Plessey today announced a further ambitious move to aligning its operations to its expanding Plymouth UK facility through the addition of an LED assembly line. The assembly line will enable Plessey to focus on its innovative high brightness LED growth plans based around its solid-state lighting and sensing business, taking new products from concept to production in less time whilst also functioning as an innovation center for the next generation of LED packages.

The Plessey bespoke assembly line utilizes a laser saw process and finishes with an automatic test for industry standard PLCC (Plastic, Leadless Chip Carrier) packages. The line includes die attach, wire bonding, phosphor mixing, encapsulation and singulation, in addition to all the other industry-standard, supporting equipment and processes.  Designed specifically around speed and flexibility, the line will provide customers with engineering samples for evaluation and pilot builds ahead of full production.

Plessey's  PLCC (Plastic, Leadless Chip Carrier) packages. (All photos courtesy of Plessey)

Mike Snaith, Plessey's Operations Director stated that, "The industrialization of GaN-on-Silicon LED technology does not end at producing wafers - it also requires as much attention to the back-end processing to ensure that all the benefits we make at wafer level are fully realized in the final product. This is the best way to provide customers with the LED products they need."

Plessey's Plymouth facility is already demonstrating returns for this transition, enabling it to build working samples of complete in-house filament prototypes for the new market of LED filament replacement bulbs. The filament prototypes use a dedicated die and assembly, all of which is designed and manufactured within the facility.

Plessey's PLCC production line at Plymouth facility in UK.

Dr. Keith Strickland, Plessey's Chief Technology Officer, added, "The fact that we are recruiting recognized industry shapers from the world of solid-state lighting is a tangible endorsement that the Plessey value proposition is both exciting and credible."

The facility brings additional benefit with wafer sawing and going forward, new LED packaging standards will be established to match the benefits made at wafer level. Plessey's assembly line investment is the start of this cycle of innovation where a revision of the value chain for LEDs and solid-state lighting is taking place.

Plessey's MaGIC™ (Manufactured on GaN-on-Si I/C) High Brightness LED (HBLED) technology has won numerous awards for its innovation and ability to cut the cost of LED lighting by using standard silicon manufacturing techniques. Plessey's range of products for lighting applications will be showcased at LuxLive, ExCel London, 19-20 November, Stand D31.  

For further information please visit the Plessey website, www.plesseysemiconductors.com or send an email to enquiries@plesseysemi.com