business LEDs
rhombus4
The leading Japanese manufacturers
of LED-backlit TVs - Sharp, Sony and
Panasonic - do not have any internal
LED production, and Steele believes
that they are likely to use the
domestic supplier Nichia, and
possibly the European chipmaker
Osram. There are also manufacturers
of LED-backlit LCD panels in Taiwan,
such as AU Optronics and Chi Mei.
Steele says that both of these
companies are gearing up to have
large internal chip capacities, while
buying chips from outside suppliers
in the near term.
The LED-based TV is destined for
market dominance, but will it enjoy a
long reign at the top? Absolutely,
says Steele, who can see substantial
weaknesses in the alternatives. He
expects interest in projection TVs -
whether they are based on lasers or
Samsung is architecture that substantially cuts manufacturers capable of producing LEDs - to decline, and says that
leading the the number of LEDs in the backlight. state-of-the-art LEDs. And it is an plasma TVs are in trouble. Although
growth of LED According to Steele, backlighting attractive market to be in, because they offer an excellent picture, they
backlit TVs, and with a two dimensional array of LEDs Steele says that it should offer are “energy hogs”.
it could sell up directly behind the screen requires reasonable profit margins to
to 2 million of 1,000 to 2,000 devices, while side chip makers and LED packaging CCFLs are fighting back: they are
these sets in illumination uses several hundred. firms. able to produce a wider color gamut
2009 However, these need to be more than in the past; prices are coming
powerful, and in this case the LEDs LED-backlit TV manufacturers such down; and some CCFL-backlit LCD
are driven at 50-60 mA, as opposed as Samsung and LG can produce TV panels have been demonstrated
to 20 mA for LEDs in a two- LEDs in house, and they are looking with widths of just 14 mm. However,
dimensional array. to increase their internal capacity. Steele says these advances are still
Samsung reportedly plans to order not enough to prevent the meteoric
The very high LED content in both 100 MOCVD reactors over the next rise of the LED-backlit TV. CCFLs
backlighting architectures leads few years, and LG will add an have already given way to LEDs in
Steele to estimate that this market additional 50. laptops, and he believes that there is
will consume 46 billion devices in no reason whatsoever why the same
2013, a staggering number that will However, these companies will will not happen with TVs.
put tremendous pressure on global also use additional sources for
chip-making capacity. Predicting LED chips, according to Steele. If he’s right, this is fantastic news for
which LED chipmakers will benefit Samsung currently orders LED LED chipmakers and all of their
the most from this explosion is tricky, chips mainly from Epistar in Taiwan, associated material and tool
partly because some TV makers can and also from Formosa Epitaxy suppliers – although the credit
also manufacture their own chips. In and Seoul Semiconductor, all of crunch is biting very hard, the
addition, the drive currents are low which are running at full capacity. opportunity for substantial growth is
and sophisticated packaging LG buys chips primarily from Cree, on the horizon, and this business
approaches are not required, so this and it may also be placing orders should be a healthy one for many
market is not limited to those with Seoul Semiconductor. years to come.
Steele estimates that the LED TV market
will consume 46 billion LEDs in 2013
40
www.compoundsemiconductor.net October 2009
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