Epistar Corporation, Taiwan’s largest LED epiwafer and chip maker has entered into a strategic equity investment and license agreement with Lynk Labs Inc., the leading supplier of AC LED device, light engine and power supply technology. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Lynk Labs has been building an LED technology patent and product portfolio since 2002 with a focus on AC LED technology. The portfolio includes fundamental core AC LED circuits that can be integrated at the chip level as well as drive methods and product or system level solutions. With over 50 patents filed to date and granted with the company’s first U.S. Patent, No. 7,489,086 entitled “AC light emitting diode and AC LED drive methods and apparatus" early this year, Lynk will soon be announcing more approvals in major international markets.

In March 2009, Epistar announced plans to enter the AC LED market with single-chip AC LED technology. The company has been developing AC LED chips since 2004 and has also filed more than 10 patent applications in related fields. Last year, Epistar obtained a patent license from ITRI, the Taiwan-based Industrial Technology Research Institute also developing chip-level advancements in AC LED technology.

Through this strategic partnership, Epistar and Lynk will be sharing and leveraging technology, expertise from both companies to develop new AC LED technology, and IP and products including single-chip and system level solutions for the lighting industry according to Lynk Labs.