAGR of 69% from 2013 to 2020, by which time they will account for 40% of all GaN LEDs manufactured, according to IHS.

In 2013, 95% of GaN LEDs will be manufactured on sapphire wafers, while only 1% will be manufactured on silicon wafers. The growth in the manufacturing of GaN-on-Si LEDs between 2013 and 2020 will take market share from both sapphire and silicon carbide wafers, IHS believes.

“Manufacturing large ingots made from sapphire is difficult, whereas silicon wafers are available from 8-inch up to 12-inch and are generally cheaper and more abundant,” said Dkins Cho, senior analyst for lighting and LEDs at IHS. “There is a large pre-existing industry for silicon-based manufacturing that is leveraged to create economies of scale and reduce the cost of an LED.”

Repurposing manufacturing facilities to accommodate the shift toward GaN-on-Si LEDs is generally accepted to require minimal investment. Companies that previously manufactured CMOS semiconductors already own legacy 8-inch CMOS fabrication units that can be converted for LED production with a small modification. These companies already have in-house expertise and technology associated with silicon-based processes, IHS noted.

“Many of the CMOS semiconductor manufacturers already have excellent inspection tools, unlike traditional LED companies,” Cho continued. “This could help increase their process yield through in-situ monitoring. However, it is unlikely the repurposing will happen overnight; instead we forecast a shift during the coming years.”

Source: IHS, compiled by Digitimes, December 2013

IHS: GaN-on-silicon LEDs forecast to increase market share to 40% by 2020

Plessey releases PLW114050 - a brighter new generation of GaN-on-Si mid-power LED

Plessey has announced the PLW114050 mid-power LED family with emitters available over the CCT range from 2700K to 6500K. The new products hit efficacy levels as high as 64 lm/W essentially doubling the performance of Plessey’s first gallium-nitride-on-silicon (GaN-on-Si) LEDs shipped in...

The UK-based semiconductor company says that it has doubled efficacy since shipping its first GaN-on-Si LEDs back in April, and that its roadmap includes eclipsing the efficacy advantage currently held by sapphire-based LEDs.

Plessey has announced the PLW114050 mid-power LED family with emitters available over the CCT range from 2700K to 6500K. The new products hit efficacy levels as high as 64 lm/W essentially doubling the performance of Plessey’s first gallium-nitride-on-silicon (GaN-on-Si) LEDs shipped in April of this year, and moving the LEDs close to service in general solid-state lighting (SSL) applications.

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The new LEDs are part of Plessey’s Magic (Manufactured on GaN-on-Si I/C) portfolio. The company insists that manufacturing LEDs on low-cost, 6-in. Si wafers using depreciated and automated silicon IC fabrication facilities for the back end of the production process will yield lower LED prices. “Our Magic LED products have a cost advantage over comparable sapphire-based LEDs as we use 6-in., high yield, standard, automated silicon manufacturing technology,” said Plessey CTO Keith Strickland.

Still, Plessey has yet to produce an LED with competitive performance specifications. Back at the April 2013 launch of the first-generation LEDs, efficacy topped out at 36 lm/W and maximum flux output was 3 lm. Subsequently, the company launched blue-pump LEDs for remote-phosphor applications in July with increased performance, but those aren’t directly comparable because Plessey didn’t announce a phosphor-converted white LED at the time.

The new white LEDs deliver flux ranging from 7.9–12.3 lm when driven at 60 mA. The typical forward voltage is 3.2V, which yields efficacy ranging from 41–64 lm/W. While doubling performance in just over six months is impressive, the products trail sapphire-based mid-power LEDs significantly. For example, Seoul Semiconductor announced slightly-larger mid-power LEDs back in July that can hit 180 lm/W at 60 mA.

Plessey, however, claims that it will continue to ramp performance and soon match sapphire LEDs. “We have a roadmap that puts Magic ahead of the efficacies achieved by sapphire-based LEDs and, thereby, sets a new milestone in terms of lumen per dollar performance,” said Strickland. “By approaching efficacy parity, we are accelerating the widespread adoption of GaN-on-Si LED-based lighting products.”

For now, the Plessey LEDs will be applicable primarily to decorative lighting, instrument panel backlighting, and signaling. But should Plessey double performance again inside eight months, and ship the products in volume, the SSL world will start to take notice.

About Plessey Semiconductors

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Plessey has continually improved the quality of people’s lives for over 50 years. This has been achieved through the development of products using innovative and creative technology from the production of the first televisions for John Logie Baird in 1929 to the High Brigntness LEDs it is bringing to the market today.

Today Plessey are leading experts in the development and manufacture of semiconductor products used in sensing, measurement and control applications. Plessey’s products are found in a wide range of markets including communications, manufacturing, medical, defence and aerospace. Plessey designs products for high performance applications and its range of integrated products includes CMOS image sensors, HBLEDs, Hall Effect devices and its award-winning EPIC electric potential sensors. These products all benefit from Plessey’s high precision, high temperature and radiation tolerant technologies.

Plessey releases PLW114050 - a brighter new generation of GaN-on-Si mid-power LED

Toshiba to Start Sales of GaN-on-Silicon White LED Packages

Toshiba has started sales of gallium nitride on silicon white LED packages that are being marketed as a cost-competitive alternative to current LED packages. Production of LED chips is typically done on 2- to 4-inch wafers with an expensive sapphire substrate. Toshiba and Bridgelux, Inc. have...

GaN-on-Silicon

Toshiba has started sales of gallium nitride on silicon white LED packages that are being marketed as a cost-competitive alternative to current LED packages. Production of LED chips is typically done on 2- to 4-inch wafers with an expensive sapphire substrate. Toshiba and Bridgelux, Inc. have developed a process for manufacturing gallium nitride LEDs on 200mm silicon wafers, which Toshiba has brought to production at Kaga Toshiba Electronics Corporation, a discrete products manufacturing facility in northern Japan.

The newly available Leteras LEDs comes in a 1-Watt, 6450 package. Other Leteras LEDs in 3535, 3030, and 3014 packages are under development. The newly available Leteras LED packages (part number TL1F1-NW0,L) come in color temperatures of 3000, 4000, and two in 5000K. They measure 6.4mm by 5.0 mm. At 350mA and 2.9 volts they have a luminous flux of 85, 95, 100, and 112 lumens respectively . The packages have a 120 degree viewing angle. The LEDs have a color rending index minimum Ra of 80 except for the higher lumen output version at 5000K that has a minimum Ra of 70. Toshiba says that the white LED packages are for general purpose lighting, TV backlighting and other areas of application.

About Toshiba Electronics

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Toshiba Corporation (株式会社東芝 Kabushiki-gaisha Tōshiba?) is a Japanese multinational engineering and electronics conglomerate corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Its products and services include information technology and communications equipment and systems, electronic components and materials, power systems, industrial and social infrastructure systems, household appliances, medical equipment, office equipment, lighting and logistics.

Toshiba to Start Sales of GaN-on-Silicon White LED Packages