3月LED產業觀察(LED Observer Monthly MAR09, The Consquence) -- 連鎖反應
國外篇
2009MAR03 SemiLEDs and Nichia settle LED patent dispute
[綜合外電報導]
日亞化與位於美國的Semi-Photonics(為旭明光電,SemiLEDs,子公司)在大阪地方法院對案號No. Hei 19(wa)10399的專利訴訟案達成和解。和解的同時，Semi-Photonics也同時撤銷了對日亞化的其他法律訴訟。
旭明光電所開發的垂直型金屬基層(metal vertical photon, Mvp)產品，係使用由旭明所開發獨一且具有專利保護的技術，利用有彈性的銅金屬合金來作為LED熱傳導與電傳導的技術。
上個月日亞化才與韓國的首爾半導體達成在美國，德國，日本，英國與韓國境內，所有專利訴訟案與其他民事法律訴訟案和解。日亞化與韓國的首爾半導體的和解同時也包含了一項LED與雷射二極體技術的交叉授權協議，雙方可以使用彼此的專利技術。
小結
Nichia與旭明的和解是Nichia與首爾半導體和解的二部曲。第一個想法是 這對下游有利，因為下游的封裝商多了一個確定無專利風險的LED 晶粒來源。系統商則多了一個LED 元件的來源 Seoul Semi (有自己的晶粒來源 Seoul Optronics)，可是這兩個發展都是不利於上游的晶電。
又光寶已經在2008年直接投資SemiLEDs，我認為光寶未來在高亮度 LED 封裝產品應該會有更好的產品與發展機會。
國內篇
在國外的LED巨擘日亞化減少專利訴訟，增加產品銷售的管道的同時，國內的LED廠商也傳來了好的消息。就是OSRAM與億光達成專利交互授權。不過看這一則新聞，卻有讓我納悶的地方。我把兩家公司的公告都把它貼出來，大家一起看看吧！
Osram 公告 Seimens News Release
OSRAM (Germany) extended the existing license with Everlight Electronics Co. Ltd (Taiwan), about manufacturing and sales of white and coloured LEDs with conversion technology for all applications. These patents are owned by OSRAM. In return Everlight granted to OSRAM a license to use housing patents of Everlight. This agreement paves the way for a closer cooperation between the two companies.
The licensed conversion technology was developed by the OSRAM subsidiary Opto Semiconductors. It enables the production of white or coloured LEDs using blue emitting InGaN (Indium Gallium Nitride) based chips and suitable fluorescent converters. With the agreement signed today the existing license agreement (September 2003) is extended - especially the right for Everlight to use this OSRAM intellectual property in all areas of application without limitations, including automotive and general lighting. In addition the parties agreed on a crosslicense which allows OSRAM to use Everlight´s housing patents.
Dr. Rüdiger Müller, CEO of OSRAM Opto Semiconductors: “Over the years, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors has built up a very strong patent position. It is the foundation of our market success.” “Today´s agreement is a perfect example for a productive and fair collaboration. But we will also continue to vigorously enforce our patent rights against companies making unauthorized use of our intellectual property”, stated Gerd Pokorny, General Counsel of OSRAM GmbH and explained:”The strength of our LED patents has been confirmed by many court rulings in various jurisdictions. Just most recently the High Court of Appeal in Beijing reconfirmed the decision of the Beijing Second Intermediate Court, that LEDs manufactured by the Taiwanese manufacturer Kingbright in China, infringes OSRAM's conversion patents.” OSRAM has signed royalty bearing license agreements with various companies – for example with: Rohm, Seoul Semiconductor, Lite-On. Harvatek, Vishay, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, AVAGO and many more.
億光公告
日 期：2009年03月26日
上市公司：億光 (2393)
主 旨：億光電子與德國歐斯朗簽署專利交叉授權協定
說 明：
1.事實發生日:98/03/25
2.公司名稱:億光電子工業股份有限公司
3.與公司關係(請輸入本公司或聯屬公司):本公司
4.相互持股比例:不適用
5.發生緣由:
億光電子和德國歐斯朗公司簽署了一項非獨有的專利交叉授權協定，此協定將允許雙方（含旗下全資子公司）於特定領域使用彼此的LED專利技術。
自2003年9月起，億光電子便與歐斯朗針對部份應用，達成白光及有色光LED轉換技術的專利授權協定。近期，億光電子與歐斯朗重新檢視原始授權的內容與條件，最終雙方達成新的專利交叉授權共識。除了將延伸2003年歐斯朗授予億光電子的專利至全部的應用領域（含汽車和一般照明）外，且同意歐斯朗亦可使用億光的LED封裝專利。雙方將可在避免觸及彼此專利下開發和製造LED相關產品。
在新協定之下，客戶在各區域使用億光LED產品時，不論是何種應用，皆不會有觸及歐斯朗專利的疑慮。在簽訂專利交叉授權協定的同時，億光電子進一步與歐斯朗簽訂了代工協定。未來億光將會提供歐斯朗在某些特定LED產品的代工服務。並期許雙方未來成為不可或缺的商業聯盟夥伴。關於上述兩項協定中的其他細項內容，因對雙方財務資訊並無影響，因此將不予揭露。
目前，億光電子在全球與LED產業相關的學術機構、實驗室及廠商簽訂眾多專利授權與策略聯盟協定，累計全球已持有1021項的LED相關獲証和申請中的專利，未來，億光電子將持續投資在研發上，以鞏固和增強自身專利實力，並對綠色節能產業貢獻更多心力。
到底億光是要說給誰聽的呢?
發表文章
6 則留言:
公關稿，SemiLEDs 試製成功 6-inch sapphire wafers
http://compoundsemiconductor.net/blog/2009/04/aixtron_and_semileds_claim_fir.html
三星的LED灯珠有获得日亚授权吗？
我認為是有的，但是我無法證實。這個問題這要問三星的產品經理了吧。請參考我曾經轉載過一篇Korea Times的文章(http://3fire.blogspot.com/2007/05/4led.html?showComment=1215766560000#c6916752482851056901)，韓國人說，三星與LGE佔了Nichia 30%的營收。
SemiLEDs 六吋製程比較重要的部份。
http://compoundsemiconductor.net/cws/article/news/38972
Collaboration with Aixtron shows promise, but sapphire substrate prices must fall below $300 for volume production to become feasible.
But despite the joint effort's promising results and significant yield benefits, SemiLEDs does not currently have any plans to upgrade its Taiwan production lines to the larger format.
“The price of 6-inch would have to drop down to about $300 per wafer to be attractive,” he told compoundsemiconductor.net.
Tran indicated that the 6-inch sapphire substrate market is still in an early stage. SemiLEDs will have to work hard with suppliers to guarantee enough wafers of sufficient quality to use in production.
As SemiLEDs' production process involves removing the sapphire layer and replacing it with a copper substrate, Tran suggests that his company could recycle substrates to help solve this issue.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the first LEDs produced on a 1000 µm-thick 6-inch substrate are not up to the standard of the 4-inch GaN-on-sapphire wafers that SemiLEDs produces in large volumes.
“Characteristics of devices from 4-inch wafers are better than those from 6-inch, however I don't see why we cannot improve further,” Tran said.
The Aachen, Germany, based company does however point out that larger wafers show a tendency to bow that must be controlled.
Changing the AIX 2800 G4 from 42 x 2-inch wafers to 6 x 6-inch increases the total substrate surface area it can accommodate by approximately 30 percent. Furthermore, the proportion of the overall area at the edges of the wafers, which tends to produce fewer good die, is much lower with larger wafers.
SemiLEDs推出不錯的HB LED喔
http://www.semileds.com/20091109-SemiLEDs%20Introduces%20the%20New%20I-core.html
The results of the IC™ LED have been impressive as an optimized white light package, 40 mil I-core™ chip can deliver 120 lm/W, a significant improvement over its previous version.
SemiLEDs 在廣東佛山落腳，大陸官方很會砸錢啊!!
http://www.chinaknowledge.com/Newswires/News_Detail.aspx?type=1&NewsID=31782
The plant facilities, which will have an area of 100 Mu and is expected to be complete by the end of 2013,
An official of Nanhai District said that the local government has set aside RMB 1 billion to RMB 2 billion to support the LED market.
In 2009, Foshan's LED output value amounted to more than RMB 10 billion. At the end of last year, the city had more than 400 LED-related firms and five research and development centers.
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