Toshiba Makes Equity Investment in Bridgelux
Toshiba, a world-leading semiconductor manufacturer, has made an equity investment in Bridgelux, leading developer and promoter of LED lighting technologies and solutions, with the intent to jointly pursue an innovative technology in the solid state lighting (SSL) space. This investment will further advance both companies’ efforts in the SSL industry, with the view to boost Bridgelux’s GaN-on-Silicon LED chip technology development efforts based on Toshiba’s advanced silicon process and manufacturing technology development efforts.
Just months after they engaged in a joint collaborative agreement earlier this year, Bridgelux and Toshiba announced that that have achieved the industry’s top class 8″ GaN-on-silicon LED chip emitting 614mW, < 3.1V @ 350mA with 1.1mm square chip. Bridgelux and Toshiba will further accelerate their development efforts for LED chips, which have seen increasing demand in LCD panels and LED lighting systems worldwide.
“Toshiba and Bridgelux have already been engaged in the development of the technology, and the equity investment brings both companies one step closer to a more strategic relationship and achieving our shared goal of driving down the cost of solid state solutions for the general lighting market,” said Bill Watkins, Bridgelux chief executive officer.
“We are pleased to achieve the best-reported 8″ GaN-on-Silicon LED performance through our joint development activities with Bridgelux. We will continue to pursue more advanced development targeting commercialization of the technology,” said Makoto Hideshima, executive vice president of Semiconductor and Storage Products Company and corporate vice president of Toshiba.
The collaborators
Toshiba is a world leader and innovator in pioneering high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products spanning digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; power systems, including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 490 companies, with 203,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing 6.3 trillion yen (US$77 billion). For more information about the company, visit www.toshiba.co.jp.
Bridgelux is a leading developer and manufacturer of technologies and solutions transforming the $40 billion global lighting industry into a $100 billion market opportunity. Based in Livermore, California, Bridgelux is expanding the market for light-emitting diode (LED) technologies by driving down the cost of LED lighting systems. Bridgelux’s patented light source technology replaces traditional technologies (such as incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, and high intensity discharge lighting) with integrated, solid state lighting solutions that enable lamp and luminaire manufacturers to provide high performance and energy-efficient white light for the rapidly growing interior and exterior lighting markets, including street lights, commercial lighting, and consumer applications. With more than 600 patent applications filed or granted worldwide, Bridgelux is the only vertically integrated LED manufacturer and developer of solid state light sources that designs its solutions specifically for the lighting industry.
Source: www.bridgelux.com