16 Dec 2005
Including news from Boeing, Toshiba, Cynosure, AIXTRON and Lumileds and more.
• The US aircraft maker Boeing says that is has completed a series of tests of the airborne laser (ABL) - a Boeing 747 aircraft featuring a high-energy Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser. During the ground-based tests lasing duration and power were demonstrated at levels suitable for the destruction of ballistic missiles. “Proving the capability of this laser to operate at lethal levels of power and duration moves the system a step closer to becoming a vital component of the nation’s boost phase defense against ballistic missile threat,” said Pat Shanahan, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems.
• The United States International Trade Commission has decided to investigate Lumileds Lighting complaint of patent infringement by Epistar Corporation and United Epitaxy Co., Ltd (UEC). The compliant accuses Epistar’s omnidirectional mirror adhesion (OMA) AlGaInP LED products and UEC’s metal bond (MB) and glue bond (GB) AlGaInP LED products of infringing one or more of Lumileds’ patents. Lumileds is seeking an exclusion order barring entry into the US of the accused LEDs.
• Citizen Watch Co., Ltd claims to have fabricated the world’s first flexible clock based on electronic paper display supplied by the US firm E INK. According to Citizen, the person-sized clock has a thickness of 3.0mm, a weight of 1.5 kg and a battery life that is 20 times longer than conventional digital clocks.
• AIXTRON, the German supplier of semiconductor fabrication equipment has sold an MOCVD system to Rainbow Opto of China. The Shanghai based firm will use the gallium nitride (GaN) epitaxy reactor to manufacture blue LEDs. The order gives Rainbow one of the largest GaN LED capacity facilities in China.
• Cynosure, a US developer of light source based medical equipment has completed an initial public offering (IPO) on the NASDAQ. 5,000,000 shares in the firm were sold at an initial price of $15 per share. Cynosure was founded in 1991 and has developed aesthetic treatment systems for removing hair, rejuvenating skin and treating vascular legions.
• Toshiba says that it has completed the design of blue laser diode based HD DVD players and is planning to launch them in the US in the first quarter of 2006. The Japanese electronics firm is now preparing for volume production at its manufacturing facilities in Japan.
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