Business briefs

04 Jun 2004

Including news from Nichia, Toyoda Gosei, Synrad and more.

General news:

•  Nichia of Japan has agreed a settlement with Optronics of the US. Nichia claimed that the Taiwanese white LEDs used in Optronics’ products infringed at least one of its US patents. Optronics has agreed to purchase Nichia’s white LEDs and brand all of its new products with a Nichia label to show the origin of the LEDs.

•  Toyoda Gosei of Japan is establishing a second production base for its gallium-nitride LEDs. The new Kyushu plant in Takeo City, Saga Prefecture, is scheduled to begin production in May 2005. Monthly capacity is expected to reach 200 million chips by 2006. The firm’s capital investment in the facility will total ¥1.6 billion in 2004, ¥7 billion in 2005, and ¥7 billion in 2006.

•  Luxell Technologies of Canada has granted Hyundai LCD of Korea a non-exclusive production license covering Luxell’s Black Layer contrast enhancement technology. Hyundai plans to use this know-how in its organic light-emitting diode display panels. Hyundai will pay technology transfer fees and on-going royalties to Luxell based on sales of display panels.

•  The German government is funding a joint research project on thin-film organic solar cells. The project will see researchers at the Hahn-Meitner-Institute team up with organic-chemical supplier Covian Organic Semiconductors and optoelectronic fabrication kit maker Aixtron . The team’s first thin-film solar cells are said to have a conversion efficiency of 5%.

Distribution agreements:

•  Synrad, US, has chosen Laser 2000 of the Netherlands to handle the distribution of its 10 – 400 W sealed carbon dioxide lasers and its FH series of marking heads. The deal covers the Benelux region of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

•  Modulight has signed an agreement to supply fellow Finnish firm Vaisala with specialized laser diodes. Vaisala plans to use the diodes in a range of new products for meteorological applications.

•  Applied Image has signed an exclusive worldwide distribution agreement with fellow US firm SINE Patterns. Applied Image is a group of companies specializing in a range of technologies including plastic optics, microscopy, micro-optics and thin-film coatings. Sine supplies sinusoidal patterns as photographic images for applications including moiré contouring and reliable MTF evaluation. It also produces photomasks and glass reticles.