Cree and Philips Sign LED Patent Cross-License Agreement

[saabluster]

OK this is big folks.

"Cree, Inc. and Philips have signed a comprehensive, worldwide patent cross-license agreement designed to further accelerate the growth of the LED lighting market. "

This puts Nichia, which I feel has been both companies biggest competition, in a more difficult situation with both Cree and Philips able to freely use one anothers patents.

This is extremely good for us as the consumers though and is what I would have liked to have seen some time ago.

 

[Curt R]

Thanks for the heads up. The Cree rep was here two weeks ago but didn't mention anything about that.
It looks like they are dividing into camps with Seoul and Nichia on one side and Cree and Philips on another.

With everyone else playing second fiddle. :nana:

Curt

 

[jtr1962]

Excellent. Between Cree's die technology and Philip's phosphor processes we should have some really nice LEDs in the near future. In my opinion this combination will cater to the strengths of both of these companies.

 

[Th232]

Looking forward to seeing what comes out of this.

Maybe finally we'll get some high CRI Crees, hopefully high CCT as well.

 

[spencer]

This is great for the consumer in the short run but may end up hurting us in the long run if Nichia goes under because they can't keep up.

 

[Curt R]

Nichia is still number one in the world production and they have the Seoul technology for the Acriche LEDs.
They can be driven directly from 120 or 240 AC, 50 or 60 Hz house type voltage without extra power supply
devices. That is the big world market for LEDs in the near future. Street lamps, automotive head lamps, industrial
lighting and the list goes on and on. Our little world of flashlights is really quite minor. So not to worry.

Nichia and Seoul signed a similar agreement over a year ago.

Curt

 

[saabluster]

This is great for the consumer in the short run but may end up hurting us in the long run if Nichia goes under because they can't keep up.

I find that scenario unlikely. Nichia has very strong patents and they defend them. I would have rather have seen Nichia and Cree together myself as I don't see Lumileds as bringing as much to the table as Nichia could but there are definitely some good things that could happen with this cooperation.

To be honest Nichia is the best LED manufacturer certain areas of the business. The Lumileds/Cree patent swap is not going to make things that much more difficult for Nichia.

 

[Curt R]

There are a couple of things that we do not normally think of when discussing the merits of an LED.
One is the thermal response of the chemical phosphor of a white LED. Another is the fact that Philips is
based in an EU member country and has automatic entry for Cree licensed products that would generate
royalties for Cree.

Curt

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

I would have rather have seen Nichia and Cree together myself as I don't see Lumileds as bringing as much to the table as Nichia

+1. Lumileds is coming out with interesting phosphors, but Nichia is trying to advance the actual light emitter. They are great at making the 405nm laser diodes and I'm pretty sure that the new GaN based 1W 445nm laser diode that everybody's raving about is a Nichia product as well.

To be honest Nichia is the best LED manufacturer certain areas of the business.

"You know, LED, we're much the same, you and I," remarked the short visible wavelength high-output laser diode, as he takes a white LED for a walk.

 

[HarryN]

The history of this is pretty long, but basically Nichia, Osram, Lumileds and Cree are more or less cross licensed and avoid suing each other to keep from destroying the industry. There are so many patents, that they would otherwise all spend their lives in court.

The second tier Taiwan suppliers, which more or less "obtained" their LED technology from "at least one of them" are forced to pay a small royalty fee. This is pretty common in the semiconductor industry in general, not just LEDs.

While LEDs and short wavelength lasers are in fact "brothers" so to speak, the differences are non trivial in practice.

 

[thepaan]

The World's Best Gallium Nitride

Interesting article I read today. Nichea sponsored them and so partially owns their intellectual property. Could this mean higher quality LEDs at lower costs in the near future?

http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/materials/the-worlds-best-gallium-nitride/0

 

[slebans]

Re: The World's Best Gallium Nitride

Interesting article I read today. Nichea sponsored them and so partially owns their intellectual property. Could this mean higher quality LEDs at lower costs in the near future?

http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/materials/the-worlds-best-gallium-nitride/0

I think the fact that newly installed MOCVD equipment in 2010 is expected to reach 662 units - a number roughly equal to the total number of units installed for the previous three years - will lead to lower LED prices in the near term.

Stephen Lebans

 

[saabluster]

Re: The World's Best Gallium Nitride

Interesting article I read today. Nichea sponsored them and so partially owns their intellectual property. Could this mean higher quality LEDs at lower costs in the near future?

http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/materials/the-worlds-best-gallium-nitride/0

That was a good read. Thanks for posting that.

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

+1, amazing read!

I now understand what they meant when they said that growing lasers on semi or non polar planes of GaN is hard to do.

 

[thepaan]

With the cross-license agreement, I'm wondering if Cree and Phillips knew about Nichea's little secret. Maybe it is their way of trying to stay competitive.

 

[carrot]

I wonder who benefits the most?

 

[easilyled]

Where does Luminus fit in, in the grander scheme?

I heard they were in financial trouble, but their products so far have been impressive. (ie. SST50/90)

Will they be bought out by one of Cree/Lumileds/Nichia/Seoul?

 

[MichaelW]

A 'big rebel', xp-g

Higher output PC amber, yeah!