MIJ-NSR WebLog
MIJ-NSR Newsletter
(Initially distributed to the registered users of MIJ-NSR on Tuesday, 2nd September 2003)
Dear MIJ-NSR Readers,
Hello, as usual nitrides are continually in the news :-). Read on for news on nitride lasers, LEDs, electronic devices and applications of nitrides ranging from optical drives to dentistry!
First some MIJ-NSR News - the Journal is still the most popular nitride website. A search on 'nitride' using Google continues to place MRS Internet Journal of Nitride Semiconductor Research http://nsr.mij.mrs.org at the top of the list :-)
Read on for more :-)
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ð LASER NEWS
"SONY TO COMMENCE VIOLET LASER PRODUCTION"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/11/7/1)
"8 November 2002
Sony joins several other manufacturers that are planning to start production of blue-violet laser diodes ...
The company has developed a prototype 405 nm blue-violet laser with a lifetime of over 10,000 hours at a continuous output of 50 mW at 70 degrees C, sufficient performance to warrant commercializing the device.
Sony also plans to bring to market high-capacity optical disc playback and recording devices that incorporate the new laser.
The GaN on sapphire laser produces a beam with an aspect ratio (the ratio of beam height to beam width) of 2.3. This makes Sony's laser more efficient than competing devices with aspect ratios of around 3.0, since a lower aspect ratio means the beam output is closer to being circular. ..."
For whole article see http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/11/7/1
Also see later in this Newsletter:
NITRIDE APPLICATIONS NEWS - "Sony develops blue laser high-capacity optical drive and media for professional data storage market"
and
NITRIDE COMPANY AGREEMENT NEWS - "Nichia and Sony form nitride laser alliance"
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"SANYO SCHEDULES PRODUCTION OF 35-mW BLUE-VIOLET LASER"
(from http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20030121S0034)
"By Yoshiko Hara, EE Times
January 21, 2003 (2:07 p.m. EST)
TOKYO - Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. will begin production this spring of a 35-milliwatt blue-violet laser for next-generation writable optical disk systems. Sanyo plans to invest about $85 million to develop various blue-violet lasers and hopes to sell about $125 million of them in 2005.
"The introduction of the high-power 35-mW laser will advance the next-generation DVD greatly," said Sanyo president Yukinori Kuwano. Sanyo will offer first samples of the 35-mW part in May, priced at almost $1,700 apiece.
Sanyo's 35-mW device is one of the highest-power blue-violet lasers announced to date. Last December, Nichia Corp. and Sony Corp. said they would work together to develop a 100-mW laser for use in upcoming Blu-ray disk systems.
Sanyo will build its blue-violet laser on a gallium nitride (GaN) substrate rather than a sapphire substrate, the substrate of choice for Nichia. Sanyo also employs an ion implantation layer that contributes to the precise control of the laser's emission, resulting in the kind of low-noise, low-current laser required for optical disk systems, Sanyo said.
Sanyo's part features a wavelength of 405 nanometers, threshold current of 40 mA and operating current of 75 mA. Since it does not have insulating sapphire substrate, it has instead a structure with electrodes on the top and bottom, which reduces chip size by about a half, Kuwano said.
The structure is different from Nichia's sapphire-based lasers, but Sanyo can make it without infringing any Nichia patents, Kuwano said.
Sanyo announced a 5-mW blue-violet laser that uses the same structure last March, and is now sampling that part.
Anticipating higher demand for blue-violet lasers, other manufacturers are also preparing for volume production. Aside from the Nichia/Sony partnership, Sharp Corp. will begin production of blue-violet lasers by the end of this year at a new fabrication facility, which is under construction. And Rohm Co. Ltd. is developing a silicon carbide-based laser with Cree Inc."
For news on Sanyo's 50 mW blue-violet laser diode see:
http://www.sanyo.co.jp/koho/hypertext4-eng/0303news-e/0326-e.html
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"TAIWANESE UNIVERSITY DEVELOPS VIOLET LASER DIODE"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/2/23/1)
"21 February 2003
National Central University (NCU), located in Chung-Li, Taiwan, has reported the successful operation of an electrically pumped violet laser diode.
The device operated at 410 nm with a threshold current of 10 kA/cm.
NCU is the second R&D group in Taiwan to develop a GaN blue laser. In late 2001, the Opto-Electronics and Systems Laboratories (OES) of ITRI announced a 415 nm laser with a threshold current of 7.2 kA/cm.
NCU's device consisted of a 5 m x 1000 m index-guided ridge waveguide laser structure, which was grown directly on a sapphire substrate using an Aixtron AIX 200/4 RF MOCVD machine. The buffer layer consisted of 2 m GaN and 1.5 m Al0.08Ga0.92N.
Professor J.I. Chyi, Director of the Optical Sciences Center at NCU and responsible for the development of the laser devices explains: "The results that we recently achieved with our horizontal flow reactor are groundbreaking. The MOCVD process is exceptionally stable, which is mandatory for the development of sophisticated optoelectronic devices such as violet laser diodes and the related reproducible production process." "
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"NEW RECORD FOR STIMULATED EMISSION IN AlGaN/AlN"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/11/18/1)
"25 November 2002
Sensor Electronic Technology and Crystal IS have observed deep UV stimulated emission in AlGaN/AlN-based quantum well structures at a wavelength of 258 nm.
Two specialist developers of nitride-based materials and devices, Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc. (SET) and Crystal IS, Inc., have observed the shortest stimulated emission wavelength reported to date in semiconductor materials.
Deep UV stimulated emission at a wavelength of 258 nm was observed under optical excitation in AlGaN/AlN-based quantum well structures grown over single-crystal bulk AlN substrates by MOCVD.
The work is a result of the joint technology development agreement between the two companies, which takes advantage of a unique combination of AlN substrate technology at Crystal IS and expertise in AlInGaN-based epitaxial materials and devices at SET. A technical description of the work will be published in the December 9, 2002 issue of Applied Physics Letters.
"This is a significant milestone in our joint effort to develop and commercialize semiconductor light emitters in the deep-UV spectral range," said Remis Gaska, president and CEO of SET. "The observation of stimulated emission is a clear evidence of the high quality of the AlGaN-on-AlN material, which is a key factor in the fabrication of LEDs and especially laser diodes." ..."
For whole article see: http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/11/18/1
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For more news on blue-violet lasers see:
"Pure gallium nitride wafers likely to change blue-violet laser market"
by Yoshiko Hara - March 27, 2003
at
http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20030325S0038
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ð LED NEWS
"HIGH-BRIGHTNESS LED MARKET REACHES $1.8 BILLION"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/2/14/1)
"11 February 2003
The market for high-brightness LEDs grew by 50% in 2002, reaching $1.8 billion, and Strategies Unlimited predicts continued growth in the next several years.
After a flat year in 2001, the market for high-brightness LEDs grew by 50% to $1.8 billion in 2002, according to Robert Steele of Strategies Unlimited. Speaking at last week's Strategies in Light conference, Steele explained that growth was mainly driven by the mobile appliance market, which now accounts for 40% of the HB-LED market.
Other key markets include signs, which range from single-color moving message panels to full-color video screens in sports stadiums, and both interior and exterior lighting in automotive applications. These markets had a share of 23% and 18%, respectively, while illumination accounted for 5% of the total market in 2002.
The mobile appliance market, which includes mobile phone screen and keypad backlights, PDAs and digital cameras, grew by a massive 114% compared to 2001, despite very little growth in handset shipments. More HB-LEDs were used in handsets due to a proliferation of full-color screens, larger screens, secondary screens and backlighting for keypads.
In terms of materials, the market was dominated by InGaN-based devices, which accounted for 68% of total HB-LED sales. Again, this reflects the use of blue, green and white LEDs in handsets. Steele estimated that around 3.5 billion InGaN-based LEDs were shipped in 2002, although this does not include low quality "off-spec" chips.
Looking ahead, Steele predicted steady growth in the HB-LED market of around 20% per year for the next five years, assuming that normal growth takes place in the general economy.
About the author
Tim Whitaker is Editor of Compound Semiconductor magazine."
For a thorough overview of growth in the LED market including descriptions of the use of LEDs in mobiles, signs and displays, automotive lighting & ... see:
"Mobile applications prompt strong growth in LED market" by Tim Whitaker at http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/magazine/article/9/4/3/1
where he reports on the annual Strategies in Light Conference.
Other interesting web articles on LEDs are:
"Solid-state illumination is on the horizon, but challenges remain"
by Eric Learner
and
"Solid-state lighting continues growth in down market"
by Hassaun A. Jones-Bey
at http://lfw.pennwellnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARCHI&Subsection=Display&ARTICLE_ID=161807&KEYWORD=nitride&p=12
(Laser Focus World November, 2002)
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"TINY GaN LEDS ASSEMBLED INTO 128 X 96 ARRAY"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/1/10/1)
"10 January 2003
A team at the UK's University of Strathcylde have fabricated an array of GaN-based micro-LEDs containing 12,288 emitters.
Researchers at Strathclyde University's Institute of Photonics in the UK claim to have fabricated the largest array of GaN-based micro-LEDs. The 128 x 96 array measures 3.5 x 2.5 mm and contains 12,288 emitters, each with a diameter of 20 m. The team says these devices will be useful in microdisplays and optical biochips for efficient DNA analysis.
Current power levels are about 0.1 mW per element with an operating voltage of about 3.5 V. To date the researchers have made arrays that emit blue light at 470 nm and have constructed a prototype alphanumeric monochrome microdisplay. According to project leader Martin Dawson, there is potential to extend this to full color operation by adding a polymer or phosphor material on top of selected elements to shift their emission wavelength.
As well as being some 25 times smaller than conventional LEDs, micro-LEDs offer several benefits over their larger counterparts. "They are more efficient and have operating speeds of a few hundred picoseconds," said Dawson. "The array is also a multi-element device where the emitters can be controlled independently. Conventional LEDs are a single-element emitter technology."
The researchers are also using their technology to excite organic materials with fluorescent markings. "This is potentially a very compact and quick way to analyse multiple DNA samples," said Dawson. "Instead of scanning one laser source over the samples, you can use a 2D multi-element emitter source to read the information simultaneously."
Dawson and colleagues are now developing 370 nm (violet) and 540 nm (green) devices, and hope to commercialize the technology in 2-3 years.
About the author
Jacqueline Hewett is news reporter on Optics.org and Opto & Laser Europe magazine."
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ð ELECTRONIC DEVICE NEWS
"OKI DEVELOPS HIGH-PERFORMANCE GaN-ON-SiC HEMT"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/3/21/1)
"27 March 2003
"Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. has announced a AlGaN/GaN HEMT power transistor with dramatically improved amplification characteristics for wireless communications applications.
The device, grown on a SiC substrate, achieved a world's best 500 mS/mm figure for transconductance, an indicator of amplification performance. Previous Oki devices had demonstrated a transconductance of 327 mS/mm.
To improve the amplification characteristics of the (Al)GaN-on-SiC device, Oki successfully fabricated T-shaped recessed gates, reduced the gate length, and optimized the device structure. The transistor achieved high frequency performance including a maximum oscillation frequency (fmax) of 126 GHz and a current gain cut-off frequency (ft) of 67 GHz ... "
For whole article see: http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/3/21/1
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"RFMD MOVES GaN-BASED PAS CLOSER TO MARKET"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/3/3/1)
"3 March 2003
RFMD has demonstrated a packaged 28 W GaN power transistor with CW operation, and has sampled wideband (DCS/PCS/UMTS) GaN PAs to several infrastructure OEMs.
RF Micro Devices has achieved what it describes as a major milestone toward the commercialization of GaN-based RF power technology for basestation applications.
The company has successfully grown, fabricated and packaged GaN power transistors achieving 28 W performance with CW operation at 20 V. These GaN power transistors are fabricated from RFMD's current 0.9-micron process and exhibit 10 dB of linear gain. The transistors were used to develop 20-W CW power amplifiers for UMTS applications.
RFMD also demonstrated 7 W wideband GaN PAs designed for DCS (1800-1880 MHz), PCS (1930-1990 MHz) and UMTS (2110-2170 MHz) wireless infrastructure applications. The PAs exhibit 11 dB of gain at 20 V operation, with gain slope of +/- 0.2 dB over the entire range and better than +/- 0.1 dB over the DCS and PCS bands.
By exhibiting flat gain over a broad frequency range, the GaN PAs enable a single power amplifier solution over DCS, PCS and UMTS wireless infrastructure bands. The matched power amplifier exhibits an output return loss of -12 dB over the band with a typical input return loss of -11 dB at midband.
Jeff Shealy, VP of the infrastructure amplifier product line at RFMD, said, "The advantages of GaN are clearly demonstrated in the broadband power and gain performance of these matched amplifiers. This wideband performance is extremely difficult to achieve using semiconductor technologies that are commercially available today." ..."
For whole article see: http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/3/3/1
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"AlGaN/GaN HEMTs BREAK RECORDS AT IEDM"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/12/3/1)
"3 December 2002
A number of papers describing record performance of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs will be reported at next week's IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM).
A number of papers describing record performance of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs, which are attractive for high power and high frequency applications, will be reported at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), to be held on December 9-11 in San Francisco.
R Quay and colleagues from the Fraunhofer Institute of Applied Solid-State Physics, will report AlGaN/GaN-on-SiC HEMTs operating at up to 40 GHz. The devices had a gain in excess of 6 dB and a maximum output power of 0.3 W, equating to a power density of 1.23 W/mm for a gate width of 8 x 30 microns (0.24 mm). The CW power-added-efficiency (PAE) was 10% at a drain bias voltage (Vds) of 26 V, while the peak PAE was 16% at Vds = 15 V.
Meanwhile, Kasahara et al. from NEC will describe the first successful watt-level Ka-band power operation of an AlGaN/GaN HFET on SiC. A device with a gate length of 0.25 microns and a gate width of 0.36 mm had a maximum CW output power of 2.3 W at 30 GHz, together with a PAE of 38% and a linear gain of 8.8 dB at Vds = 30 V. The authors believe that the output power of 2.3 W and the power density of 6.4 W/mm are the highest values reported to date for GaN-based devices at Ka-band.
Linearity is also an important characteristic of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs targeted at applications such as wireless base stations. At IEDM, Nagahara et al. from Fujitsu will report excellent linearity characteristics of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs at Vds = 30 V and class AB operation at 1.9 GHz. The devices, grown on SiC, exhibited a third-order intermodulation distortion (IM3) of 34.7 dBc for an output power level of 26 dBm (backed off 8 dBm from the saturation power). The RF performance is attributed to suppressing current collapse under a high applied voltage, using an optimum n-AlGaN donor layer thickness and SiN passivation.
Yi-Feng Wu and colleagues from Cree Lighting will also report excellent linearity of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs at 4 GHz, including an IM3 of 30 dBc and a PAE of 40% with only 2.6 dB back-off. The results can be compared to - 30 dBc IM3 and 45% PAE achieved by InP-based HBTs at 10 GHz. "
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"NEC NITRIDE POWER TRANSISTOR OUTPUTS 2.3 WATTS"
(from http://www.electronicstimes.com/story/OEG20021217S0021)
"By John Walko, CommsDesign.com
18 December 2002 (1:22 p.m. GMT)
TOKYO - NEC Corp. has developed a nitride semiconductor power transistor capable of 2.3-watt power amplification in the 30-GHz sub-millimeter band. The Japanese company claims this is a major advance in performance over the highest output power of 0.72 W previously available from single chips using the same materials. ..."
For whole article see: http://www.electronicstimes.com/story/OEG20021217S0021
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ð SUBSTRATE NEWS
"SUMITOMO ELECTRIC PRODUCES GaN WAFERS IN VOLUME"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/4/9/1)
"11 April 2003
Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. has commenced volume production of gallium nitride substrates for the fabrication of GaN-based violet lasers, according to Nikkei Business Daily, a Japanese newspaper.
The use of GaN as a substrate instead of sapphire or SiC is expected to significantly reduce defect formation during epitaxial growth. In turn, this will improve the performance and manufacturability of violet lasers, which will be used in next-generation optical disc drives.
Sumitomo Electric expects to produce the substrates, each of which can be used to make 10,000 lasers, at an initial rate of 200 units per month. It plans to boost output to 500 units per month in October and market the substrates to laser manufacturers. ..."
For whole article see: http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/4/9/1
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For more information on GaN wafers see:
"Pure gallium nitride wafers likely to change blue-violet laser market"
by Yoshiko Hara
at
http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20030325S0038
(also referenced under LASER NEWS)
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"HITACHI CABLE TO PRODUCE GALLIUM NITRIDE SUBSTRATES"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/2/24/1)
"21 February 2003
Hitachi Cable Ltd., a Japanese substrate and epiwafer manufacturer, plans to mass-produce gallium nitride substrates for blue laser diodes, according to a report in the Nikkei Business Daily.
Hitachi Cable is building a production line at an Ibaraki Prefecture factory to produce 2-inch-diameter GaN substrates, each of which will be able to yield several thousand blue laser diodes. The company plans to begin marketing the GaN substrates this spring and intends to have a system in place sometime during 2004 that can produce the substrates at a rate of 300 units per month. ..."
For whole article see: http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/2/24/1
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"LUMILOG INTRODUCES GaN-ON-SAPPHIRE SUBSTRATES"
(from http://www.lumilog.com/site/index.cfm?cd=21112&news=19028)
"Date announced: 7 Apr 2003
French company Lumilog is starting the production of a novel Fe-doped semi-insulating GaN substrate for nitride based electronics.
The product consists of a 4-micron-thick single crystal GaN layer deposited on a 2-inch diameter sapphire substrate. GaN material exhibits a sheet resistance higher than 107 Ohm at 300K and a low threading dislocation density.
The new product is mostly targeted for substrate applications for AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). Perfectly lattice matched to GaN-based devices, this low cost semi-insulating substrate is excellent for a variety of nitride electronic devices. ..."
For whole article see: http://www.lumilog.com/site/index.cfm?cd=21112&news=19028
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ð NITRIDE APPLICATIONS NEWS
"SONY DEVELOPS BLUE LASER HIGH-CAPACITY OPTICAL DRIVE AND MEDIA FOR PROFESSIONAL DATA STORAGE MARKET
New Drive Enables the Recording of 23.3GB of Data on a 12cm Single-sided Disc"
(from http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/3525)
"SAN JOSE, Calif., April 7, 2003 - Sony today announced a new blue laser optical data storage disc drive and cartridge-type disc media (both rewriteable and write-once versions), which will be demonstrated for the first time at the Association of Information and Image Management (AIIM) conference in New York from April 7 through April 9.
The new media will offer 23.3 GB of capacity per disc, while the new drive sustains a maximum transfer rate of 9 MB/sec, making it ideal for professional data-intensive applications such as document and medical imaging, e-mail archiving, enterprise content management, multimedia projects, graphics design and audio/video editing. Both are expected to ship to OEMs this summer.
The drive and media will feature a durable, airtight structure to prevent dust particles from coming in contact with the drive mechanism and disc surface, increasing reliability for critical applications. Rewritable media and write-once read many (WORM) media for regulatory and secure storage requirements will be supported.
The 5.25-inch internal drives will incorporate an Ultra-wide 160 SCSI interface for easy integration into high-end workstations, servers and automated libraries commonly used for storage and archival purposes.
"The new blue laser optical disc drive and media will meet the capacity needs of storage users who have outgrown the 9.1 GB magneto-optical (MO) per disc capacity offered in the market today," said Rick Thong, marketing manager for storage solutions at Sony Electronics in San Jose, Calif. "In addition to offering more than twice the capacity in the same drive form-factor, the new drive and media also bring fast access times to customers who demand a high performance solution for quickly accessing and transferring files."
Several suppliers have already expressed interest in the new drive and media. Looking to the future, Thong said that Sony hopes to bring a second-generation drive and media to the market by 2005 that will feature 50 GB of capacity with a transfer rate of 18 MB/sec. He then expects this to be followed by a third-generation drive and media featuring 100 GB of capacity with a transfer rate of 36 MB/sec. Having pursued open alliances with many suppliers within the industry over the years, Sony will continuously strive to maintain its leadership position in the optical disc business.
Evaluation units of the new internal blue laser optical drive (model BW-F101) and media (rewritable PDDRW23 and write-once PDDWO23) are expected to start shipping to OEMs this summer for around $3,000 per drive and around $45 per disc. Both an external drive and a Sony-branded version of the drive are expected to be brought to the market before the end of the year.
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"30GB, ULTRA DENSITY OPTICAL (UDO) DRIVE"
(from http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Articles/Specific.asp?ArticleHeadline=CeBIT+2003+Show+Coverage&index=25)
"Plasmon, a leading provider of a wide range of automated data storage solutions, demonstrated this year at CeBIT a working prototype of its new 30GB, Ultra Density Optical (UDO) drives and media. UDO is about to become the next generation standard on 5.25-inch optical drive technology, replacing the existing magneto-optical (MO) base of drives and discs of the same diameter. We were able to see at the company's booth worlds first working blue-violet laser optical disk drive. It supports the new UDO disks and it is developed for professional data storage markets, covering archiving, document imaging, call centers, email archiving, GIS, medical, telecom, banking, insurance, legal and government. The new drive delivers the performance of the older 5.25MO drives, the longevity of 12-inch True WORM (Write Once Read Many) and the cost effectiveness of a DVD solution.
UDO uses 405nm blue-violet laser and phase change technology adapted from the Blu-Ray DVD-type products. UDO drives operate with a 8KB sector size with direct overwrite capability. When writing data to Rewritable and Write Once media, the UDO drive uses only two passes: write and verify.
Phase Change technology is based on a specially designed recording layer that can exist in both amorphous and crystalline states and is transformed between these two states by the heat from a precision laser. UDO's blue violet laser is focused through a 0.7 numerical aperture (NA) lens, which generates a very small spot on the recording layer, transforming the state of the media and creating a data mark. The same laser operating under a lower power reads these data marks. Phase Change recording is a totally nonmagnetic process, providing very stable data storage that is completely impervious to damage from magnetic field exposure and bit drift. ..."
For whole article see: http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Articles/Specific.asp?ArticleHeadline=CeBIT+2003+Show+Coverage&index=25
(Thanks to Paul Middleton for bringing this one to my attention :-) )
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"SURGICAL LAMP WILL USE HIGH-POWER LUMILEDS LEDS"
(from A HREF="http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/2/22/1)
"21 February 2003
Rimsa, a medical and industrial lighting manufacturer based in Italy, is using Lumileds Lighting's advanced LED technology to develop the world's first surgical lamp with 100% cold light and a 50,000-hour life.
The PentaLED lamp, scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2003, will equip surgeons with a cooler, longer-lasting and more energy-efficient alternative to conventional halogen-based instruments.
Rimsa selected Lumileds' Luxeon V because it can generate sufficient light for a surgical environment with only five emitters. At 120 lumens per emitter, the five-emitter configuration will give the PentaLED lamp a light output of 600 lumens with 50,000 lux. Other LED products would require at least 120 LEDs to produce equivalent brightness, says Lumileds.
The inherent energy efficiency of LEDs will allow the PentaLED lamp to operate with only 25W of power, a third of that required by a comparable halogen lamp. The use of solid-state illumination will also allow the lamp to last up to 25 times longer than halogen products.
In addition, the cool LED light beam will increase physician comfort in the operating room and help prevent the open wound area from drying out, thereby eliminating the need to keep the area humid for the patient's safety.
"Until LumiledsLuxeon V light source became available, no LED was bright enough for use in a surgical lamp," said Ing. Paolo Longoni, Rimsa Product Manager. "By incorporating this technology in our new PentaLED product, we are enabling physicians and operating room personnel to take advantage of the coolness, long life and energy efficiency of LEDs for the first time." "
see also http://www.lumileds.com/newsandevents/releases/Feb_21_2003_Rimsa_PR.pdf
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"DENTISTRY PROVIDES NEW MARKET FOR BLUE LEDS"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/12/13/1)
"17 December 2002
Lumileds has won orders for its 460 nm LEDs to replace halogen lamps in dental curing applications.
A new application in dentistry is emerging for blue LEDs operating at around 460 nm. The devices are used in place of conventional halogen lamps for curing polymers, which are part of the composite material used to fill teeth.
According to Lumileds, several companies are now incorporating its Luxeon V Dental LED-based light source in dental light-curing devices, which provide faster curing times, easier use, and consume less energy than current products.
Currently, most blue light sources in dentistry use tungsten filament halogen lamps that incorporate a blue filter to produce light in the 400-500 nm region. This light is directed down a waveguide such as a fused glass bundle. The end of this waveguide is placed adjacent to the soft uncured composite filling material positioned in a tooth cavity.
A typical dental composite contains a mixture of monomers, a photoinitiator, a tertiary amine, and silica particles to provide the required hardness. When excited by the absorption of blue light, the photoinitiator stimulates the production of free radicals from the tertiary amine, which causes polymerisation and hardening of the composite.
LEDs offer a number of advantages for such applications. The use of a monochromatic light source with typical 460 nm peak wavelength eliminates the need for inefficient color filters, while the low voltage DC operation allows small handheld and cordless designs. Halogen lamps require intensive fan cooling, and have a short lifetime compared to LED sources. Further benefits include instant illumination, precise beam control, minimum glare, low UV light, mercury-free operation, and a cool light beam that is safe to the touch.
The Luxeon V has a radiant output of 600 mW for blue light. The Italian company Mectron has launched the Starlight Pro, incorporating the power and small size of the Luxeon V into a hand piece that weighs just 105 g. The product provides faster curing times for patients, while for dentists it has less weight, a smaller design and is more energy efficient. A division of 3M Company's Health Care Business also recently launched a product based around the Luxeon V Dental. "
see also http://www.lumileds.com/newsandevents/releases/Dec_11_2002_Dental_PR.pdf
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"BUILDING NANOTUBES OF GALLIUM NITRIDE RATHER THAN CARBON YIELDS OPTICALLY ACTIVE NANOTUBES"
(from http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/04/09_tubes.shtml)
"By Robert Sanders, Media Relations
09 April 2003
BERKELEY - Nanowires and carbon nanotubes, each with their pluses and minuses, are advertised as the next-generation building blocks for electronic circuits a thousand times smaller than today's semiconductor circuits.
Peidong Yang, a University of California, Berkeley, chemist, has now fabricated a new type of nanotube, made of gallium nitride, that, he says, "captures some of the great properties from nanowires and carbon nanotubes, and eliminates the not-so-good characteristics of both.
"Each of these - semiconductor nanowires, carbon nanotubes and semiconductor nanotubes - will play a big role in nanocircuits of the future." ..."
For whole press release see: http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/04/09_tubes.shtml
______________________________________________________________________________
ð NITRIDE COMPANY AGREEMENT NEWS
"NICHIA AND SONY FORM NITRIDE LASER ALLIANCE"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/12/15/1)
"18 December 2002
Two leading Japanese developers of nitride-based semiconductor lasers, Sony and Nichia, have formed an alliance to develop products for the Blu-ray disc recording format.
In the latest of a series of agreements in the nitride optoelectronics field, Nichia and Sony have formed an alliance to develop technologies for the mass production of blue-violet laser diodes for use in optical disc recording and playback.
The two companies will jointly develop 405 nm high output power blue-violet laser diodes for "Blu-ray Disc", a next generation large-capacity optical disc video recording format. Mass production of the devices is expected in spring 2003, and the companies will each manufacture and sell the products resulting from the development program.
Sony and Nichia have been involved in a collaboration to develop blue-violet laser diodes since June 2002. The latest agreement extends this collaboration by allowing the companies to share their respective technologies, patents and know-how.
Sony and Nichia have independently pursued research and development in the area of blue-violet laser diodes, and each company now has a considerable number of intellectual properties, such as process patents and technological know-how. At present, Nichia remains the only commercial supplier of blue-violet lasers. With this agreement, the two companies say that they will be enabled to produce excellent blue-violet laser diodes in a short period by integrating and utilizing their respective technologies.
According to a joint press release, Sony and Nichia "reached the agreement through recognition of the significance of meeting market demands by expediting the joint development of blue-violet laser diodes actively in the field of optical disc recording and playback." Also, the companies say that they will "pursue the timely creation and expansion of the market for blue-violet laser diodes through active future cooperation."
During the course of 2002, Nichia has also reached patent agreements with Osram Opto Semiconductors, Toyoda Gosei, Lumileds and Cree.
For an overview of recent licensing agreements see:
"LICENSING AGREEMENTS STABILIZE NITRIDE OPTOELECTRONICS FIELD" by Tim Whitaker
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/magazine/article/8/12/1/1
______________________________________________________________________________
ð INDIUM NITRIDE BANDGAP NEWS
Following on from our FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH THE InN ENIGMA in our last Newsletter, the following articles make for both interesting and contentious reading:
"FULL SOLAR SPECTRUM PHOTOVOLTAIC MATERIALS IDENTIFIED"
(at http://www.lbl.gov/msd/PIs/Walukiewicz/02/02_8_Full_Solar_Spectrum.html)
also
"BANDGAP OF INDIUM NITRIDE MEASURED AS 0.7 eV"
(athttp://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/11/17/1)
The above gave rise to the following:
"COMMENTS ON "BANDGAP OF InN IS 0.7 eV" STORY"
(at http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/12/17/1)
for more on the InN bandgap debate watch this space!
______________________________________________________________________________
ð NEWS ON THE COMPETITION
"SANYO UNVEILS HANDSET WITH ORGANIC LED DISPLAY"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/2/2/1)
"3 February 2003
Sanyo has unveiled its latest handset, featuring an organic LED display, and plans to step up production of OLED panels through its joint venture with Kodak.
Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., a Japanese handset manufacturer, has unveiled a new mobile phone with a full-color organic LED (OLED) display screen. At a press conference, the company said that it would start commercial production of the new handset in the summer of 2003. ...
Sanyo expects that the market for medium and large-sized panels with a display size of 5.5 inches and larger, for use in equipment such as car navigation systems, will grow rapidly from 2004 onwards. Other applications are closer at hand; consumer giant Philips expects to produce 100,000 electric shavers this year featuring OLED displays.
The Sanyo phone is the first to feature an OLED display since NEC produced its FOMA N2001 phone for NTT DoCoMo in mid-2001. Before that, Motorola's TimePort handset featured an OLED display manufactured by Pioneer, although this was a three-color rather than full-color display.
Compared to liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), OLED screens offer better brightness, contrast and color, and wider viewing angles. They are also thinner, lighter and consume less power than LCDs. However, OLED displays have several drawbacks, including limited lifetimes and higher production costs.
The introduction of full-color OLED displays for mobile phones could affect demand for white LEDs, which are currently used as backlights for full-color LCD panels. "
For whole article see: http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/7/2/2/1
For more on OLED displays see "ORGANIC DISPLAYS ENTER CONSUMER ELECTRONICS" by Olaf Gelsen
at http://optics.org/articles/ole/8/6/6/1
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"JOINT VENTURE WILL PRODUCE ZnSe WHITE LEDS"
(from http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/12/2/1)
"2 December 2002
Sumitomo Electric and Procomp have formed a joint venture to produce ZnSe white LEDs.
Sumitomo Electric has teamed with Procomp to commercialize ZnSe white LEDs. The companies plan to establish a joint venture under the name Supra Opto Inc, with Procomp holding 60% ownership and Sumitomo the remainder. Mass production is expected to begin in March 2003, with a production volume of 1 million units per month, rising to 3.6 million units/month by the end of next year.
Sumitomo will transfer technology and equipment to Procomp, which will carry out epitaxial growth through its Procomp Informatics epiwafer division and chip processing through its Suntek foundry subsidiary.
Sumitomo developed ZnSe-based white LEDs about four years ago. The company's device is a homoepitaxial ZnSe blue LED grown on a ZnSe substrate, which simultaneously produces blue light from the active region and yellow emission from the substrate.
This differs radically from conventional white LEDs, which are made by combining a blue LED chip with a yellow phosphor, or a UV LED with a tricolor or polychromatic phosphor. Sumitomo's approach should avoid the patents owned by Nichia, Osram and others in this field.
Sumitomo says that the ZnSe LED offers a number of advantages. In conventional white LEDs, the use of a phosphor makes packaging more complicated and reduces the overall efficiency of the device. The ZnSe substrate is conducting, allowing the use of top and bottom contacts, unlike GaN-on-sapphire devices. Also, the ZnSe LED operates at a low voltage of 2.7 V, and is highly resistant to static electrical discharge.
Furthermore, the ZnSe LED offers an extensive range of color temperatures (3,500-8,500K compared to 6,000-8,500K for most GaN-based devices). This should allow the devices to provide warm-color lighting favored by American and European households.
______________________________________________________________________________
ð CONFERENCE NEWS
REPORTS:
A report on The Fifth International Conference on Nitride Semiconductors (ICNS-5) appears in August's Issue of Compound Semiconductor Magazine, at
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/magazine/article/9/8/1/1
CALENDAR:
See: http://nsr.mij.mrs.org/calendar/calendar.html
- October 5-10, 2003. 10th International conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials 2003 (ICSCRM2003), Lyon, France.
- November 4-7, 2003. 4th International Workshop on Modeling in Crystal Growth, Fukuoka, Japan.
- December 1-5, 2003. Fall 2003 MRS GaN symposium. Boston, MA.
- March 15-19, 2004 5th International Symposium on Blue Laser and Light-Emitting Diodes. Gyeongju, Korea.
______________________________________________________________________________
ð OTHER NITRIDE NEWSLETTERS
If after reading all the above your appetite for nitride news is still not sated, then have a look at
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/street/xgo60/n_archive/index.htm
and http://www.compoundsemi.com/news/nitridenews/
______________________________________________________________________________
Well that's all folks! Please send me your news or any interesting articles or links for the next Newsletter. If you have any "Hot Topics" you would like me to include please let me know.
Carol
E-mail: c.trager-cowan@strath.ac.uk
Dr Carol Trager-Cowan
Senior Lecturer
Department of Physics
University of Strathclyde
John Anderson Building
107 Rottenrow
Glasgow G4 0NG
Scotland, UK
Tel: +44 (0)141 548 3465
Fax: +44 (0)141 552 2891
posted by Carol Trager-Cowan 10:13 AM
Tuesday, January 07, 2003
MIJ-NSR Newsletter
(Initially distributed to the registered users of MIJ-NSR on Tuesday, 22nd October 2002)
Dear MIJ-NSR Readers,
Hello from sunny Sydney. In this Newsletter I am introducing a NEW feature:
mini-articles on ÎFlavours of the Monthâ and in this Newsletter we deal with
the interesting subject of what is the bandgap of InN???
The article is courtesy of my host here at Macquarie University: Dr Scott
Butcher from the Department of Physics, Division of Information and
Communication Science.
As usual we have news on lasers - a Nichia UV diode laser is born, and LEDs -
which are taking the Lighting Industry by storm. We report on a review on
nitride transistors, news on substrates and the latest litigation news.
Read on for more :-)
ð FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH THE InN ENIGMA
by Dr Scott Butcher, Department of Physics, Division of Information and
Communication Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Many might have noticed that as a topic indium nitride is becoming hotter.
The attention relates to the high mobility of the material. A room
temperature electron mobility of 2700 cm2/Vðs has been achieved for carrier
concentrations of 5x1016 cm-3 [1] with predications that claim a maximum
possible value of 4400 cm2/Vðs [2]. Theoretical considerations also suggest
that the high frequency device performance of indium nitride should easily
outstrip gallium nitride and gallium arsenide [3]. But what is the materials
band-gap? The question seemed to have been settled some 20 years ago when the
2700 mobility material was grown with a 1.9 eV band-gap [4]. However, that
material was polycrystalline, grown by RF sputtering. Some recent MBE
results, with single crystal material, have been pointing to a lower band-
gap, perhaps as low as 0.7 eV [5]. So what is the band-gap? The question
still rages. At present two contending arguments exist, on the one side the
higher band-gap material is suggested to owe its values to the inclusion of
oxygen, while the opposing view is that the present MBE material, being grown
above the decomposition temperature of indium nitride, is metal rich. Metal
rich nitrides are known to exhibit a low band-gap. Obviously other arguments
relating to the presence of defects may also be valid in both cases. And so
what does the evidence suggest at the moment? Well wait until the next
edition of the news letter to see, or come and ask me (K. Scott Butcher)
during the Fall MRS meeting.
[1] T. L. Tansley and C. P. Foley, Electron Lett. 20 (1984) 1066.
[2] V. W. L. Chin, T. L. Tansley and T. Osotchan, J. Appl. Phys. 75 (1994)
7365.
[3] S. K. Oâleary, B. E. Foutz, M. S. Shur, U. V. Bhapkar and L. F. Eastman,
J. Appl. Phys. 83 (1998) 826.
[4] T. L. Tansley and C. P. Foley, J. Appl. Phys. 59 (1986) 3241.
[5] j. Wu, W. Walukiewicz, K. M. Wu, J. W. Ager III, E. E. Haller, Hai Lu, W.
J. Schaff, Y. Saito and Y. Nanishi, Appl. Phys. Lett. 80 (2002) 3967.
_____________________________________________________________________
ð LASER NEWS
"NICHIA INTRODUCES UV LASER AND 365 nm LED"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/10/5/1)
"2 October 2002
Nichia has achieved another first with the announcement that it is to begin
sampling a 375 nm UV laser diode.
Nichia has announced that it is to begin sampling its first UV laser diode
product. The new laser is specified as having a typical peak wavelength of 375
nm with an output power of 2 mW. Typical threshold current is 45 mA and the
operating voltage is 4.5 V.
The development is significant in that Nichia appears to be the first company
to announce the commercial availability of a UV laser diode. ...
Further into the UV spectrum, Nichia has announced that it is to begin sampling
a 365 nm LED in early 2003. The UV-LED has an output power of 100 mW at a drive
current of 500 mA at 4.6 V. The LED is expected to find applications in medical
equipment, analyzers and in photocatalysis."
For whole press release see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/10/5/1
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ãINGAN/GAN ON SI TECHNOLOGY FOR BLUE LASERä
(From http://www.aixtron.com/redir.php?url=http://www.aixtron.com/press/AIX072302.htm)
ãAachen, July 23rd, 2002 - During the IWN (International Workshop on Nitrides)
conference in Aachen, Germany, researchers from the RWTH Aachen, Stepanov
Institute of Physics, Minsk and AIXTRON presented the first optically pumped
blue laser chip based on InGaN/GaN using a Silicon wafer substrate. This is a
key result towards achieving low cost, highly efficient compound semiconductor
technologies.
The key technical data of this InGaN/GaN on Si substrate laser include
wavelength in the blue of 447nm, a high maximum operation temperature of 420K,
a low threshold to achieve the lasing of 270kW/cm" and an output power of 8W,
representing results close to the technology of laser grown on much more
expensive sapphire and SiC substrates. ·ä
For whole press release see: http://www.aixtron.com/redir.php?url=http://www.aixtron.com/press/AIX072302.htm
_____________________________________________________________________
ð LED NEWS
Lots of interest and activity out there on LEDs, as this Newsletter was going
to press Nichia announced their Ultraviolet (365 nm) 100 mW LED:
http://www.nichia.co.jp/info/news/new20020926.html
I have also found a plethora of articles published in the last few months
touting LEDs. You can read about Lumileds white LEDs producing 120 lumens in
the article ãREALITY REPLACES HYPEä at
http://www.lumileds.com/newsandevents/articles/reality.pdf
(see
http://www.lumileds.com/newsandevents/news_index.html for other articles
on Lumileds LEDs)
A review on Japanâs progress in developing UV LEDs for solid state lighting
entitled ãJAPANESE COLLABORATION SEEKS EFFICIENT WHITE LED LIGHTINGä, by
Richard Dixon appeared in Compound Semiconductorâs July editionä, see
http://compoundsemiconductor.net/magazine/article/8/7/3/1.
Richard Dixon also reported from the "Strategies in Light" conference on the
high-brightness LED market place in articles appearing in the April and May
editions of Compound Semiconductor. See:
http://compoundsemiconductor.net/magazine/article/8/4/6/1 and
http://compoundsemiconductor.net/magazine/article/8/5/9/1.
Click on these links for news on the use of LEDs in the ãautomotive, displays,
signage and decorative lighting marketsä. See pictures of LEDs that ãcan be
seen from up to 4 miles awayä! -
http://compoundsemiconductor.net/magazine/article/8/5/9/2/cssil3%5F5%2D02
Finally read the review appearing in EE Times ãWHITE LED LAMP MARKET
BRIGHTENSä, by Yoshiko Hara , July 18, 2002 (10:27 a.m. EST):
http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20020718S0013
and
the review ãLET THERE BE LIGHTä by Glenn Zorpette at
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/publicfeature/sep02/lite.html"
(Thanks to Dr Matthew Phillips of the University of Technology, Sydney for
pointing this one out to me.)
_____________________________________________________________________
ð ELECTRONIC DEVICE NEWS
A lovely review on why GaN makes ãThe Toughest Transistor Yetä ãIt's made of
gallium nitride, withstands a lot of heat, and handles frequencies and power
levels well beyond what any other transistor can handleä, by Lester F. Eastman,
Cornell University & Umesh K. Mishra, University of California at Santa
Barbara, appeared in
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/publicfeature/may02/gani.html
recommended reading!
_____________________________________________________________________
ð SUBSTRATE NEWS
ãSEI COMMENCES SAMPLE SHIPMENTS OF LOW-DISLOCATION GAN SINGLE CRYSTAL SUBSTRATE
FOR VIOLET LASERS. SEI HAS STARTED SHIPPING SAMPLES AND IS PRESENTLY WORKING TO
MASS-PRODUCE THE SUBSTRATESä
(From
http://www.photonicsonline.com/content/news/article.asp?docid={528d4c95-81f6-11d6-a789-00d0b7694f32})
ã6/17/2002
ãOsaka, Japan, Jun 14, 2002 (JCN Newswire via COMTEX) -- Sumitomo Electric
Industries, Ltd. (SEI) has succeeded in developing a novel single-crystal
gallium nitride (GaN) substrate that may be used in violet lasers for high
capacity, next generation 'Blu-ray Disc' optical video recording technology.
SEI has started shipping samples and is presently working to mass-produce the
substrates. ·
The new substrate has low dislocation (crystal defect) areas arranged orderly.
Each low dislocation area of new substrate is about 500 microns in diameter.
The density per square centimeter of these low dislocation areas is between
10,000 and 100,000, that is 100,000 times less than the dislocation density of
conventional GaN epitaxial layers on sapphire substrates. These low dislocation
areas arranged orderly allow easy device fabrication. ·
SEI, which has extensive experience in the development of GaN substrates and
had developed the world's first 2-inch GaN wafer in 2000, established its own
unique GaN substrate fabrication process, called the Dislocation Elimination by
Epitaxial growth with inverse-pyramidal Pits, or 'DEEP' technique, which
reduces dislocations by forming inverse-pyramidal pits on the surface of the
crystal.
However, even with the use of 'DEEP' low dislocation areas were not large
enough. So SEI managed to develop a technique that controls the area where
dislocations are concentrated. This technique enables the formation of larger
low-dislocation areas. Low dislocation areas, each about 500 microns in
diameter, are arranged orderly, allowing easy device fabrication.
For lasers to have sufficient lifetime, the density per square centimeter of
these dislocation areas on the substrate must be less than 100,000. SEI's newly
developed low-density GaN substrate has a dislocation density of between 10,000
and 100,000, which is 1/10,000 and 1/100,000 the dislocation density of
conventional GaN epitaxial layers on sapphire substrates.
The new substrate also features higher conductivity and offers better
cleavages, therefore is highly efficient when used in laser devices.
Test developments of a two-inch substrate of this type have proved successful
and SEI has started shipping samples. After laser device manufacturers evaluate
the new GaN substrate, mass-production will start by the time Blu-ray Disc
comes to market. SEI forecasts the production of low-dislocation GaN substrates
to reach 300 per month by April 2003.ä
For whole article see:
http://www.photonicsonline.com/content/news/article.asp?docid={528d4c95-81f6-11d6-a789-00d0b7694f32
For more information on SEIâs substrates see the feature article at SEIâs
website at:
http://www.sei.co.jp/sn/2002/07/feature_article.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Compound Semiconductor has done it again! See the review article by Jon Newey
on substrates:
ãPerfect substrate within reach for wide-bandgap materialsä at
http://compoundsemiconductor.net/magazine/article/8/7/2/1
_____________________________________________________________________
ð NITRIDE APPLICATIONS NEWS
ãTOSHIBA, NEC ENTER NEXT-GEN DVD FORMAT FRAYä
(From
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nf/20020826/tc_nf/19171 (story now expired)
and
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/19171.html)
ãMon Aug 26, 1:29 PM ET
James Maguire,
http://www.EcommerceTimes.com
The DVD industry is no stranger to significant infighting over formats, with
manufacturers supporting one of two rival standards, DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW.
And it appears that the standards battle will drag on for the foreseeable future.
In the latest maneuver, Toshiba and NEC ( Nasdaq: NIPNY - news) have announced
that they are planning to introduce a new format for next-generation DVDs that
will be incompatible with formats proposed by Sony ( NYSE: SNE - news) and
others.
The next-generation format will compete with a standard called Blu-ray, which
is scheduled for release as early as next year. That standard is supported by
the Blu-ray Consortium, a group of industry heavyweights that includes Sony,
Philips ( NYSE: PHG - news), Hitachi, Samsung, Sharp and Thomson Multimedia.
Toshiba was one of the few leading electronics makers not to join the
consortium when it was organized earlier this year.
Greater Storage
The current DVD standard, which uses uses red light, holds only 4.7 gigabytes
of data. In comparison, the consortium's proposed Blu-ray standard will have
vastly greater storage capacity, thanks to blue light's shorter wavelength.
Blu-ray DVDs will be capable of storing a high-definition Hollywood movie on a
single side of a disc, and will have at least 23.3 gigabytes of storage.
Manufacturers will have to make a considerable investment to switch from red to
blue laser DVDs, but industry observers said they expect the discs' greater
storage capacity will make them a commercial success.
However, despite Blu-ray's benefits, it will feature protective cartridges and
other advances that may stymie compatibility with existing products and create
confusion among DVD consumers.
Toshiba's Format
In contrast, Toshiba's proposed new format will hold 15 to 20 gigabytes of
data. Although this is less storage than the Blu-ray consortium's format, a
Toshiba spokesperson said the company's format would have cost and convenience
advantages.
"From the manufacturer's side, with our format they can use many of the same
facilities they use to make existing DVDs, so costs are much lower," said
Toshiba spokesperson Midori Suzuki.
Suzuki added that Toshiba's new format is more compatible with the existing
red-laser format and will ease the transition from one format to another. It
also will allow the design of players and recorders that handle both red-laser
and blue-laser discs.
"From the consumer's side, when a new type of player comes out, they still want
to be able to watch the DVDs they already own," she noted.
According to Suzuki, Toshiba's new format has additional design improvements,
such as its use of semi-transparent materials to record two layers of data on a
single disc side, and advanced image compression technology.
Hatfield-McCoy Redux
Suzuki said that in the future the Toshiba format and the consortium's "would
not necessarily be competing formats." She suggested that the Blu-ray format
may still become the industry standard, adding that Toshiba continues to
develop Blu-ray technology and may support it in the future.
Meanwhile, a Sony spokesperson said Sony's commitment to the Blu-ray format is
firm but declined to comment on whether Toshiba's proposal could derail Blu-
ray's acceptance as an industry standard.
But Toshiba's approach gives the company a significant advantage. As Aberdeen
group research director Russ Craig told the E-Commerce Times: "The Toshiba
format is backward-compatible, unlike the industry consortium format. So
Toshiba-NEC have analyzed the market requirement better.
"If they get theirs into the market first, it will be very interesting to see
what happens to the consortium. It's certainly going to be a battle going
forward." ä
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
See also ãTOSHIBA, NEC PROPOSE NEW DVD FORMATä
at
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020829/tc_nm/tech_japan_toshiba_nec_dc_1 (story now expired)
and
ãTOSHIBA, NEC CREATE RIVAL OPTICAL STORAGE STANDARDä
at
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/8/22/1
_____________________________________________________________________
ð NITRIDE ALLIANCE NEWS
SETTLEMENT BETWEEN NICHIA AND TOYODA GOSEI
(From
http://www.nichia.co.jp/info/news/new20020917.html
and
http://www.toyoda-gosei.co.jp/english/topics/020917.html)
September 17, 2002
ãOverall Settlement Concerning Blue LED Lawsuits
Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
Nichia Corporation
September 17, 2002 - Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Haruhi-cho,
Nishikasugai-gun, Aichi-ken, Japan, President: Mr. Takashi Matsuura) and Nichia
Corporation (Head Office: Anan-shi, Tokushima-ken, Japan, President: Mr. Eiji
Ogawa) executed, on September 17, 2002, a Settlement Agreement having the
following primary terms concerning technology of ½V- nitride semiconductors
such as Blue LEDs, respecting any and all patent rights etc., of the parties
hereto, and ending any and all disputes and lawsuits over the past six years
between the two companies in order to prevent and resolve any disputes in the
future.
As is known throughout the world, Blue LEDs have been developed based upon the
pioneering technology of Professor Isamu Akasaki of the School of Engineering,
Nagoya University (currently, Professor Emeritus of Nagoya University, and a
Professor of Meijo University). In 1986, Toyoda Gosei started developing GaN-
based Blue LEDs under the guidance of Professor Isamu Akasaki and with the
assistance of Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc. In the following year, 1987, Japan
Science and Technology Corporation ("JST") entrusted the development of Blue
LEDs to Toyoda Gosei, which Toyoda Gosei successfully achieved in 1991 with the
accolades of JST. In October 1995, Toyoda Gosei started commercial production
of high-brightness Blue LEDs and thereafter continued bringing new products to
the market, one after another.
Nichia Corporation started developing Blue LEDs in 1989, and built up the
technology for industrialization of GaN-based Blue LEDs in 1991. Nichia
Corporation succeeded in the commercial production of high-brightness Blue LEDs
in November 1993 for the first time in the world. Further, by applying its
expertise as a phospher manufacturer, and by combining YAG (Yttrium Aluminum
Garnet) phospher with Blue LEDs, Nichia Corporation developed and started
commercial production of White LEDs in 1996 for the first time in the world.
Thereafter, Nichia Corporation continued bringing new products to the market,
one after another.
As is obvious from the above, through competitive development of the technology
mainly between Nichia Corporation and Toyoda Gosei, the brightness and
productivity of Blue LEDs were enhanced remarkably, resulting in a variety of
new applications, including full-color display, traffic signals, mobile phone
backlights, automotive illumination, and interior lighting.
In the near future, demand for products using cutting-edge Blue LED technology,
such as blue-laser DVD players and recorders, and all manner of high-frequency
devices required for broadband communication, will only grow. What is more, the
use of Blue LED technology in lighting will significantly reduce CO2 emissions
through energy conservation, thereby assisting in the prevention of global
warming. As a result, the market for Blue LED technology will expand
significantly.
In the days ahead, we will, as leading competitors in the market, further
improve these pioneering technologies originated in Japan.
NOTE
1. Both parties agree that either party shall not demand against the other
party injunctive relief or claims for damages, etc. in respect of manufacturing
or sales based on any of the patents of the former party.
2. Both parties agree that either party shall not be liable to the other party
for payment of damage compensation (including any settlement payment), or for
ceasing manufacture or sale of its own products with respect to any of the
patents currently owned by the other party (including the subject patents of
the lawsuits).
3. Both parties agree to withdraw any and all infringement actions or
invalidation proceedings in the Japanese Patent Office ("JPO"), and any action
before the Tokyo High Court for reversal of any trial decision of the JPO,
pending between both parties.
4. Both parties agree that in the event either party utilizes the other party's
future patents in respect of any future product, the former party shall pay a
reasonable royalty to the former party.
5. Concerning Nichia Corporation's patents relating to white LEDs in which YAG
phospher material is used, Toyoda Gosei agrees to pay Nichia Corporation a
royalty agreed upon by both parties in respect of future products using YAG for
which the said patents will be utilized.ä
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ãNICHIA AND OSRAM OPTO SEMICONDUCTORS ENTER PATENT CROSS LICENSE
Settlement Resolves InGaN LED Litigation Worldwideä
(From
http://www.nichia.co.jp/info/news/new20020625.html)
ãTOKYO, JAPAN - June 25, 2002 - Nichia Corporation announced today its entrance
into a patent cross license agreement with Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
covering indium gallium nitride (InGaN) semiconductor and related packaging
technology. The agreement resolves all pending patent disputes between Nichia
and Osram Opto Semiconductors.
"Nichia and Osram Opto Semiconductors are both pioneers of the InGaN market,
particularly for white LEDs," said Noboru Tazaki, Senior Managing Director and
General Manager of Nichia's Optoelectronics Products Division. "This cross
license with Osram Opto Semiconductors complements Nichia's fundamental
technology base, enabling us to make better products for our customers." ·ä
For whole press release see:
http://www.nichia.co.jp/info/news/new20020625.html
_____________________________________________________________________
ð NAKAMURA NEWS
ãNAKAMURA LOSES PATENT CLAIM AGAINST NICHIAä
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/6/9/19/1)
ã23 September 2002
A Japanese court has ruled that Shuji Nakamura does not own the patents he
filed while working for Nichia but he is still eligible for a reward.
Shuji Nakamura has lost his claim against his former employer, Nichia
Corporation, that he is the rightful owner of a patent filed when he still
worked for the Japanese LED manufacturer. However, the court recognized that
Nakamura is entitled to a reward for the patent, and is now deciding how much
he should receive.
Nakamura filed his lawsuit on August 23, 2001, claiming ownership of Japanese
patent number 2,628,404 and requesting ´2 billion ($16 million) in
compensation. The 404 patent dates back to 1991 and relates to two-flow MOCVD
technology, which was a key factor in allowing Nichia to develop high-
brightness, long-lifetime InGaN/GaN LEDs and lasers. After commercializing the
technology, Nichia's annual sales grew from just over ´20 billion ($160
million) to ´80 billion ($650 million) in 2001, around 60% of which was
generated by nitride LED products.
When Nakamura filed each of the dozens of patents that he authored while at
Nichia he received ´10,000 ($81) and the same amount when they were granted.
During the development of the two-flow technology, Nakamura ignored written
instructions from his superiors to stop working on blue LEDs.
Under Japan's Patent Law, an employee owns a patent filed while working for a
company, although the company also has rights to use the invention. However,
the court accepted Nichia's claim that it owned the patent because
Nakamura "received ´20,000 in reward and filed no objection for over 10 years
after the patent application."
The Patent Law also requires companies to reward their employees for patents
that are transferred to the employer. The court in Nakamura's case ruled that
he is eligible for a "proper amount of rewards" and is now considering that
aspect of the lawsuit.
Nakamura's attorney said the decision upholding Nichia's ownership of the
patent was "totally unexpected" and that an appeal would be filed. ä
_____________________________________________________________________
ð NEWS ON THE COMPETITION
Diamonds Are a Chip's Best Friend?
(Originally from http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/bw/20020909/bs_bw/tc20020963055, story now expired)
Mon Sep 9, 7:33 AM ET
By Otis Port in New York
Technology: NEWS ANALYSIS
For chipmakers, diamond is a tantalizing material. Theoretically, it appears
ideal for many types of microcircuits. It combines some key properties of
silicon with those of less-familiar semiconductors, such as gallium arsenide
and silicon germanium. These so-called compound semiconductors are used for
jobs beyond the capacity of ordinary silicon, such as chips on satellites that
must withstand solar radiation and telecom-system chips that operate at very
high frequencies, above 10 gigahertz.
However, while synthetic diamond films have been around for years, the hangup
has always been purity. Silicon is the purest bulk material known --
99.999999999% pure, or "11 nines." Anything less than nine nines isn't suitable
even for yesterday's chips. Diamond films -- made of carbon under intense
pressure -- just haven't come close, until now.
In the Sept. 6 issue of Science, a collaboration among researchers at ABB Group
in Vasteras, Sweden, and De Beers Industrial Diamonds in Ascot, England,
reports the development of a new way to produce ultrapure diamond films using a
modified form of chemical-vapor deposition [CVD]. This is a method of
condensing thin, solid films from a gas. Chipmakers already use CVD routinely
to lay down films of silicon and silicon dioxide only a tiny fraction of a hair
thick.
BEYOND THE THEORY. Laboratory analyses of the new diamond film's properties are so
impressive that they may represent "a watershed" in semiconductor
technology, according to Gehan A.J. Amaratunga, an electrical engineering
professor at Britain's Cambridge University, who wrote a commentary for
Science. The electronic properties of the ABB-De Beers material even "surpass
those expected from theory," he noted.
For example, measurements of how fast electrons and holes move around inside
the synthetic diamond are "the highest values of mobility ever measured in
diamond." Holes [a negative charge indicating the absence of an electron]
actually zip through the diamond faster than they do in silicon carbide or
gallium nitride.
As a result, a scramble could soon begin to develop diamond chips that can
outperform existing compound semiconductors, predicts Jan Isberg, the physicist
who led ABB's research before recently moving to Sweden's Uppsala University.
HOT PROBLEM. The potentials of this breakthrough, Amaratunga tells BusinessWeek
Online, could be profound. In theory, transistors on diamond chips could be
smaller than is possible with silicon -- meaning that the feared "brick wall"
of physical limits that will confront silicon around 2015 may be pushed back.
Long before that, diamond chips could be the answer to what's fast becoming the
industry's hottest problem: heat. As transistors get tinier, more of them can
be crammed onto a chip -- and they'll soon generate so much heat that chips
could literally melt, unless new ways of cooling circuits can be found.
For now, Amaratunga cautions that hope for diamond film "is only speculation."
But diamond would be just what the doctor ordered: It's the best heat conductor
there is. ä
_____________________________________________________________________
ð CONFERENCE CALENDAR
See:
http://nsr.mij.mrs.org/calendar/calendar.html
- December 2-6, 2002. Symposium L at the MRS 2002 Fall Meeting: GaN and Related
Alloys. Boston, Massachusetts USA
- May 25-30, 2003. The Fifth International Conference on Nitride Semiconductors
(ICNS-5), Nara, Japan.
For a very thorough semiconductor conference calendar see:
National Compund Semiconductor Roadmap Calendar Tool
http://ncsr.csci-va.com/?meetings.asp
_____________________________________________________________________
ð NEW LINKS
At under ÎArticles in the Popular Pressâ there is
now a link to:
Cover Story in IEEE SPECTRUM
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/publicfeature/may02/gani.html
- The Toughest Transistor Yet. By Lester F. Eastman & Umesh K. Mishra. It's
made of gallium nitride, withstands a lot of heat, and handles frequencies and
power levels well beyond what any other transistor can handle.
_____________________________________________________________________
Well thatâs all folks! Please send me your news or any interesting articles or
links for the next Newsletter. If you have a ÎFlavour of the Monthâ you would
like me to include please let me know.
Carol
E-mail: c.trager-cowan@strath.ac.uk
posted by Carol Trager-Cowan 6:24 AM
Friday, July 19, 2002
MIJ-NSR Newsletter, Spiderman Edition, Part 1
(Initially distributed to the registered users of MIJ-NSR on Mon, 10th May 2002)
Dear MIJ-NSR Readers,
As usual lots to report from the world of Nitrides. There are more lasers:
the University of Bremen in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology and Sanyo join the elite group. Nitride applications become
more and more diverse, now including car headlamps and biological agent
detection. Everyone is still suing everyone else with Toyoda Gosei winning
more patent cases against Nichia and Nakamura under threat of a perjury
trial. On a happier note Nakamura has just been awarded an ERATO grant of
USD 16 million and the 2002 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Engineering.
Read on for more :-).
MIJ-NSR NEWS
WELCOME TO OUR NEW CHIEF EDITOR
Prof. Randall Feenstra of Carnegie Mellon University has accepted the
position of Editor in Chief of MIJ-NSR. Prof. Hiramatsu will continue this
year as Associate Editor in Chief.
_________________________________________________________________________
á LASER NEWS
COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY OF BREMEN AND THE SWISS FEDERAL
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, LAUSANNE MAKE A BLUE LASER
The University of Bremen in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology, Lausanne have obtained lasing at 401 nm from a GaN laser
diode on sapphire operating at room temperature. It is a simple gain guided
structure. The laser is pulsed with up to 80 mW output power. By cooling
down to 10¡C 130 mW was obtained. Current densities between 10-15 kA/cm2
and voltages around 20 V were used. The lasers were grown using a 3x2"
Thomas Swan vertical shower head reactor in Bremen. Processing was done in
Lausanne (Prof. Marc Ilegems' team) and facet coating was carried out in
Bremen.
Thank you to Prof. Detlef Hommel from Bremen University :-)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"SANYO DEVELOPS BLUE DIODE LASER"
(From http://optics.org/article/news/8/3/22)
In Optics.org Michael Hatcher reports:
"15 March 2002
The Japanese electronics giant plans to begin mass production of 405 nm
devices in April 2003.
Sanyo, the Japanese electronics manufacturer, claims to have developed a
blue semiconductor laser for next-generation DVD players.
Crucially, the company says that its manufacturing method does not infringe
any patents held by Nichia, the Japanese company that has cornered the blue
diode laser market.
Sanyo claims that its ion implantation technique gives the gallium nitride
devices the added benefit of low noise and enhanced stability. The company
also says that this simplifies the production process making mass
manufacture more straightforward. ..."
For whole article see: http://optics.org/article/news/8/3/22
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"CREE BLUE LASER EXHIBITS PROJECTED LIFETIME OF MORE THAN 10,000 HOURS"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/press/index.cfm?action=show_in_full&mag
id=cs&id=2805)
"Date Announced: 26-02-2002
Cree has announced that its 405 nm 3 mW blue laser diodes exhibit a
projected lifetime exceeding 10,000 hours at room temperature. The company
recently announced lifetimes of 1000 hours and began sampling laser diodes
in December 2001. Evaluation is currently underway at major electronics DVD
manufacturers. Cree believes that the blue laser diodes it is developing
will meet the specifications and uniformity standards recently set out in
the next-generation optical disc format designed to succeed the DVD ..."
For whole article see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/press/index.cfm?action=show_in_full&mag
id=cs&id=2805
_________________________________________________________________________
á LED NEWS
"NICHIA INCREASES LED POWER BY 10X
Larger Chip Area -- Surface Mount Packaging for Standard Automated Assembly"
(From http://www.nichia.co.jp/highpowerled-e.htm)
"TOKYO, JAPAN - March 4, 2002 - Nichia Corporation announced today the
development of high power indium gallium nitride (InGaN) LEDs achieving ten
times the electrical power of current parts. The high power LEDs are housed
in heat and UV resistant surface mount packages that can be installed using
standard automated assembly methods (including solder reflow). ..."
For whole press release see:
http://www.nichia.co.jp/highpowerled-e.htm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"NICHIA INCREASES BRIGHTNESS OF SURFACE-MOUNT WHITE LEDs BY FIFTY PERCENT
Brighter White LEDs Optimized for Full-Color LCD Screens in Mobile Devices"
(From http://www.nichia.co.jp/whiteled50-e.htm)
"TOKYO, JAPAN - February 7, 2002 - Nichia Corporation announced today the
development of surface-mount white LEDs achieving luminous intensity fifty
percent higher than current parts. The increased brightness results from a
more efficient conversion of electricity to emitted white light, making the
part ideal for backlighting of full-color LCD screens in battery powered
mobile devices. ..."
For whole press release see:
http://www.nichia.co.jp/whiteled50-e.htm
_________________________________________________________________________
á ELECTRONIC DEVICE NEWS
See conference report on the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM)
3-5 December, Washington DC, USA at:
http://compsemi.iop.org/magazine/article/7/12/5/1
"Though dominated by silicon microelectronics, there was plenty to report
on state-of-the-art III-nitrides and other compound semiconductor devices
at this year's IEDM, writes Jon Newey."
_________________________________________________________________________
á NITRIDES APPLICATIONS NEWS
"LUMILEDS' LEDS ILLUMINATE HEADLAMPS IN CONCEPT CAR"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/press/index.cfm?action=show_in_full&mag
id=cs&id=2846)
"Date Announced: 05-03-2002
LumiLeds' high-power Luxeon LEDs have made their first appearance in
headlamps on a vehicle unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland.
The Fioravanti Yak concept car employed white LEDs to light its headlights,
extending automotive applications for LumiLeds' LEDs from center
high-mounted stop lamps and rear light clusters (such as in the 2000
Cadillac DeVille) to forward lighting applications for the first time.
The development is significant as a demonstration of the ability of LED
light sources to deliver the light output required for headlamp operation.
LumiLeds says its proprietary Luxeon LEDs deliver 10 to 20 times more light
than conventional LEDs, and offer high lumen maintenance, ensuring that the
headlight output does not decline throughout the life of the vehicle. Other
advantages of LEDs as solid-state light sources include energy efficiency
and space savings, and resistance to vibration-related damage. ..."
For whole article see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/press/index.cfm?action=show_in_full&mag
id=cs&id=2846
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"NEW BLU-RAY DVD FORMAT USES BLUE-VIOLET LASERS TO ACHIEVE 27 GB RECORDING
CAPACITY"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/press/index.cfm?action=show_in_full&mag
id=cs&id=2782)
"Date Announced: 20-02-2002
Nine leading consumer electronics manufacturers have jointly established
the basic specifications for a next-generation large capacity optical disc
video recording format called "Blu-ray Disc". The Blu-ray Disc enables the
recording, rewriting and playback of up to 27 gigabytes of data on a
single-sided, single-layer 12 cm CD/DVD-size disc using a 405 nm
blue-violet laser.
The companies that established the basic specifications for the Blu-ray
Disc are: Hitachi, LG, Matsushita, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony
and Thomson. Several of the companies such as Pioneer, Sony and Philips
have already demonstrated prototype Blu-ray players using violet lasers.
Toshiba, which is not part of the agreement, has also demonstrated a
similar player. In addition to actively promoting the new format throughout
the industry, the nine companies will begin licensing the new format as
soon as specifications are completed. Licensing is expected to start around
spring 2002, and Blu-ray players could go on sale at the start of 2003. ..."
For whole article see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/press/index.cfm?action=show_in_full&mag
id=cs&id=2782
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"CREE RECEIVES $14.5 MILLION IN GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR UV LED AND LASER
DIODE DEVELOPMENT.
DARPA Project to Focus on Biological Agent Detection"
(Source
http://www.photonicsonline.com)
"3/21/2002
DURHAM, N.C., Mar 21, 2002 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Cree, Inc.
(Nasdaq: CREE) today announced that it has received a contract issued by
the U.S. Army Robert Morris Acquisition Center for the U.S. Army Research
Laboratory (ARL) and supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency (DARPA) for the development of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and
laser diodes emitting at 280-340 nanometers for use in systems for
biological agent detection, such as anthrax, and for tactical communication
systems. The total estimated value of the contract is $26,550,000 of which
the government is providing $14,500,000, if fully funded, over a four-year
period. ..."
For whole press release see: http://www.cree.com/about/news137.htm
_________________________________________________________________________
á NITRIDE ALLIANCE NEWS
"NICHIA ENTERS ALLIANCE WITH CITIZEN ELECTRONICS
Citizen Electronics to Package Nichia InGaN Die Under Nichia Patent License"
(From http://www.nichia.co.jp/citizen-e.htm)
"TOKYO, JAPAN - January 8, 2002 - Nichia Corporation and Citizen
Electronics Co., Ltd. announced today their entrance into an alliance for
the packaging and sale of white LEDs. Pursuant to executed agreements
between the two companies, Citizen Electronics will purchase production
quantities of Nichia indium gallium nitride (InGaN) die for the manufacture
of packaged white LEDs. The packaging and sale of white LEDs by Citizen
Electronics will be licensed under Nichia's white LED patent portfolio. ..."
For whole press release see:
http://www.nichia.co.jp/citizen-e.htm
_________________________________________________________________________
á LAWSUIT NEWS
"TOYODA GOSEI WINS MORE PATENT CASES AGAINST NICHIA"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/press/index.cfm?action=show_in_full&mag
id=cs&id=2868)
"Date Announced: 11-03-2002
Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. is involved in a long-running dispute with Nichia
concerning gallium nitride-based blue LEDs. A total of eleven patent
infringement cases have been filed, seven by Nichia and four by Toyoda
Gosei. On February 28, 2002, Tokyo District Court rendered judgments in two
patent infringement lawsuits filed by Nichia. In both cases the court found
in favor of Toyoda Gosei, stating that the two patents had not been
infringed on. ..."
For whole article see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/press/index.cfm?action=show_in_full&mag
id=cs&id=2868
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"NAKAMURA MAY FACE PERJURY TRIAL"
(From http://optics.org/article/news/8/4/17)
In Optics.org Jacqueline Hewett reports:
"19 April 2002
Lawyers for Shuji Nakamura are to defend against claims that he lied in
court and should be tried for perjury.
As the bitter patent dispute between blue laser pioneer Shuji Nakamura and
Nichia rages on, a federal judge has accused Nakamura of lying in court and
has recommended that he be prosecuted for perjury (Science 296 31).
James Fox, a district judge in North Carolina, heard Nakamura give evidence
in the dispute in November 2001. Prompted by this evidence, Fox has now
written a letter to federal prosecutors claiming that Nakamura
intentionally submitted false data in conjunction with the applications for
Nichia's US patents.
William McLean, Nakamura's lawyer, is disputing these claims. He told
Optics.org: "We can prove Nakamura's innocence. I have also written a
letter to the federal prosecutor. We are in the process of proving
[Nakamura's innocence] at the moment."
When asked if he thought Nakamura would be prosecuted for perjury, he said:
"The bottom line is that all the information known to us makes us believe
that US attorneys will not prosecute Nakamura over these claims." ..."
For the whole article see:
http://optics.org/article/news/8/4/17
_________________________________________________________________________
á AND MORE (GOOD THIS TIME) NAKAMURA NEWS
LED DEVELOPER ROHM OF JAPAN IS TO DONATE USD 2.5 MILLION TO THE SOLID STATE
LIGHTING AND DISPLAY CENTER HEADED BY BLUE LED PIONEER SHUJI NAKAMURA.
>From http://optics.org/article/news/8/2/23 :
"LED developer Rohm of Japan is to donate USD 2.5 million to the Solid
State Lighting and Display Center (SSLDC) at the University of California
in Santa Barbara, which is headed by blue LED pioneer Shuji Nakamura. The
SSLDC expects to receive donations from six other corporate partners,
including Cree, and will use the cash to develop high-brightness
gallium-nitride-based white LEDs."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"NAKAMURA WINS GAN GROWTH AWARD"
(From http://optics.org/article/news/8/4/7)
In Optics.org Jacqueline Hewett reports:
"10 April 2002
The Japanese government has awarded Shuji Nakamura a USD 16 million grant
to develop gallium nitride.
Blue laser pioneer Shuji Nakamura has won a USD 16 million dollars grant
from the Japanese government. Nakamura, who is based at the University of
California in Santa Barbara, will use the cash to advance the understanding
of the properties of gallium-nitride (GaN) crystals and their alloys over
the next five years.
Nakamura becomes only the second Japanese US citizen to receive the
prestigious ERATO grant. Standing for Exploratory Research for Advanced
Technology, the grant is awarded by the Japan Science and Technology
corporation to further basic science and technology research.
On receiving the award Nakamura said: "The ERATO award is more like a gift
than a research grant. The specifics of how I use this grant are up to me,
I can determine everything myself."
Nakamura will use the ERATO support to explore the nature of inhomogeneity
in nitride crystals. He also hopes to figure out how to make a bulk crystal
or ingot of GaN. ..."
For whole article see: http://optics.org/article/news/8/4/7
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NAKAMURA HAS BEEN AWARDED THE 2002 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDAL IN ENGINEERING
>From
http://sln.fi.edu/tfi/exhibits/bower/02/engineer.html :
"Citation: For his fundamental contributions to the optoelectronic
technology of gallium-nitride, which culminated in the development of
violet/blue laser diodes and in the implementation of High Brightness Light
Emitting Diodes. These devices improve today's technology and have the
potential of revolutionizing the lighting industry. Dr. Nakamura's success
in gallium-nitride epitaxy started worldwide research in gallium-nitride
semiconductor technology."
and from http://sln.fi.edu/press/02jan28.html :
"Widely regarded as the American Nobel Prizes, and among the oldest
comprehensive science and technology awards programs in the world, The
Franklin Institute Awards have recognized preeminent accomplishment in
science and technology since 1824, in the spirit of discovery embodied by
Benjamin Franklin. Indeed, 98 Franklin Institute laureates have received
Nobel Prizes in their respective fields-14 in the last five years alone,
resulting in a mounting distinction for the awards as a bellweather for the
Nobels. A virtual who's who of 19th and 20th century scientific
achievement, the list of venerable honorees includes Albert Einstein,
Thomas Edison, Orville Wright, Marie and Pierre Curie, Jacques Cousteau and
Stephen Hawking."
_________________________________________________________________________
á NITRIDE FEATURES
" 'SLAVE' NAKAMURA FIGHTS FOR HIS RIGHTS"
(From Opto & Laser Europe May 2002)
"1 May 2002
If blue laser-diode inventor Shuji Nakamura wins his patent dispute with
his former employer, Nichia, it could be good news for the optoelectronics
industry. He tells Rebecca Pool about the dispute, his research and why he
left Japan to work in the US. "
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"TRENDS IN MARKETS FOR GAN DEVICES"
In III-Vs Review Volume (issue): 15(3) April 2002, Roy Szweda summarises
some of the recent technical and marketing developments in the market for
gallium nitride devices.
_________________________________________________________________________
á CONFERENCE NEWS
REPORTS:
-International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) 3-5 December, Washington DC,
USA
For a report on the above conference see "World's best gather at Electron
Devices Meeting" by Jon Newey at:
http://compsemi.iop.org/magazine/article/7/12/5/1
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ANNOUNCEMENTS: See:
http://nsr.mij.mrs.org/calendar/calendar.html
- May 12-17, 2002. ECS Centennial Meeting - Symp. R1 - Wide Bandgap
Semiconductors for Photonic and Electronic Devices and Sensors III. in
Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- May 18-23, 2002. International Workshop in Bulk Nitride. Amazonas, Brazil.
- June 10-14 2002. Wide Bandgap Materials for Electronic and Optoelectronic
Devices. Symposium B of IUMRS-ICEM 2002. Xian, China.
- June 18-21, 2002. Symposium M at the E-MRS 2002 Spring Meeting:
N-containing III-V semiconductors: Fundamentals and Applications.
Strasbourg, France.
- July 22-25, 2002. International Workshop on Nitride Semiconductors, IWN.
Aachen, Germany.
- August 4-8, 2002. 14th American Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy.
Seattle, WA, USA.
- August 20-23, 2002. The 11th Seoul International symposium on the Physics
of Semiconductors and Applications (ISPSA-2002). Cheju (Jeju) Grand Hotel,
Cheju (Jeju) Island, Korea.
- May 25-30, 2003. The Fifth International Conference on Nitride
Semiconductors (ICNS-5), Nara, Japan.
_________________________________________________________________________
á NEW LINKS
At http://nsr.mij.mrs.org/links/
under 'University Research on Nitrides' there is now a link to:
- University of Cambridge (Cambridge Centre for Gallium Nitride)
(http://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/GaN/)
- We specialise in growth and characterisation of gallium nitride and its
related alloys, taking advantage of MOCVD growth equipment, extensive
advanced electron microscopy facilities, a state-of-the-art high-resolution
x-ray diffractometer and photoluminescence and Hall effect characterisation
equipment.
_________________________________________________________________________
Well that's all folks! Please send me your news or any interesting articles
or links for the next Newsletter. If you would like your job vacancy to
appear in the next Newsletter please contact me for costs.
Carol
E-mail: cacs19@strath.ac.uk
posted by Carol Trager-Cowan 2:56 AM
Wednesday, July 17, 2002
MIJ-NSR Newsletter, New Year's Edition, Part 1
(Initially distributed to the registered users of MIJ-NSR on Mon, 31 Dec 2001)
Dear MIJ-NSR Readers,
A Happy, Successful and Peaceful New Year to Everyone.
In this Newsletter I have lots of laser news to report. We now have two
European nitride lasers: Unipress report their laser diode fabricated on a
bulk GaN substrate and Osram report their CW room-temperature blue laser
diode. NEC and Sony join the elite of Nichia and Toyoda Gosei in announcing
a laser at the "commercial-product level" and it looks as if it will not be
long before Cree joins them. There is also news on new white LEDs from
Toyoda Gosei, high power from transistors from both Cree and NEC, ZnO
substrates from Isonics and Cermet, GaN substrates from TDI, and 50 GB
rewriteable optical discs from Matsushita.
Read on for details on the above and the latest Lawsuit News, Conference
News and MIJ-NSR News:
á LASER NEWS
HIGH PRESSURE RESEARCH CENTER - UNIPRESS, POLAND ACHIEVE LASING FROM A
DIODE FABRICATED ON A BULK GaN CRYSTAL SUBSTRATE
Unipress - Poland headed by Prof. S. Porowski have fabricated a laser diode
using a bulk GaN crystal as a substrate. The crystal substrate is obtained
from high pressure, high temperature synthesis. The laser is operated under
pulsed current and emits around 5 mW of light through one facet. The
emission wavelength is 425 nm. The laser is a Separated Confinement
Heterostructure with InGaN quantum wells forming the active layers.
Thank you Piotr Perlin :-)
See
http://consult.unipress.waw.pl/images/1.htm for a spectrum of the laser
output.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"OSRAM MAKES BLUE LASER DIODE"
(From
http://optics.org/article/news/7/11/13 and Opto & Laser Europe (OLE)
magazine)
"14 November 2001
German researchers claim to have made Europe's first continuous-wave,
room-temperature blue laser diode.
Osram Opto Semiconductors and academic collaborators at the Fraunhofer
Institute for Applied Solid-State Physics and the universities of Stuttgart,
Ulm and Braunschweig have shown continuous-wave output at 420 nm
from a laser diode operating at room temperature.
The breakthrough was made as part of a government-funded project ... .
The diode, which is based on indium gallium nitride (InGaN), showed an
output power of more than 20 mW and a threshold current of 110 mA.
The device uses a silicon carbide substrate ... .
Its lifetime, however, is no more than "several minutes", according to
Osram's marketing manager Marion Brand. While she admits that such a
lifetime is far too short for commercial applications, she said: "Nobody
else in Europe has achieved as much as we have. The product is still in its
research phase." "
For the whole article see:
http://optics.org/article/news/7/11/13 and/or
Opto & Laser Europe (OLE) magazine.
For more information see:
http://www.osram-os.com/news/news_bluelaser.html
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"SONY, NEC WILL MARKET VIOLET-LASER ADVANCES"
(From
http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20011016S0080)
"By Yoshiko Hara, EE Times, (10/17/01, 7:24 a.m. EST)
TOKYO - NEC Corp. and Sony Corp. have announced violet laser technologies
that have reached the commercial-product level. The new entrants, unveiled
at the autumn meeting of the Japan Society of Applied Physics (JSAP),
challenge market leader Nichia Corp., which introduced the first violet
laser products. Nichia's laser is based on a sapphire substrate, on which
an active gallium nitride (GaN) layer is grown to produce high-frequency
laser diodes.
Sony's violet laser operates at the same power level as the 30-milliwatt
output power offered by Nichia. Sony already had achieved a lifetime of
about 3,000 hours in April, when the company showed a prototype of its
laser at its corporate show. Sony engineers subsequently improved the
technology to realize a 15,000-hour lifetime with 30-mW output power at
60¡C, a Sony spokesman said."
For whole article see:
http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20011016S0080
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"CREE REPORTS 1,000-HOUR BLUE LASER DIODE LIFETIME"
(From
http://www.photonics.com/todaysheadlines/today.asp?url=lookup&id=2430)
"Tuesday, November 6, 2001
DURHAM, N.C., Nov. 6 -- Cree Inc. said it has achieved blue laser diode
lifetimes in excess of 1,000 hours in the 400-nm range and has increased
the laser's efficiency through improvements in threshold operating
characteristics. The results are said to be a significant step toward
substantiating the viability of optical storage capabilities for commercial
applications of the device. Cree intends to begin customer sampling by the
end of this calendar year."
For whole article see:
http://www.photonics.com/todaysheadlines/today.asp?url=lookup&id=2430
_____________________________________________________________________
á LED NEWS
"TOYODA GOSEI INTRODUCES "TG White Hi," HIGHLY LUMINOUS LIGHT-EMITTING
DIODE (LED)"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR11130103.htm)
Source: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
"November 13, 2001
Nagoya, Japan. Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. today announced that it has
successfully developed a new type of white light emitting diode (LED) with
an unprecedented level of brightness. The "TG White Hi" LED incorporates a
gallium-nitride (GaN)-based blue LED with a newly developed phosphor to
achieve luminosity levels as high as 400 millicandela (mcd).*
The TG White Hi will be offered in various packaging options, including SMD
(Surface Mount Device) and LED lamps. Toyoda Gosei will begin sales of
technical samples of the TG White Hi this December; the company will ramp
up production and launch sales in February 2002.
The new phosphor in the TG White Hi was developed by an Austrian company,
Tridonic Optoelectronics GmbH, and two German companies,
LeuchtstoffwerkBreitungen GmbH and Litec GbR. Toyoda Gosei is a licensee
and has secured sublicensing rights for the phosphor. The three European
companies and Toyoda Gosei have applied jointly for a patent for the TG
White Hi worldwide.
*A luminous intensity of 400 mcd has been achieved in case 3?~3mm SMD
(Surface Mount Device) type at 20 mA forward current. "
_____________________________________________________________________
á RF POWER TRANSISTOR NEWS
"CREE ACHIEVES RECORD CW POWER FOR GAN RF DEVICES"
(From
http://www.cree.com/about/news126.htm)
"Durham, NC, December 18, 2001 - At the International Electron Devices
Meeting (IEDM) recently held in Washington, DC, Cree, Inc., (Nasdaq: CREE)
announced that it has demonstrated record setting radio frequency (RF)
continuous wave (CW) power performance from a gallium nitride (GaN) High
Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT). The GaN HEMT device achieved 108 Watts
of CW RF output power at 2 GHz. This is 3.7 times higher than has been
publicly reported for a single GaN device operating under CW conditions.
The peak drain efficiency for this device was 54%.
Cree's GaN HEMT device was grown on a semi-insulating SiC substrate, which
has a thermal conductivity about 10 times higher than that of sapphire.
This allows the GaN HEMT to more easily dissipate the very high power
levels achieved in these devices in CW operation, as evidenced by the 4.5
W/mm obtained on this 24 mm gate width device.
In the same presentation, Cree also reported it has demonstrated a record
12.1 W/mm of pulsed power density in smaller GaN devices measured at 3.5
GHz. The power density for these devices under CW operation was 9.3 W/mm."
For the whole press release see:
http://www.cree.com/about/news126.htm
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"NEC ACHIEVES WORLD'S HIGHEST ONE-CHIP POWER OUTPUT WITH ITS SEMICONDUCTOR
POWER TRANSISTOR"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR12040102.htm)
Source: NEC Corporation
"December 4, 2001
TOKYO December 4th, 2001 - NEC Corporation (NEC) (NASDAQ: NIPNY) (FTSE:
6701q.l) (TSE: 6701) has successfully developed the world's first one-chip
nitride semiconductor power transistor capable of achieving a power
transmission output of over 100W. The new powerful chip will be aimed at
advancing functionality of next-generation of mobile applications.
The nitride semiconductor power transistor was achieved by adopting a high
breakdown heterojunction (see full press release) suitable for high voltage
operation, and through the development of the 50µm thinned sapphire
technology, in which the heat dissipation characteristic of the power
transistor is sharply improved. The nitride semiconductor's advanced
isothermal heating process was made possible with the introduction of a
thermal shunt air bridge electrode.
Through this development, NEC simultaneously was able to miniaturize the
next-generation mobile phone base station transmission amplifier by less
than one-third, more than double the power output and improve energy
savings to less than one-tenth of current levels, making the new
semiconductor ideal for microwave power devices."
For whole press release see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR12040102.htm
_____________________________________________________________________
á SUBSTRATE NEWS
"ISONICS, CERMET SET DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR ISOTOPICALLY PURE ZINC OXIDE"
(From
http://www.photonics.com/todaysheadlines/today.asp?url=lookup&id=2315)
"Wednesday, October 10, 2001
GOLDEN, Colo., Oct. 10 -- Isonics Corp. and Atlanta-based Cermet Inc. have
begun a joint development program to evaluate isotopically pure zinc-64
oxide as a substrate for manufacturing blue LEDs and blue laser diodes for
next-generation optical storage and telecommunications.
Cermet is developing single-crystal ZnO as a replacement for aluminum oxide
and silicon carbide substrates for the manufacture of gallium nitride
optoelectronic devices. The partners are interested in evaluating the
possible improved thermal conductivity of isotopically pure zinc oxide.
Isonics will supply isotopically pure zinc oxide powder that will be
converted into single-crystal wafers by Cermet using its proprietary
process. Thermal conductivity and other properties will be measured.
Isonics will also supply isotopically pure zinc in the form of diethyl zinc
for Cermet to fabricate various MOCVD-based devices. The program is
expected to take 12 to 18 months."
See also:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR10090103.htm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"TDI MAKES FIRST BULK GAN"
(From
http://optics.org/article/news/7/10/32)
"30 October 2001
US-based TDI makes blue laser breakthrough after manufacturing gallium
nitride bulk substrates.
Researchers at US-based Technology and Devices International (TDI) have
created a gallium nitride (GaN) bulk substrate, which they say will improve
the performance and lifetimes of GaN-based device designs. A single crystal
GaN sample boule is grown on a GaN seed layer and then sliced into 1.5 inch
diameter wafers.
While details of the wafer growth process are being withheld, TDI's chief
executive Vladimir Dmitriev told Optics.Org's sister publication Compound
Semiconductor that each boule yields several wafers. "The crystals are
grown using a 1.5 inch GaN seed crystal and are expected to scale to 3 and
4 inches in the future," he added.
According to Dmitriev, independent research shows that the dislocation
density of the wafers is several orders of magnitude lower than
conventionally-grown wafers. TDI researchers are now developing crystal
growth and wafer fabrication technology to commercialize the substrates,
and hope to start pilot production in six months."
For whole article see:
http://optics.org/article/news/7/10/32
_____________________________________________________________________
á NITRIDES APPLICATIONS NEWS
"MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC (PANASONIC) INTRODUCES WORLD'S FIRST 50 GB BLUE LASER
REWRITEABLE DUAL-LAYER OPTICAL DISC TECHNOLOGY -- CAPABLE OF RECORDING 4
HOURS OF HIGH-DEFINITION MOVING PICTURES TO A DVD-SIZE DISC"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR10150101.htm)
Source: Matsushita
"October 15, 2001
OSAKA, Japan -- Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., best known for
its Panasonic brand of consumer electronic and digital communications
products, today announced that it has developed an innovative rewriteable
dual-layer optical disc technology that uses a blue laser, a world's first.
In addition, Matsushita announced development of an advanced 50 GB optical
disc that fully utilizes this new technology. Bridging the cutting edges of
both IT and AV technologies, these new developments make possible
interchangeable and large-capacity storage media with superior searching
and operating capabilities. These developments will be presented at
ISOM2001, the International Symposium on Optical Memory, in Taipei, Taiwan
on October 19."
For whole press release see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR10150101.htm
_____________________________________________________________________
á LAWSUIT NEWS
"SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT SUBSTANTIALLY INVALIDATING NICHIA CORPORATION'S
PATENT RENDERED (FINAL AND CONCLUSIVE IN FAVOR OF TOYODA GOSEI)"
(From
http://www.toyoda-gosei.co.jp/english/topics/011113-2.html)
"November 13th, 2001
Concerning the Blue LED patent, Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. ("Toyoda Gosei")
(President: Mr. Takashi Matsuura) has won the suit, in which Toyoda Gosei
demanded the annulment of the JPO's trial decision affirming the validity
of the following patent that Nichia Corporation owns, final and conclusive
in favor of Toyoda Gosei as follows:
With respect to the subject patent, Toyoda Gosei brought a suit before
Tokyo High Court against the "Trial Decision Rejecting the Demand for
Invalidation of Patent" rendered by the Japanese Patent Office on June 16,
2000.
Tokyo High Court (Judge Shinohara as Presiding Judge) rendered the judgment
on June 13, 2001 to the effect that the JPO's Trial Decision rejecting the
demand for invalidation of patent (affirming the validity of patent) is
annulled (substantially invalidating the patent) and Nichia Corporation
appealed to the Supreme Court against the judgment, and then Petty Bench
No. 2 of the Supreme Court (Judge Kajitani as Presiding Judge) rejected the
appeal on November 9, 2001.
Thereby, the judicial judgment substantially invalidating Nichia
Corporation's patent became final and conclusive for the first time."
For the whole press release see:
http://www.toyoda-gosei.co.jp/english/topics/011113-2.html
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"NICHIA PURSUES ANTITRUST AND CONSPIRACY CLAIM AGAINST ROHM AND CREE IN
U.S. DISTRICT COURT"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR11130101.htm)
Source: Nichia Corporation
"November 13, 2001
Separate Proceeding Against Rohm Still Pending before ITC
Philadelphia, PA. Nichia Corporation announced today the filing of a
Sherman Act antitrust claim against Rohm Co., Ltd. and Cree Inc. in the
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. This claim
asserts that Rohm and Cree entered into a conspiracy to exclude Nichia from
the U.S. market and, to further that conspiracy, Rohm knowingly asserted
fraudulently obtained and invalid U.S. patents against Nichia.
Nichia's antitrust claim points to events leading up to and culminating in
several agreements between Rohm and Cree. In particular, the antitrust
claim asserts that Rohm fabricated a domestic industry to obtain ITC
jurisdiction by entering a license agreement with Cree in December 2000,
three days before Rohm filed its ITC complaint against Nichia. The
antitrust claim also states that, in furtherance of its conspiracy with
Cree, Rohm knowingly asserted fraudulently obtained and invalid U.S.
patents against Nichia.
Filed by Nichia in U.S. District Court, the antitrust claim allows Nichia
to pursue discovery that Nichia believes Rohm attempted to avoid with its
abrupt ITC complaint withdrawal April 2001. Rohm withdrew its ITC complaint
seven days after the ITC judge ordered discovery on antitrust issues and
shortly before Rohm was required to submit related documents. The U.S.
District court action also allows Nichia to pursue monetary damages and
injunctive relief against Rohm and Cree.
While all actions against Nichia in the ITC terminated July 2001, a
separate proceeding against Rohm before the ITC is still pending. After
Rohm withdrew its ITC complaint, the ITC judge ordered Rohm to file a
statement explaining factual details relating to Rohm's licensing
transactions with Cree. Based on Rohm's statement, the ITC judge has the
option to sanction Rohm or start an ancillary proceeding to investigate the
matter further. Sanctions may come in the form of a monetary penalty; an
ancillary proceeding is a separate proceeding where the ITC may subpoena
documents and hear witnesses."
_____________________________________________________________________
á CONFERENCE NEWS
REPORTS:
-The Fourth International Conference on Nitride Semiconductors,
ICNS-4, 16-20 July, Denver, Colorado, USA.
For a report on the above conference see "Nitrides scale new heights in the
Rockies" by Richard Campion and Nicola Stanton at:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/7-8Final/CSSeptICNS.htm and Compound
Semiconductor Magazine Volume 7 No. 8 (September 2001)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ANNOUNCEMENTS: See:
http://nsr.mij.mrs.org/calendar/calendar.html
- March 11-15, 2002. The Fourth International Symposium on Blue Laser and
Light Emitting Diodes (ISBLLED). Cordoba, Spain.
- May 12-17, 2002. ECS Centennial Meeting - Symp. R1 - Wide Bandgap
Semiconductors for Photonic and Electronic Devices and Sensors III.
Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- June 18-21, 2002. Symposium M at the E-MRS 2002 Spring Meeting:
N-containing III-V semiconductors: Fundamentals and Applications.
Strasbourg, France.
- July 22-25, 2002. International Workshop on Nitride Semiconductors, IWN.
Aachen, Germany.
August 4-8, 2002. 14th American Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy,
Seattle, WA, USA. Abstracts due May 3, 2002.
á LINKS NEWS
There are a number of exciting new links at
MRS Internet Journal of Nitride Semiconductor Research Links
http://nsr.mij.mrs.org/links/
Under 'Semiconductor Related Links' there is now a link to:
National Compound Semiconductor Roadmap
(http://ncsr.csci-va.com)
- Reference database and Roadmap on Compound Semiconductors, sponsored by
the Office of Naval Research
Michael Tinston wants this website to become a useful tool to the Compound
Semiconductor community and it is dedicated to three important goals of the
Compound Semiconductor community:
1. Create a reference on compound semiconductors for the research and
educational communities.
2. Provide a collaborative environment for individuals to share ideas and
challenges in an informal environment.
3. Create a roadmap of various material and device technologies and predict
their transition and implementation.
The originators of the website are actively engaging all research centers
and government funding agencies to support the creation of the reference
data and technology challenges and to develop realistic milestones
predicting the maturity of material and device technologies. They are
seeking participants to log on to the website, register as users and browse
the information available. Get a feel for the information there and the
challenges, then participate by entering a challenge related to your
ongoing work, or start a dialog with the author of a current challenge.
If you have any questions about this effort, please don't hesitate to call
Michael Tinston, mtinston@csci-va.com, 703-866-4000. Please pass this
e-mail along to any colleagues who would be interested in using the website
or help in making it a complete reference for Compound Semiconductors.
Thank you to Michael Tinston for the information on the website :-)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
And under 'University Research on Nitrides' there are now links to:
-Low Temperature Nitride Semiconductor Growth, Macquarie University,
Sydney, Australia
(http://www.ics.mq.edu.au/~sbutcher/Research_page/Low_Temperature_Growth.htm)
- Our laboratories have concentrated on the growth of nitride
semiconductors at low temperatures. Laser induced CVD, remote plasma
enhanced CVD, and Reactive Ion sputtering are researched within these
hallowed walls.
Carnegie Mellon STM/MBE Group
(http://stm1.phys.cmu.edu/)
- The research activities of the research group of Prof. Randall Feenstra
deal with structural and electronic properties of semiconductor materials
and devices. Growth of GaN films is performed using molecular beam epitaxy.
Surface studies of the films are performed by scanning tunneling
microscopy, which allows one to image the atomic structure of the surface
and to perform spectroscopic measurements of the electronic energy levels.
For those of you reading this Newsletter not yet listed on our illustrious
Research Links page why not e-mail me with your details or fill out the
simple form at the bottom of the MRS Internet Journal of Nitride
Semiconductor Research Links page. Remember MIJ-NSR gets around 1,000
visits a day!
_____________________________________________________________________
Well that's all folks! Please send me your news or any interesting articles
or links for the next Newsletter. If you would like your job vacancy to
appear in the next Newsletter please contact me for costs.
Carol
E-mail: cacs19@strath.ac.uk
posted by Carol Trager-Cowan 5:50 AM
Thursday, January 31, 2002
MIJ-NSR Newsletter, New Year's Edition, Part 1
(Initially distributed to the registered users of MIJ-NSR on Mon, 31 Dec 2001)
Dear MIJ-NSR Readers,
A Happy, Successful and Peaceful New Year to Everyone.
In this Newsletter I have lots of laser news to report. We now have two
European nitride lasers: Unipress report their laser diode fabricated on a
bulk GaN substrate and Osram report their CW room-temperature blue laser
diode. NEC and Sony join the elite of Nichia and Toyoda Gosei in announcing
a laser at the "commercial-product level" and it looks as if it will not be
long before Cree joins them. There is also news on new white LEDs from
Toyoda Gosei, high power from transistors from both Cree and NEC, ZnO
substrates from Isonics and Cermet, GaN substrates from TDI, and 50 GB
rewriteable optical discs from Matsushita.
Read on for details on the above and the latest Lawsuit News, Conference
News and MIJ-NSR News:
á LASER NEWS
HIGH PRESSURE RESEARCH CENTER - UNIPRESS, POLAND ACHIEVE LASING FROM A
DIODE FABRICATED ON A BULK GaN CRYSTAL SUBSTRATE
Unipress - Poland headed by Prof. S. Porowski have fabricated a laser diode
using a bulk GaN crystal as a substrate. The crystal substrate is obtained
from high pressure, high temperature synthesis. The laser is operated under
pulsed current and emits around 5 mW of light through one facet. The
emission wavelength is 425 nm. The laser is a Separated Confinement
Heterostructure with InGaN quantum wells forming the active layers.
Thank you Piotr Perlin :-)
See
http://consult.unipress.waw.pl/images/1.htm for a spectrum of the laser
output.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"OSRAM MAKES BLUE LASER DIODE"
(From
http://optics.org/article/news/7/11/13 and Opto & Laser Europe (OLE)
magazine)
"14 November 2001
German researchers claim to have made Europe's first continuous-wave,
room-temperature blue laser diode.
Osram Opto Semiconductors and academic collaborators at the Fraunhofer
Institute for Applied Solid-State Physics and the universities of Stuttgart,
Ulm and Braunschweig have shown continuous-wave output at 420 nm
from a laser diode operating at room temperature.
The breakthrough was made as part of a government-funded project ... .
The diode, which is based on indium gallium nitride (InGaN), showed an
output power of more than 20 mW and a threshold current of 110 mA.
The device uses a silicon carbide substrate ... .
Its lifetime, however, is no more than "several minutes", according to
Osram's marketing manager Marion Brand. While she admits that such a
lifetime is far too short for commercial applications, she said: "Nobody
else in Europe has achieved as much as we have. The product is still in its
research phase." "
For the whole article see:
http://optics.org/article/news/7/11/13 and/or
Opto & Laser Europe (OLE) magazine.
For more information see:
http://www.osram-os.com/news/news_bluelaser.html
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"SONY, NEC WILL MARKET VIOLET-LASER ADVANCES"
(From
http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20011016S0080)
"By Yoshiko Hara, EE Times, (10/17/01, 7:24 a.m. EST)
TOKYO - NEC Corp. and Sony Corp. have announced violet laser technologies
that have reached the commercial-product level. The new entrants, unveiled
at the autumn meeting of the Japan Society of Applied Physics (JSAP),
challenge market leader Nichia Corp., which introduced the first violet
laser products. Nichia's laser is based on a sapphire substrate, on which
an active gallium nitride (GaN) layer is grown to produce high-frequency
laser diodes.
Sony's violet laser operates at the same power level as the 30-milliwatt
output power offered by Nichia. Sony already had achieved a lifetime of
about 3,000 hours in April, when the company showed a prototype of its
laser at its corporate show. Sony engineers subsequently improved the
technology to realize a 15,000-hour lifetime with 30-mW output power at
60¡C, a Sony spokesman said."
For whole article see:
http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20011016S0080
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"CREE REPORTS 1,000-HOUR BLUE LASER DIODE LIFETIME"
(From
http://www.photonics.com/todaysheadlines/today.asp?url=lookup&id=2430)
"Tuesday, November 6, 2001
DURHAM, N.C., Nov. 6 -- Cree Inc. said it has achieved blue laser diode
lifetimes in excess of 1,000 hours in the 400-nm range and has increased
the laser's efficiency through improvements in threshold operating
characteristics. The results are said to be a significant step toward
substantiating the viability of optical storage capabilities for commercial
applications of the device. Cree intends to begin customer sampling by the
end of this calendar year."
For whole article see:
http://www.photonics.com/todaysheadlines/today.asp?url=lookup&id=2430
_____________________________________________________________________
á LED NEWS
"TOYODA GOSEI INTRODUCES "TG White Hi," HIGHLY LUMINOUS LIGHT-EMITTING
DIODE (LED)"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR11130103.htm)
Source: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
"November 13, 2001
Nagoya, Japan. Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. today announced that it has
successfully developed a new type of white light emitting diode (LED) with
an unprecedented level of brightness. The "TG White Hi" LED incorporates a
gallium-nitride (GaN)-based blue LED with a newly developed phosphor to
achieve luminosity levels as high as 400 millicandela (mcd).*
The TG White Hi will be offered in various packaging options, including SMD
(Surface Mount Device) and LED lamps. Toyoda Gosei will begin sales of
technical samples of the TG White Hi this December; the company will ramp
up production and launch sales in February 2002.
The new phosphor in the TG White Hi was developed by an Austrian company,
Tridonic Optoelectronics GmbH, and two German companies,
LeuchtstoffwerkBreitungen GmbH and Litec GbR. Toyoda Gosei is a licensee
and has secured sublicensing rights for the phosphor. The three European
companies and Toyoda Gosei have applied jointly for a patent for the TG
White Hi worldwide.
*A luminous intensity of 400 mcd has been achieved in case 3?~3mm SMD
(Surface Mount Device) type at 20 mA forward current. "
_____________________________________________________________________
á RF POWER TRANSISTOR NEWS
"CREE ACHIEVES RECORD CW POWER FOR GAN RF DEVICES"
(From
http://www.cree.com/about/news126.htm)
"Durham, NC, December 18, 2001 - At the International Electron Devices
Meeting (IEDM) recently held in Washington, DC, Cree, Inc., (Nasdaq: CREE)
announced that it has demonstrated record setting radio frequency (RF)
continuous wave (CW) power performance from a gallium nitride (GaN) High
Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT). The GaN HEMT device achieved 108 Watts
of CW RF output power at 2 GHz. This is 3.7 times higher than has been
publicly reported for a single GaN device operating under CW conditions.
The peak drain efficiency for this device was 54%.
Cree's GaN HEMT device was grown on a semi-insulating SiC substrate, which
has a thermal conductivity about 10 times higher than that of sapphire.
This allows the GaN HEMT to more easily dissipate the very high power
levels achieved in these devices in CW operation, as evidenced by the 4.5
W/mm obtained on this 24 mm gate width device.
In the same presentation, Cree also reported it has demonstrated a record
12.1 W/mm of pulsed power density in smaller GaN devices measured at 3.5
GHz. The power density for these devices under CW operation was 9.3 W/mm."
For the whole press release see:
http://www.cree.com/about/news126.htm
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"NEC ACHIEVES WORLD'S HIGHEST ONE-CHIP POWER OUTPUT WITH ITS SEMICONDUCTOR
POWER TRANSISTOR"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR12040102.htm)
Source: NEC Corporation
"December 4, 2001
TOKYO December 4th, 2001 - NEC Corporation (NEC) (NASDAQ: NIPNY) (FTSE:
6701q.l) (TSE: 6701) has successfully developed the world's first one-chip
nitride semiconductor power transistor capable of achieving a power
transmission output of over 100W. The new powerful chip will be aimed at
advancing functionality of next-generation of mobile applications.
The nitride semiconductor power transistor was achieved by adopting a high
breakdown heterojunction (see full press release) suitable for high voltage
operation, and through the development of the 50µm thinned sapphire
technology, in which the heat dissipation characteristic of the power
transistor is sharply improved. The nitride semiconductor's advanced
isothermal heating process was made possible with the introduction of a
thermal shunt air bridge electrode.
Through this development, NEC simultaneously was able to miniaturize the
next-generation mobile phone base station transmission amplifier by less
than one-third, more than double the power output and improve energy
savings to less than one-tenth of current levels, making the new
semiconductor ideal for microwave power devices."
For whole press release see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR12040102.htm
_____________________________________________________________________
á SUBSTRATE NEWS
"ISONICS, CERMET SET DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR ISOTOPICALLY PURE ZINC OXIDE"
(From
http://www.photonics.com/todaysheadlines/today.asp?url=lookup&id=2315)
"Wednesday, October 10, 2001
GOLDEN, Colo., Oct. 10 -- Isonics Corp. and Atlanta-based Cermet Inc. have
begun a joint development program to evaluate isotopically pure zinc-64
oxide as a substrate for manufacturing blue LEDs and blue laser diodes for
next-generation optical storage and telecommunications.
Cermet is developing single-crystal ZnO as a replacement for aluminum oxide
and silicon carbide substrates for the manufacture of gallium nitride
optoelectronic devices. The partners are interested in evaluating the
possible improved thermal conductivity of isotopically pure zinc oxide.
Isonics will supply isotopically pure zinc oxide powder that will be
converted into single-crystal wafers by Cermet using its proprietary
process. Thermal conductivity and other properties will be measured.
Isonics will also supply isotopically pure zinc in the form of diethyl zinc
for Cermet to fabricate various MOCVD-based devices. The program is
expected to take 12 to 18 months."
See also:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR10090103.htm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"TDI MAKES FIRST BULK GAN"
(From
http://optics.org/article/news/7/10/32)
"30 October 2001
US-based TDI makes blue laser breakthrough after manufacturing gallium
nitride bulk substrates.
Researchers at US-based Technology and Devices International (TDI) have
created a gallium nitride (GaN) bulk substrate, which they say will improve
the performance and lifetimes of GaN-based device designs. A single crystal
GaN sample boule is grown on a GaN seed layer and then sliced into 1.5 inch
diameter wafers.
While details of the wafer growth process are being withheld, TDI's chief
executive Vladimir Dmitriev told Optics.Org's sister publication Compound
Semiconductor that each boule yields several wafers. "The crystals are
grown using a 1.5 inch GaN seed crystal and are expected to scale to 3 and
4 inches in the future," he added.
According to Dmitriev, independent research shows that the dislocation
density of the wafers is several orders of magnitude lower than
conventionally-grown wafers. TDI researchers are now developing crystal
growth and wafer fabrication technology to commercialize the substrates,
and hope to start pilot production in six months."
For whole article see:
http://optics.org/article/news/7/10/32
_____________________________________________________________________
á NITRIDES APPLICATIONS NEWS
"MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC (PANASONIC) INTRODUCES WORLD'S FIRST 50 GB BLUE LASER
REWRITEABLE DUAL-LAYER OPTICAL DISC TECHNOLOGY -- CAPABLE OF RECORDING 4
HOURS OF HIGH-DEFINITION MOVING PICTURES TO A DVD-SIZE DISC"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR10150101.htm)
Source: Matsushita
"October 15, 2001
OSAKA, Japan -- Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., best known for
its Panasonic brand of consumer electronic and digital communications
products, today announced that it has developed an innovative rewriteable
dual-layer optical disc technology that uses a blue laser, a world's first.
In addition, Matsushita announced development of an advanced 50 GB optical
disc that fully utilizes this new technology. Bridging the cutting edges of
both IT and AV technologies, these new developments make possible
interchangeable and large-capacity storage media with superior searching
and operating capabilities. These developments will be presented at
ISOM2001, the International Symposium on Optical Memory, in Taipei, Taiwan
on October 19."
For whole press release see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR10150101.htm
_____________________________________________________________________
á LAWSUIT NEWS
"SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT SUBSTANTIALLY INVALIDATING NICHIA CORPORATION'S
PATENT RENDERED (FINAL AND CONCLUSIVE IN FAVOR OF TOYODA GOSEI)"
(From
http://www.toyoda-gosei.co.jp/english/topics/011113-2.html)
"November 13th, 2001
Concerning the Blue LED patent, Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. ("Toyoda Gosei")
(President: Mr. Takashi Matsuura) has won the suit, in which Toyoda Gosei
demanded the annulment of the JPO's trial decision affirming the validity
of the following patent that Nichia Corporation owns, final and conclusive
in favor of Toyoda Gosei as follows:
With respect to the subject patent, Toyoda Gosei brought a suit before
Tokyo High Court against the "Trial Decision Rejecting the Demand for
Invalidation of Patent" rendered by the Japanese Patent Office on June 16,
2000.
Tokyo High Court (Judge Shinohara as Presiding Judge) rendered the judgment
on June 13, 2001 to the effect that the JPO's Trial Decision rejecting the
demand for invalidation of patent (affirming the validity of patent) is
annulled (substantially invalidating the patent) and Nichia Corporation
appealed to the Supreme Court against the judgment, and then Petty Bench
No. 2 of the Supreme Court (Judge Kajitani as Presiding Judge) rejected the
appeal on November 9, 2001.
Thereby, the judicial judgment substantially invalidating Nichia
Corporation's patent became final and conclusive for the first time."
For the whole press release see:
http://www.toyoda-gosei.co.jp/english/topics/011113-2.html
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"NICHIA PURSUES ANTITRUST AND CONSPIRACY CLAIM AGAINST ROHM AND CREE IN
U.S. DISTRICT COURT"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR11130101.htm)
Source: Nichia Corporation
"November 13, 2001
Separate Proceeding Against Rohm Still Pending before ITC
Philadelphia, PA. Nichia Corporation announced today the filing of a
Sherman Act antitrust claim against Rohm Co., Ltd. and Cree Inc. in the
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. This claim
asserts that Rohm and Cree entered into a conspiracy to exclude Nichia from
the U.S. market and, to further that conspiracy, Rohm knowingly asserted
fraudulently obtained and invalid U.S. patents against Nichia.
Nichia's antitrust claim points to events leading up to and culminating in
several agreements between Rohm and Cree. In particular, the antitrust
claim asserts that Rohm fabricated a domestic industry to obtain ITC
jurisdiction by entering a license agreement with Cree in December 2000,
three days before Rohm filed its ITC complaint against Nichia. The
antitrust claim also states that, in furtherance of its conspiracy with
Cree, Rohm knowingly asserted fraudulently obtained and invalid U.S.
patents against Nichia.
Filed by Nichia in U.S. District Court, the antitrust claim allows Nichia
to pursue discovery that Nichia believes Rohm attempted to avoid with its
abrupt ITC complaint withdrawal April 2001. Rohm withdrew its ITC complaint
seven days after the ITC judge ordered discovery on antitrust issues and
shortly before Rohm was required to submit related documents. The U.S.
District court action also allows Nichia to pursue monetary damages and
injunctive relief against Rohm and Cree.
While all actions against Nichia in the ITC terminated July 2001, a
separate proceeding against Rohm before the ITC is still pending. After
Rohm withdrew its ITC complaint, the ITC judge ordered Rohm to file a
statement explaining factual details relating to Rohm's licensing
transactions with Cree. Based on Rohm's statement, the ITC judge has the
option to sanction Rohm or start an ancillary proceeding to investigate the
matter further. Sanctions may come in the form of a monetary penalty; an
ancillary proceeding is a separate proceeding where the ITC may subpoena
documents and hear witnesses."
_____________________________________________________________________
á CONFERENCE NEWS
REPORTS:
-The Fourth International Conference on Nitride Semiconductors,
ICNS-4, 16-20 July, Denver, Colorado, USA.
For a report on the above conference see "Nitrides scale new heights in the
Rockies" by Richard Campion and Nicola Stanton at:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/7-8Final/CSSeptICNS.htm and Compound
Semiconductor Magazine Volume 7 No. 8 (September 2001)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ANNOUNCEMENTS: See:
http://nsr.mij.mrs.org/calendar/calendar.html
- March 11-15, 2002. The Fourth International Symposium on Blue Laser and
Light Emitting Diodes (ISBLLED). Cordoba, Spain.
- May 12-17, 2002. ECS Centennial Meeting - Symp. R1 - Wide Bandgap
Semiconductors for Photonic and Electronic Devices and Sensors III.
Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- June 18-21, 2002. Symposium M at the E-MRS 2002 Spring Meeting:
N-containing III-V semiconductors: Fundamentals and Applications.
Strasbourg, France.
- July 22-25, 2002. International Workshop on Nitride Semiconductors, IWN.
Aachen, Germany.
August 4-8, 2002. 14th American Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy,
Seattle, WA, USA. Abstracts due May 3, 2002.
á LINKS NEWS
There are a number of exciting new links at
MRS Internet Journal of Nitride Semiconductor Research Links
http://nsr.mij.mrs.org/links/
Under 'Semiconductor Related Links' there is now a link to:
National Compound Semiconductor Roadmap
(http://ncsr.csci-va.com)
- Reference database and Roadmap on Compound Semiconductors, sponsored by
the Office of Naval Research
Michael Tinston wants this website to become a useful tool to the Compound
Semiconductor community and it is dedicated to three important goals of the
Compound Semiconductor community:
1. Create a reference on compound semiconductors for the research and
educational communities.
2. Provide a collaborative environment for individuals to share ideas and
challenges in an informal environment.
3. Create a roadmap of various material and device technologies and predict
their transition and implementation.
The originators of the website are actively engaging all research centers
and government funding agencies to support the creation of the reference
data and technology challenges and to develop realistic milestones
predicting the maturity of material and device technologies. They are
seeking participants to log on to the website, register as users and browse
the information available. Get a feel for the information there and the
challenges, then participate by entering a challenge related to your
ongoing work, or start a dialog with the author of a current challenge.
If you have any questions about this effort, please don't hesitate to call
Michael Tinston, mtinston@csci-va.com, 703-866-4000. Please pass this
e-mail along to any colleagues who would be interested in using the website
or help in making it a complete reference for Compound Semiconductors.
Thank you to Michael Tinston for the information on the website :-)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
And under 'University Research on Nitrides' there are now links to:
-Low Temperature Nitride Semiconductor Growth, Macquarie University,
Sydney, Australia
(http://www.ics.mq.edu.au/~sbutcher/Research_page/Low_Temperature_Growth.htm)
- Our laboratories have concentrated on the growth of nitride
semiconductors at low temperatures. Laser induced CVD, remote plasma
enhanced CVD, and Reactive Ion sputtering are researched within these
hallowed walls.
Carnegie Mellon STM/MBE Group
(http://stm1.phys.cmu.edu/)
- The research activities of the research group of Prof. Randall Feenstra
deal with structural and electronic properties of semiconductor materials
and devices. Growth of GaN films is performed using molecular beam epitaxy.
Surface studies of the films are performed by scanning tunneling
microscopy, which allows one to image the atomic structure of the surface
and to perform spectroscopic measurements of the electronic energy levels.
For those of you reading this Newsletter not yet listed on our illustrious
Research Links page why not e-mail me with your details or fill out the
simple form at the bottom of the MRS Internet Journal of Nitride
Semiconductor Research Links page. Remember MIJ-NSR gets around 1,000
visits a day!
_____________________________________________________________________
Well that's all folks! Please send me your news or any interesting articles
or links for the next Newsletter. If you would like your job vacancy to
appear in the next Newsletter please contact me for costs.
Carol
E-mail: cacs19@strath.ac.uk
posted by Carol Trager-Cowan 10:09 AM
Friday, October 19, 2001
MIJ-NSR Newsletter, We're OK Edition, Part 1 (version ii)
Dear MIJ-NSR Readers,
As usual nitrides are hitting the headlines, they are even going into
space! To find out more and access reports on those conferences which have
taken us to all the corners of the globe this summer read on ... .
á LASER NEWS
"NICHIA MOVES INTO VOLUME PRODUCTION OF HIGH POWER VIOLET LASER DIODES"
(From
http://www.nichia.co.jp/topnews_NLHV3000-e.htm)
"TOKYO, JAPAN - June 18, 2001 - Nichia Corporation announced today that its
NLHV3000 series of high power violet laser diodes are moving into volume
production. The NLHV3000 series laser diodes have a 405 nm peak wavelength
and a 30 mW maximum optical power output, delivering up to five times the
data storage capacity of red lasers commonly used in today's DVD players.
Manufacturers can use these violet laser diodes to expand the storage
capacity of next generation DVD discs from the current 4.7 gigabytes to
more than 20 gigabytes. This increased storage allows each DVD disc to hold
up to ten hours of recorded video, instead of today's two hour limit. In
addition to DVD players, these violet laser diodes can replace red laser
diodes currently used in video games, laser printers, and scanners. ..."
For the whole press release see:
http://www.nichia.co.jp/topnews_NLHV3000-e.htm
___________________________________________________________________
á LED NEWS
Lots and lots happening with LEDs, see Nitrides Applications News and
Conference Reports.
___________________________________________________________________
á MICROWAVE DEVICE NEWS
"CREE'S GaN MICROWAVE DEVICES LAUNCH INTO SPACE
SPACE SHUTTLE CARRIES GaN MATERIALS AND HEMT DEVICES INTO ORBIT TEST"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR08200107.htm)
"Source: Cree, Inc.
August 20, 2001
Durham, NC. Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) announced today that its gallium
nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) microwave devices
and GaN HEMT epiwafer materials were successfully installed aboard the
International Space Station after being launched into space by the Space
Shuttle Discovery. The GaN HEMT transistors and material are being
evaluated to determine their radiation hardness over existing semiconductor
materials for future satellite applications. The materials and devices were
incorporated into the Materials International Space Station Experiment
(MISSE) for the purpose of determining how various materials endure the
environment of space.
The Space Shuttle Discovery delivered the MISSE to the International Space
Station after it was launched on August 10, 2001. The experiment was
mounted onto the outside of the space station's airlock during the first
space walk of the mission on August 16, 2001. After long-term exposure to
space conditions, the MISSE will be retrieved and returned to earth on a
future shuttle mission for test and evaluation.
Thomas Jenkins, of the Sensors Directorate of Air Force Research
Laboratories (AFRL) stated, "We are excited about the rapid progress
achieved for GaN microwave devices and are anxious to determine their
applicability to satellite communications and other space-based
applications as a result of this experiment."
The devices and material used are the result of a joint collaboration
between Cree and the Sensors Directorate of the AFRL under a Dual Use
Science and Technology program funded by the Department of Defense and
Cree. The objective of the collaboration with the Sensors Directorate is to
develop wide bandgap semiconductors for microwave technology that must
operate under extreme conditions, such as a crowded or hostile
electromagnetic spectrum and limited environmental controls due to
constraints of mass, volume, or prime power. The insertion of GaN into the
flight was spearheaded by the Materials and Manufacturing directorate of
AFRL, which organized the MISSE for this shuttle mission.
Cree has previously reported record results in terms of total power for GaN
microwave devices, 50 watts at 10 GHz, and also demonstrated the first
Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) in GaN, which was grown on
Cree's semi-insulating SiC substrate. These devices have now achieved 24
Watts of pulsed RF output power at 16 GHz, about three times the highest RF
output power of gallium arsenide (GaAs) MMICs available for this frequency
range.
Dr. John Palmour, Cree's Director of Advanced Devices commented, "The
inclusion of our GaN microwave technology in this advanced experiment not
only demonstrates Cree's leadership in this field, but also highlights the
emerging application area of broadband satellite communications for GaN
microwave devices."
More information on the MISSE experiment and Discovery's Flight STS-105 may
be found at:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/index.html, and at:
http://misse1.larc.nasa.gov/ ..."
For whole press release see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR08200107.htm
___________________________________________________________________
á NITRIDES APPLICATIONS NEWS
"FIRST MASS-MARKET CONSUMER-ELECTRONICS ITEM TO FEATURE A BLUE LED
STATUS-INDICATOR LAMP"
http://optics.org/article/ole/feature/1/82/4
In his "Market report: Blue diodes infiltrate the domestic market" (which
appeared in the March Edition of Opto and Laser Europe), Roy Szweda
summarises LED applications, the major firms in the nitride LED market, the
suits and the counter suits. He also highlights that Sony's Play Station 2
(PS2) features a blue LED! An interesting read :-)
Roy Szweda has also brought to my attention that Sony has also released two
notebook computers that now use a blue LED to indicate a similarly
Bluetooth-equipped item is in the vicinity. He points out (editorial III-Vs
Review) that a blue lamp now means 'Bluetooth'!
For more information on Sony's notebook computers see:
"Sony goes wireless with Bluetooth kit"
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,s2089093,00.html and
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/reviews/rstories/0,3040,e7110672,00.html
and in case you're wondering what Bluetooth is
(from
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/reviews/rstories/0,3040,e7110672,00.html)
"Bluetooth is the much-heralded short-range 2.4GHz wireless connectivity
solution designed primarily for cable-replacement and ad-hoc personal area
networking."
Have any of you bought anything lately sporting a blue LED?
___________________________________________________________________
á NAKAMURA NEWS
Prof Shuji Nakamura remains in the headlines, for example read NEONLINES's
30th Anniversary Interview with Shuji Nakamura:
http://ne.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/2001/30aniv/int6_1.html
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"DR. SHUJI NAKAMURA NAMED RECIPIENT OF THE CREE CHAIR AT UCSB'S CENTER FOR
SOLID STATE LIGHTING AND DISPLAYS"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR09110102.htm)
"September 11, 2001
Source: Cree, Inc.
Durham, NC. Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE), today announced that Dr. Shuji
Nakamura was named the recipient of the Cree Chair at the University of
California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Center for Solid State Lighting and
Displays. Cree pledged $1.2 million to the College of Engineering at UCSB
in September 2000 toward the endowment of the Cree Chair and to support
research in the field of gallium nitride-based electronic materials and
devices. ...
Neal Hunter, Chairman of Cree stated, "We are very pleased to support
UCSB's commitment to gallium nitride-based research and are excited that
Dr. Nakamura has been named the recipient of the Cree Chair. Dr. Nakamura
has been widely recognized for work on gallium nitride-based light emitting
diodes (LEDs). The energy-efficient white LEDs are targeted to replace
incandescent lights and are expected to use significantly less energy than
the conventional incandescent bulb. We believe a large number of new white
light applications will emerge beyond existing applications as solid state
illumination technology continues to evolve."
Dr. Shuji Nakamura said, "I am honored to be the first holder of the Cree
Chair in Solid State Lighting and Displays. Cree is recognized worldwide as
a leader in solid state lighting and as a key pioneering company in the
development of the exciting new compound semiconductor technology that uses
gallium nitride on silicon carbide. Cree financially supported the Solid
State Lighting and Displays Center here at UCSB from the beginning, and we
are grateful for that support." ..."
For whole press release see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR09110102.htm
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"NICHIA FACES YEN 2 BILLION LAWSUIT FROM EX-EMPLOYEE OVER BLUE LED RESEARCH"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR08240101.htm)
Source: Nihon Keizai Shimbun
"August 23, 2001
Tokyo, Japan. Researcher Shuji Nakamura, developer of a blue light-emitting diode (LED), has
filed a lawsuit against his former employer Nichia Corp., claiming some 2 billion yen in
damages for failure to properly compensate him for his work with the firm, sources close to the
matter said Wednesday.
Nakamura, now a professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara, developed a unique
bright blue LED and obtained about 100 patents while working for Nichia.
The blue LED technology has attracted global attention and is expected to create a large
market in the future. Nichia commercialized a blue LED in 1993 and is estimated to have
earned more than 150 billion yen from sales.
In the lawsuit, Nakamura argues that patents covering a basic production method for blue
LEDs was indispensable to commercialization. He says payments of 10,000 yen received
when he lodged patents and again when the patents were granted are insufficient
He plans to sue Nichia in the Tokyo District Court basing his claim on a clause in the Patent
Law, stipulating employees are entitled to receive proper payment for inventions created at
work. ..."
For whole press relaease see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR08240101.htm
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL AND UC SANTA BARBARA FORM $15 MILLION RESEARCH
ALLIANCE ON ADVANCED MATERIALS, SOLID STATE LIGHTING AND DISPLAYS"
(from
http://www.engr.ucsb.edu/Announce/mitsubishi.html)
"Santa Barbara, Calif. -- Mitsubishi Chemical Corp., headquartered in
Tokyo, and the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) have
entered into a five-year, $15-million alliance to support research and
education in advanced materials and in solid state lighting and displays.
The alliance represents the largest sponsorship ever by a corporation of
research at UC Santa Barbara.
Mitsubishi Chemical is supporting two research centers at UCSB: $12.5
million will be allocated to establish the Mitsubishi Chemical Center for
Advanced Materials (MC-CAM) and $2.5 million to contribute to the funding
of the Center for Solid State Lighting and Displays. ...
The director of (UCSB Solid State Lighting and Displays) center is
Materials Professor Shuji Nakamura, the inventor of blue, green, and white
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and the blue laser. "We are very grateful for
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.'s generous endorsement of our efforts to develop
solid state lighting and displays," said Nakamura.
One of the research goals of the center that interests Mitsubishi Chemical
is, according to Nakamura, the use of short-wavelength blue light to excite
phosphors to emit white light. Mitsubishi manufactures phosphors. ...
Last update: February 18, 2001 "
For the whole press release see:
http://www.engr.ucsb.edu/Announce/mitsubishi.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"NAKAMURA WINS 2000 HONDA PRIZE FOR CONTRIBUTION TO ECO-TECHNOLOGY
PRIZE INCLUDES 10 MILLION YEN (APPROXIMATELY $93,000)"
(From
http://www.engr.ucsb.edu/Announce/honda.html)
"Santa Barbara, Calif.--Shuji Nakamura, professor of materials at the
University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), has been awarded the 2000
Honda Prize. Conferred annually since 1980 by the Honda Foundation of
Japan, the prize consists of a certificate, medal, and 10 million yen (over
$93,000 at current exchange rates). It recognizes a distinguished
contribution to "eco-technology"--the harmonizing of human activities and
the natural environment.
Nakamura, the 21st recipient of the prize and the third Japanese to be so
honored, has been recognized especially for his inventions of blue, green,
and white light emitting diodes (LEDs). The energy-efficient white LED will
likely replace incandescent lights, which squander most of their energy by
putting out more heat than light. White LEDs will use 20 to 50 percent less
energy to make light than the conventional incandescent bulb. The press
release issued by the Honda Foundation emphasizes that the LEDs invented by
Nakamura "will consume very little power, are environment friendly, and
will be one of the most important energy saving devices." ...
Ceremonies for conferring the Honda Prize were held at the Hotel Okura in
Tokyo on Nov. 17, the birthday of the late Soichiro Honda, whose philosophy
informs the Honda Foundation's mission of contributing to the creation of a
truly humane civilization.
Last update: December 22, 2000"
For whole press release see:
http://www.engr.ucsb.edu/Announce/honda.html
See also
http://world.honda.com/news/2000/c001005.html
___________________________________________________________________
á PATENT NEWS
"CREE ANNOUNCES ISSUANCE OF PATENT ON PENDEO EPITAXY PROCESS"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR08080102.htm)
"Source: Cree, Inc.
Patent Licensed Exclusively to Cree, Inc.
August 8, 2001
Durham, NC. Cree, Inc., (Nasdaq: CREE) today announced the issuance of U.S.
Patent No. 6,265,289 on July 24, 2001 entitled "Methods of Fabricating
Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor Layers by Lateral Growth from Sidewalls
into Trenches, and Gallium Nitride Semiconductor Structures Fabricated
Thereby." The patent, licensed exclusively to Cree, Inc. by North Carolina
State University, covers process technology known as pendeoepitaxy, or
"pendeo" for short, which refers to a process for growing gallium nitride
semiconductor layers with low defect densities.
Chuck Swoboda, Cree's President and CEO stated, "The issuance of this
patent significantly extends Cree's portfolio of technology critical in the
development of high performance GaN-based devices. Growing low defect
layers of GaN is essential to the realization of long-lifetime GaN-based
laser diodes and other high performance devices. We believe this patent
strengthens our intellectual property position immensely, since it covers
use of the patented process on any substrate."
For the whole press release see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR08080102.htm
___________________________________________________________________
á NEWS ON THE COMPETITION
"DIAMOND-BASED LED EMITS ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT"
(from
http://lfw.pennwellnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=Articles&Sub
section=Display&ARTICLE_ID=113734
& Laser Focus World August, 2001)
(To access this article you may need to register
on the Laser Focus World website)
"Researchers at the National Institute for Materials Science (Tsukuba,
Japan) have reported the realization of an ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting
diode with the use of a diamond p-n junction [1]. The wide energy bandgap
of diamond (5.47 eV) is promising for optoelectronic applications because
it allows the possibility of UV LEDs, an important step toward diamond
lasers, UV fluorescence lighting, and high-density data storage. In
addition, diamond-based LEDs have the advantage of extreme durability
compared to other semiconductor materials.
Satoshi Koizumi and colleagues formed the p-n junction from a boron-doped
(b-doped) p-type diamond layer and another ph osphorus-doped (p-doped)
n-type diamond layer. ...
The UV luminescence at 235 nm (5.27 eV) is attributed to free exciton
recombination, assisted by the transverse-optical phonon transition of
non-doped high-quality diamond. ..."
[1] I.S. Koizumi, K. Watanabe, M. Hasegawa, and H. Kanda, Science 292, 1899
(2001). "
For whole article see Laser Focus World August, 2001 and/or
http://lfw.pennwellnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=Articles&Sub
section=Display&ARTICLE_ID=113734
(To access the article you may need to register
on the Laser Focus World website)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"NANOWIRE NANOLASER EMITS UV LIGHT"
(From
http://lfw.pennwellnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=Articles&Sub
section=Display&ARTICLE_ID=113237&KEYWORD=nitride)
(To access this article you may need to register
on the Laser Focus World website)
"University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA) chemist Peidong Yang and
colleagues have grown room-temperature nanowire nanolasers that, under
optical excitation, demonstrate surface-emitting lasing action at 385 nm
with an emission linewidth of less than 0.3 nm.
The zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire nanolasers are believed to be the smallest in
the world, as well as one of the first real devices to arise from
nanotechnology. At this preliminary stage of development, the scientists
report that the ZnO nanolaser is comparable to or better than the gallium
nitride (GaN) blue laser in terms of ease of manufacture, brightness, and
much smaller dimensions. ..."
For the whole article see:
http://lfw.pennwellnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=Articles&Sub
section=Display&ARTICLE_ID=113237
(To access this article you may need to register
on the Laser Focus World website)
___________________________________________________________________
á CONFERENCE NEWS
REPORTS:
- The 12th International Conference on Nonequilibrium Carrier Dynamics in
Semiconductors (HCIS-12), Santa Fe, USA, August 2001
A pdf file of the report can be downloaded from
http://www.uknitrides.org/main.htm
- ICNS-4 - Denver, USA, July 2001
Watch: http://www.uknitrides.org/main.htm
for imminent report
- E-MRS Spring Meeting - Symposium H, Strasbourg, France, June 2001
See report at:
http://www.uknitrides.org/emrs_report2001.htm
- Lightfair International 2001. Las Vegas, USA, May 30-June 1 2001
See report at:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/7-7Final/CSAugLIGHTFAIR.htm
and an article entitled: "Future of Lighting: A LightFair Highlight" can be
accessed at:
http://www.lighting.com/index.taf?_UserReference=6121D93A4C13F6053B9A6CEA&_s
n=content&_pn=story&_op=306
- The WideGap2001 workshop, Exeter, UK, March 2001
See report at:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/7-5Final/CSJunWidegap.htm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ANNOUNCEMENTS: See:
http://nsr.mij.mrs.org/calendar/calendar.html
- November 1-2, 2001. All- Russian Conference on Nitride Semiconductors.
Moscow, Russia.
- November 26-30, 2001. Fall MRS meeting, Symposium I, GaN and Related
Alloys. Boston, MA.
- March 11-15, 2001. The Fourth International Symposium on Blue Laser and
Light Emitting Diodes (ISBLLED). Cordoba, Spain.
- July 22-25, 2002. International Workshop on Nitride Semiconductors, IWN.
Aachen, Germany.
___________________________________________________________________
á NEW LINKS
At http://nsr.mij.mrs.org/links/
there is now a link to
Kwangju Institute of Science and Technology (K-JIST)
http://matlb.kjist.ac.kr/~master/
___________________________________________________________________
Well that's all folks! Please send me your news or any interesting articles
or links for the next Newsletter. If you would like your job vacancy to
appear in the next Newsletter please contact me for costs.
Carol
E-mail: cacs19@strath.ac.uk
posted by Carol Trager-Cowan 5:55 AM
Wednesday, June 13, 2001
MIJ-NSR Newsletter, Sooner Rather Than Later Edition. Part 1
Dear MIJ-NSR Readers,
In this Newsletter we can present you with the very exciting news that
Toyoda Gosei have developed a UV/blue (410 nm) laser with an estimated
lifetime of 5000 hours. They plan to start sample shipments in the fall.
Read on for more details and news on LEDs, demand for gallium, the latest
lawsuits, the competition, conference news and our JOB VACANCY.
á LASER NEWS
"TOYODA GOSEI SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPS MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY FOR SHORTWAVE, GaN-BASED SEMICONDUCTOR LASER DIODE"
(From http://www.toyoda-gosei.co.jp/english/topics/010419.html)
"Nagoya, April 19, 2001 -- Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. announced today that it
has succeeded in developing manufacturing technology for a bluish-purple
laser diode with a short wavelength using gallium-nitride (GaN)
semiconductor material. The basic research for the GaN-based semiconductor
laser diode was carried out under the direction of Professor Isamu Akasaki
of Meijo University (Professor Emeritus of Nagoya University), and
Assistant Professor Hiroshi Amano of Meijo University. The project was
funded in part by the Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), one
of the key organizations for implementing the policies of Japan's Science
and Technology Agency for the general enhancement of science and technology
in Japan. JST recently gave its approval to the report compiled by the two
professors on this successful research project.
The research, which took seven years and cost about 700 million yen,
yielded two major technological breakthroughs. Using GaN material, Toyoda
Gosei developed the technology for stable semiconductor crystallization,
which features high-quality multi-quantum well layers. The company also
perfected a semiconductor laser diode that oscillates continuously and
stably in the short wavelength band, based on its successful development of
an optical wave guiding structure and a packaging technology that excels in
heat radiation. Toyoda Gosei has filed about 50 patent applications in
connection with the research.
Toyoda Gosei plans to start sample shipments of the new laser diode product
this fall. The GaN-based semiconductor laser diode has a wavelength of 410
nanometers*[1] with a three milliwatt output, and an estimated life of more
than 5,000 hours*[2] under continuous oscillation at room temperature.
Laser diode products are widely used in a variety of electronic appliances
and machinery, including scanner light sources for large capacity DVDs
(next generation DVDs), laser printers, the fine machining of semiconductor
substrate, and full-color projector-type laser displays. Laser diode sales
totaled $2.92 billion in 2000, and the market is expected to grow to $5.35
billion in 2004, according to the estimate of Strategies Unlimited. Toyoda
Gosei expects the launch of its bluish-purple laser diode products to
further expand this market.
NOTE
*[1]: A nanometer is one billionth of a meter.
*[2]: Estimated value
--------------------------------------------------------------------
á JOB VACANCY
MANAGER OF MATERIALS
A pioneering company in the field of gallium nitride and fiber optics
components technology, with a distinguished record of accomplishments,
publications and patents, is seeking a top technical individual to lead the
development of new products in these areas. This individual will work
closely with peers in device and product development to perform research
and development for product initiatives leading to growth of the business.
Responsibilities:
This position will report to the Director, Compound Semiconductor and Fiber
Optics Components Research and Development and will take responsibility for
the following major objectives:
áStaff a team of scientists and engineers to engage in R&D in GaN technology
áPropose and manage internal and externally-funded R&D projects leading to
enhanced and new processes and devices
áExpand Company's capability in the fabrication of GaN and related
materials to support device manufacturing
áEnhance Company's reputation and intellectual property position in
GaN-related activities through publications and patents
Qualifications:
The ideal candidate for this position will have the following qualifications:
áPh.D.
áMinimum five years experience in compound semiconductor material device
design and fabrication
áTrack record of successful R&D projects resulting in products,
publications and patents
áThorough knowledge of the GaN industry, academic community and government
agencies funding GaN-related development
áAbility to work in a dynamic, team-oriented entrepreneurial environment
Respond with resume to drewmail@mindspring.com
Attn: Drew Karkow, 1-888-286-9261
--------------------------------------------------------------------
á LED NEWS
"TAIWAN'S ARIMA OPTOELECTRONICS STARTS VOLUME PRODUCTION OF BLUE LEDS"
(From http://www.nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com/wcs/frm/leaf?CID=onair/asabt/news/128393)
April 17, 2001 (TOKYO) -- Taiwan's Arima Optoelectronics Corp. started
marketing gallium nitride-based blue, bluish-green and green light emitting
diodes.
The unit price is not announced, but it will be around half of current GaN
LEDs, said an Arima Computer Corp. official representing Arima
Optoelectronics. Arima Optoelectronics already has started shipment of blue
LEDs for some Taiwan-based makers. "We already have received some inquiries
from a few Japanese users, and some makers have started evaluations of our
products," he said.
It has the volume processing capacity of monthly 2,500 wafers, based on
2-in. sapphire wafers. It plans to expand its volume processing capacity
monthly up to 4,000 2-in. wafers by December 2001 and 5,600 wafers by
December 2002.
"We intend to be one of the world's leading GaN LEDs manufacturers in its
volume processing scale during 2002. And, at that time, we hope to ship
around 60 percent of all of our GaN based LEDs to Japan," the official said.
Arima Optoelectronics plans to manufacture LEDs at its processing facility
in Taiwan for a while, but it also hinted at the possibility of
manufacturing them in China to reduce its manufacturing cost in the near
future, when price competition will become more severe.
In China, Arima Group, to which Arima Optoelectronics belongs, has just
constructed a manufacturing plant 1.3 million m2 in area, in which Arima
Group will assemble notebook PCs and mobile phones.
It looks like Arima Optoelectronics intends to construct the facility to
process the LEDs within the site of Arima Group, when it starts
manufacturing LEDs in China.
Within the industry there is a view that the essential and basic patents
for manufacturing GaN LEDs are possessed by Nichia Chemical Inc. of Japan.
Because of this, many LED makers have found it very difficult to
manufacture GaN LEDs without avoiding the patents held by Nichia.
"Arima Optoelectronics can manufacture GaN LEDs without the infringement of
Nichia Chemical's patents. We possess our original patents," the official
said.
He said the company has applied for 14 patent applications for GaN light
emitting elements in the United States and Taiwan, and five of them already
have been granted. ..."
For whole article see:
http://www.nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com/wcs/frm/leaf?CID=onair/asabt/news/128393
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"SOLID-STATE LIGHTING EXPANDS AS INDUSTRY AWAITS ILLUMINATION"
(From Laser Focus World, April 2001
http://lfw.pennwellnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=Articles&Subsect
ion=Display&ARTICLE_ID=97923))
(If this rather long link doesn't work, cut the whole website address and
paste it into your browser, to access the article you may need to register
on the Laser Focus World website)
article by Hassaun Jones-Bey, Senior Editor
"The market for conventional light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has not grown
significantly during the past five years, while the market for
high-brightness LEDs grew 53% last year alone and has begun to rival the
conventional market in size, according to comments by Robert Steele,
director of optoelectronics programs at Strategies Unlimited (Mountain
View, CA). Steele's market overview led off a 1¸-day Strategies Unlimited
conference on LED market opportunities in February. Despite impressive
growth in this area, truly exponential growth, as well as major global
energy savings, await the development of LED technology for general
illumination. So national technology initiatives in the United States and
Japan are in the offing to accelerate technology development. ...
In 2000, the $585 million LED sign market accounted for 11% of the entire
US market for electronic signs, but the primary growth was in full-color
signs, which accounted for almost half the total LED sign market and grew
more than 30% over 1999. Traffic signal replacements grew by more than 100%
over 1999 to about 8% of the installed base in 2000, fueled in part by
electric utility subsidy programs targeting reduced energy consumption. Use
in automotive tail and signal lights jumped almost 20% over 2000, while
automotive instrument panel lighting use climbed 45%. Extremely rapid
growth in display backlighting last year was driven by a highly competitive
Japanese market. Production for mobile phones with full-color displays in
that market almost quintupled last year from 2 million to 9 million units. ..."
For the whole of this informative article see this year's April edition of
Laser Focus World and/or
http://lfw.pennwellnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=Articles&Subsect
ion=Display&ARTICLE_ID=97923
(If this rather long link doesn't work, cut the whole website address and
paste it into your browser, to access the article you may need to register
on the Laser Focus World website)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
á GALLIUM NEWS
"GALLIUM PRODUCERS RAMP UP CAPACITY TO COPE WITH EXPLOSIVE DEMAND"
(From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Volume 7 No. 3 (April 2001)
HEADLINE NEWS
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/7-3Final/CSAprHeadlineNews.htm)
"In response to sharp increases in demand, major gallium producers have
announced plans to increase capacity. GEO Gallium, the world's largest
extractor of virgin gallium metal, plan to increase their output by more
than four times in 2002. ...
Other new sources are coming on line as well. In recent months the
Ukrainian government has announced that its Mykolayiv aluminum plant will
increase their annual production of gallium from around 1.5 tons to 10
tons. Chinese sources are also increasing their output. Among the most
important is the Great Wall Aluminum Company, which has licensed Sumitomo
Chemical's gallium extraction technology. Great Wall plan to increase their
output from 6 tons to 20 tons in 2002. Sumitomo Chemical previously ran its
own gallium extraction operation in Japan, but it was rendered uneconomic
by the high cost of utilities in that country. ..."
For the whole of this article see From Compound Semiconductor Magazine
Volume 7 No. 3 (April 2001) HEADLINE NEWS and/or
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/7-3Final/CSAprHeadlineNews.htm
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
GALLIUM BASIC FACTS
For some interesting basic facts on Gallium including a description of its
appearance and properties see: http://www.amm.com/ref/gall.htm
(AMM.com is the international news service of American Metal Market, the
daily newspaper of the metals and recycling industries.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
á LAWSUIT NEWS
Are we coming to the end of the lawsuits?
"ROHM FILES MOTION TO WITHDRAW ITC COMPLAINT AGAINST NICHIA"
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR05150102.htm)
"Source: Nichia Corporation
May 15, 2001
Motion to Withdraw Filed Unexpectedly
Washington, DC. Nichia Corporation announced today that Kyoto-based Rohm
Co, Ltd, has filed a motion to withdraw its complaint against Nichia before
the United States International Trade Commission (ITC). The motion filed
should conclude the related ITC investigation where it was alleged that
certain Nichia parts infringed two U.S. patents.
"We believe the motion to withdraw removes any doubt that the ITC complaint
was frivolous and that manufacturers in the U.S. will have on-going access
to Nichia's LEDs," said Noboru Tazaki, Managing Director and General
Manager of Nichia's Optoelectronics Products Division. "This turn of events
also eliminates concern over the availability of violet and blue laser
diodes in the U.S., as Nichia is the world's only commercial supplier of
these parts." ...
In its response to the complaint, Nichia asserted defenses of
non-infringement, invalidity, and unenforceability of Rohm's U.S. patents.
Nichia also asserted antitrust defenses contending, among other things,
that Rohm had fabricated a domestic industry in order to obtain ITC
jurisdiction.
Rohm abruptly filed a motion to withdraw the complaint shortly after ITC
Administrative Law Judge Sidney Harris issued an order that would have
allowed Nichia to pursue a certain discovery that may have uncovered
evidence of antitrust and conspiracy by Rohm. The ITC investigation will
likely end about five months after Rohm filed the complaint and about ten
months prior to its forecasted final determination.
"It is unheard of that an ITC investigation is abandoned midway through the
process like this," said Mark A. Grant, Nichia's lead counsel. "Nichia
believes they would have proven that Rohm fabricated a domestic industry to
obtain ITC jurisdiction and knowingly asserted invalid and unenforceable
patents."
Grant added, "The complaint was noteworthy from the start. It is very rare
for the ITC to handle an investigation in which both parties are Japanese
companies." ITC investigations are conducted to determine whether domestic
industries are materially injured by imports that infringe U.S. patents. If
it finds that certain products infringe U.S. patents, the ITC may issue an
order preventing the continued importation of the infringing products." ...
For whole press release see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR05150102.htm
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CREE WINS FAVORABLE DECISION IN PATENT LITIGATION
(From
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR05150101.htm)
"Source: Cree
Tokyo District Court Dismisses Suit Filed by Nichia Corporation
May 15, 2001
Durham, NC. Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) today announced that the Tokyo
District Court has dismissed the lawsuit filed in December 1999 by Nichia
Corporation against Sumitomo Corporation, one of Cree's distributors in
Japan. Nichia alleged that certain Cree blue LED products infringe Japanese
Patent No. 2,918,139. The complaint was directed to the device structure
used in Cree's standard brightness blue LED products and sought an
injunction against sale of the products in Japan.
In its decision, handed down May 15, 2001 in Tokyo, a three-member panel of
judges found that the Cree products did not infringe the patent. Cree,
which had previously intervened in the case, argued that its products
utilize a structure fundamentally different from the structure disclosed in
the patent.
"The Tokyo District Court's decision represents a significant victory for
Cree," commented Neal Hunter, Cree's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
"We succeeded in defending our products in the case, and that success lends
further support to our long-standing belief that Cree's silicon
carbide-based LEDs differ in significant ways from LEDs produced by our
competitors." ..."
For the whole press release see:
http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/PressReleases/2001/PR05150101.htm
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"JUDGMENT RENDERED BY TOKYO HIGH COURT CONCERNING SUIT AGAINST TRIAL
DECISION FOR THE INVALIDATION OF SUBJECT PATENT RIGHT, IN THE CASE
DEMANDING INJUNCTIVE RELIEF AGAINST PATENT INFRINGEMENT, BROUGHT BY TOYODA
GOSEI AGAINST NICHIA CORPORATION"
(from
http://www.toyoda-gosei.co.jp/english/topics/010322.html)
March 22, 2001
"Toyoda Gosei and others brought a case before Tokyo High Court against the
"Trial Decision for the Invalidation of Subject Patent Rights" tendered by
the Japanese Patent Office concerning the following patent which is one of
the patents relating to gallium nitride based blue LED, which Toyoda Gosei
and others hold.
Tokyo High Court (Chief Judge: Shinohara) rendered a judgment on March 21,
2001 to annul the Trial Decision for the Subject Patent Invalidation, and
therefore, our assertions are justified.
This relates to one of the two cases concerning Subject Patent Rights,
brought before Tokyo District Court by Toyoda Gosei against Nichia
Corporation by demanding said injunctive relief against patent
infringement. As such, the hearing in said case has so far been suspended.
Now that the judgment was rendered to annul the aforesaid trial decision,
we demanded the hearing to be reopened.
1. Subject Rights
Patent No. 2737053: Patent concerning the layer structure of the gallium
nitride based compound semiconductor, having double-hetero structure LED
with non-dope light emitting layer.
á In the Trial Decision of Invalidation rendered on October 26, 1999 by the
Japanese Patent Office, the Subject Patent was held invalid, and Toyoda
Gosei brought a case before Tokyo High Court against the trial decision,
demanding the annulment of said trial decision.
2. Grounds for taking the action demanding the annulment of trial decision
[Contents of JPO's Trial Decision for the Invalidation]
á As regards the Buffer Layer, nothing other than AlN is described in the
original specification of the original application.
á The object and operation / working effect of the buffer layer is not
well-known or self-evident to the persons with ordinary skill in the art.
On the above grounds, the Japanese Patent Office rendered the decision for
the patent invalidation by considering the divisional application as
inappropriate.
[Assertions by Toyoda Gosei]
á There are descriptions regarding the Buffer Layer.
á Furthermore, the improved technology of GaN based compound semiconductor
in which such buffer layer is employed, was well-known or self-evident to
the persons with ordinary skill in the art at the time of the patent
application, since the technology was discovered by Prof. Akazaki and others.
Therefore, the trial decision is erroneous and thus it should be annulled.
3. Judgment of Tokyo High Court
á The buffer layer is well known and, the description of the buffer layer
can be deemed as if actually described. The trial decision, therefore, is
erroneous and accordingly is annulled.
4. Future Procedure:
á Based on the Tokyo High Court Judgment, hearing for reexamination shall
be held by the Japanese Patent Office for the trial decision of the
invalidation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
á NEWS ON THE COMPETION
"EXTRA LAYERS MAKE ZNTE QUANTUM-WELL STRUCTURE LASE IN GREEN"
(From
http://lfw.pennwellnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=Articles&Subsect
ion=Display&ARTICLE_ID=97889)
(If this rather long link doesn't work, cut the whole website address and
paste it into your browser, to access the article you may need to register
on the Laser Focus World website)
"Although robust and long-lived blue-output semiconductor lasers exist in
the form of gallium-nitride-based laser diodes, no practical green
equivalent has ever been developed despite much research. Scientists at
Tohoku University (Sendai, Japan) are working with a new material they
believe has potential for pure-green light-emitting devices. Quantum-well
(QW) structures based on zinc telluride (ZnTe), a wide-gap semiconductor,
are fabricated that contain some layers of ZnTe made into ternary and
quaternary compounds containing cadmium, magnesium, and selenium. In some
of these devices, the researchers have achieved room-temperature optically
pumped lasing.
The alloy composition and thickness of the QW layers are monitored during
growth by tracking high-energy electron diffraction intensity oscillations.
The QW structure contains 9-nm layers of ZnTe inserted between the QW and
cladding layers to reduce interface fluctuations such as interdiffusion,
thickness variations, and variations in composition. When optically pumped
at 355 nm, the QW structure shows bright intrinsic emission even under weak
excitation. When pumping is increased, lasing occurs at 552 nm. The high
threshold power of 215 kW/cm2 will be reduced by optimizing the laser
structure, say the researchers. Contact Jamaica Chang at
jamaica@imr.tohoku.ac.jp."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
á CONFERENCE NEWS
REPORT: Microscopy of Semiconducting Materials-MSM XII
A report by Maria Lada on the Microscopy of Semiconducting Materials-MSM
XII, held in Oxford, UK in March 2001 can be found at:
http://www.uknitrides.org/msm_report.htm
Lots of results were presented on nitrides!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PRELIMARY PROGRAM: ICNS-4
The preliminary program of ICNS-4 is available to download in pdf format
from:
http://www.mrs.org/meetings/icns-4/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ANNOUNCEMENT:
***CS-MAX - Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing Expo
***Boston, MA July 9-11, 2001
CS-MAX - the Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing Expo - is the first
conference dedicated to high volume manufacturing of all types of
commercially significant compound semiconductor devices. To be held in
Boston, MA July 9-11
For information see: http://www.cs-max.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Well that's all folks! Please send me news or any interesting articles or
links for the next Newsletter. If you would like your job vacancy to appear
in the next Newsletter please contact me for costs.
Carol
Carol Trager-Cowan
Semiconductor Spectroscopy and Devices Group
Department of Physics and Applied Physics
University of Strathclyde
John Anderson Building
107 Rottenrow
Glasgow
G4 0NG
Scotland
UK
Tel +44 (0)141 548 3465
Fax +44 (0)141 552 2891
E-mail cacs19@strath.ac.uk
posted by Carol Trager-Cowan 5:34 AM
