STMicroelectronics announced that its FlightSense Time-of-Flight (ToF) technology has been adopted by Aura Aware, a Dutch startup company to develop a social distance maintaining device for preventing disease transmission. Time-of-Flight sensors transmit photons and then calculate distance to the target based on the time it takes for the reflected photons to be received back by the sensor. Moreover, ranging accuracy is unaffected by surface characteristics of the target, such as clothing color or skin reflectivity, of the target, making FlightSense ideal for helping peopl...

Apart from helping to improve eyesight, LED light is now used to restore hearing, according to a new study conducted by University of Göttingen, Germany. The scientists created an optical cochlear implant based on LED lights that can safely and partially restore the sensation of hearing in deaf rats and gerbils. Their design's light-based approach allowed it to deliver more accurate and pinpointed signals to auditory nerves compared with current implants based on electricity, which often suffer from poor sound quality. The technology also offers some improvements ove...

Mini LED backlight display, featuring high brightness, contrast, reliability as well as longer lifetime, is regarded as a great competitor to OLED display, which is the current dominant display technology for high end consuming electronics. But higher production cost is still a pain point for Mini LED backlight display. From the viewpoint of the supply chain, driver ICs that control the local dimming zones of Mini LED backlight display could actually be a critical component to help reducing production cost. The increased production cost of Mini LED comes from the ...

Two recent researches of LiDAR introduced new solutions to improve the sensing technology. The study by University of Colorado Boulder described a new silicon ship without moving parts or electronics that enhances resolution and scanning speed for LiDAR sensor. In addition, researchers from Purdue University and École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) unveiled their development with FMCW LiDAR. For the research of Univerity of Colorado Boulder aims to develop small chip to replace existing big LiDAR system. The research t...

Ushio announced that it has commenced production of the latest high-powered short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) LEDs, which achieves the world’s highest output power and efficiency. Low-power chips are mounted in SMT packages and moulded type LEDs; while with 1 mm2 high-powered chips, the SWIR D-Series can be mounted in EDC, SMBB, and TO-66 packages. For the majority of wavelengths, a two-fold improvement of output and efficiency is attained; however, the high-power versions have ramped up their forward current to 1 A and gain a boost of up to four times...

ALLOS Semiconductors announced its collaboration with Prof. Ohkawa and his team at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) for realizing high efficiency nitride-based red LEDs on large diameter silicon substrates. The collaboration will focus on solving fundamental issues like the large lattice mismatch and the quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE) which limit the adoption of red nitride-based LEDs for practical industry usage. In particular, for the emerging field of Micro LED displays there is a strong demand to enable red LEDs on ...

Many leading LED companies across the world including Cree, Nichia and Osram see horticulture LED lighting a growing market with expanding applications. Apart from the well-known application of vertical farming supplementary lighting for greenhouses is also a major growing segment for horticulture LED lighting. A recent study published agriculture journal Agronomy demonstrated that LED lighting can improve yield and precocity of greenhouse tomatoes in the Mediterranean, where sunlight is considered sufficient comparing to other region. Researchers of the University o...

One critical issue of Micro LEDs is that their luminous efficiency decrease as their dimension shrink, leading to increasing problems in inspection and repair. Technology developers thus try to improve Micro LED efficiency at the phase of epitaxy wafer production. A group of researchers from UCSB, including Nobel winner Shuji Nakamura, recently published a paper describing the method of fabricating high performance InGaN Micro LED with epitaxial tunnel junctions (TJs Micro LEDs). Published in Optics Express, the paper, titled “Size-independent Low...

Researchers of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have been working on improve efficiency of red Micro LEDs and they recently announced the achievement of manufacturing stable red Micro LED based on InGaN. (Image: KAUST) A major challenge facing the development of Micro LEDs is to integrate red, green and blue light into a single LED chip. Current RGB LEDs are made by combining two kinds of materials with InGaP red LEDs and InGaN blue and green LEDs. "Creating RGB displays requires the mass transfer...

LG Electronics released its preliminary earnings results for the second quarter of 2020. The Korean company posted tentative consolidated revenue of KRW 12.8 trillion (US$ 10.64 billion) in the second quarter of 2020 with an operating profit of KRW 493.1 billion (US$ 409.77 billion). (Image: LG) Comparing to the number last year, LG said the sales of 2Q20 is expected to drop by 17.9% and operating income also decreased by 24.4% YoY. Comparing to the previous quarter, 2Q20 revenue would decrease by 13% and operating profit down by 54.76%. In 1Q20, LG bro...

LED applications covering lighting and disinfection have become crucial technologies to support people’s safety when COVID-19 is still posing a threat globally. During the pandemic, technology builders continue to enhance applications and create new possibility to leverage the functions of LEDs aiming to provide safer environments for people. Enlighted, a IoT platform provider, added workplace digital contact tracing application to its IoT platform to help employees return safely to manufacturing facilities, pharmaceutical labs, offices and more. The application pr...

A research team led by Shin-Tson Wu, Professor from the College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, USA, conducted a comprehensive analysis on the current display technologies: LCD, OLED, Mini LED and Micro LED. The researchers analyze the performance of self-emitting Mini LED, Micro LED and OLED display, as well as Mini LED backlit LCD, evaluating the power consumption and ambient contrast ratio of each display in depth and systematically compared the dynamic range, motion picture response time, color gamut, and adaptabili...

MaxLite has filed petitions for inter partes review (IPR) aiming to invalidate the patents of Jiaxing Super Lighting to fight against the Chinese company’s accusing of patent infringement. MaxLite provided an update on the status of the pending lawsuit. (Image: MaxLite) In May 2019, Super Lighting filed a patent infringement lawsuit against MaxLite, accusing MaxLite of infringing several Super Lighting’s US patents. In response, MaxLite filed petitions for IPR before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United States Pat...

As COVID-19 sweeping across the world, most large scale activities have been cancelled, rescheduled or moved online. So are the fashion events. Milano Fashion Week is now hosted entirely online from July 14 to 17 and people in the city can see the shows on the large LED signage provided by Samsung hanging on Duomo Cathedral. (Image: Samsung) By moving the showcase online, the organizer of the event, the National Chamber of Italian Fashion and Urban Vision, streaming partner of the Milano Digital Fashion Week, hopes to offer fans of fashion and design a sen...

We have now learned that COVID-19 is transmitted through droplets or surfaces contact of the infected individuals. As a result, wearing mask and intensifying disinfection are considered effective ways to prevent infection. Combining above two solutions, a UVC LED embedded mask was developed and raised more than US$ 1 million on a crowdfunding platform. (Image: UM System) The product, named UVMask, was launched by UM System, a subsidiary of Measure Inc. focusing on optical and bio-technology, on June 25, 2020. According to UM System, UVMask is a reus...

Since many places have ended lockdowns and return to usual life but the threat of COVID-19 continues, it is important to maintain social distance and intensify disinfection in public areas. UV light disinfection, which has been a popular application ever since the beginning of COVID-19 outbreak, is now supported by scientists as an effective solution to prevent COVID-19 transmission for indoor environment. A study recently published in ACS Nano by experts in the fields of virology, immunology, aerosols, architecture, and physics, have surveyed the possible methods t...

LiDAR sensor developer Quanergy Systems shared that its new generation QORTEX People Counter solution can deliver over 98% accuracy from pitch dark or indoor to very bright lighting conditions in full sun light. By combining the system with Quanergy’s LiDAR product, a wide range of flow management can be deployed to enhance security and safety in public areas especially at the critical time of reopen. According Quanergy, QORTEX People Counter provides information about the flow and number of people in retail stores, public transportation centers, stadiu...

A new study reveals how outdoor artificial lighting at night links with sleep and mental disorder of adolescents. Researchers of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that teenagers who live in areas that have high levels of artificial light at night tend to get less sleep and are more likely to have a mood disorder comparing to teens who live in areas with low levels of night-time light. The research, titled “Association of Outdoor Artificial Light at Night with Mental Disorders and Sleep Patterns among US Adolescents,” was based on a cro...

GE Current and Pointr announced their partnership to leverage the edge of smart lighting based on IoT technology for safe reopens of large buildings. Especially at the time when COVID-19 still post threat to the communities. The smart lighting technology of GE Current combined with Pointr’s location-based services developed enhanced space management applications for retailers, warehouses and industrial premises. Through mobile devices, owners of buildings and public areas can understand the precise location of employees and visitors. (Image: GE Current) G...

The U.S.-based material supplier Coretec Group who focus on silicon-based materials utilizing Cyclohexasilane (CHS) development announced that it has filed a provisional patent with its CHS derived silicon. The provisional patent notes three LED applications that Coretec believes its CHS technology is suited for. The first application is the ability to create a cost-efficient, high intensity UV LED capable of killing COVID-19 and other microorganisms. As one of the existing challenges of UV LED is the limitation of reaching needed intensity light, C...

Self-driving technology startup Aurora announced its self-developed LiDAR sensor FirstLight LiDAR last week. The LiDAR sensor was tested on Aurora’s test vehicles to help the perception system to see and track objects farther, faster, and with greater precision. (Image: Aurora) Aurora acquired LiDAR company Blackmore last year eyeing the expertise of FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) technology. FMCW LiDAR delivers a constant stream of light and changes the frequency of that light at regular intervals. With the technology, Auro...

Vuzix, who focusing on smart glasses and AR technology, announced the recent granting of a series of patents and patents pending, focused on wearable computer and AR smart glasses. The company said that its patent portfolio has grown from 90 patents and patents pending to 166 over the last 36 months. Vuzix’ patent portfolio encompasses a range of IP including waveguides with holographic optics, laser and Micro LED display integration, fashion forward industrial designs and optics that support low cost single layer waveguides to multilayer large field of view solutions. ...

People usually only know that UV light is viable to kill bacteria and viruses, but they are not aware of the details about wavelength or ililluminance. For the manufacturers who had planned to end production of conventional lighting, this UVC trend for lamps become a big surprise. Take Signify for example, it is magnifying product categories and lines and invested UV lamp producer, GLA, in Netherland, indicating that the heat of UVC conventional lamp will not fade away in short. As a connector supplier, Amphenol LTW Technology has been collaborating with manufactur...

The COVID-19 pandemic has created severe impacts on the global economics. People around the world are getting used to a new lifestyle in response to the crisis as well. In order to prevent infection, UV technology applications are returning to the center of the industry. UVC, with the wavelengths between 200 – 280 nanometers (nm) and can deactivate bacteria and viruses, is gaining unprecedented attention in particular. In the past few months, the effects of UVC light on coronaviruses have been discussed and reported. LED manufactures also hurriedly devoted to UV...

SemiLEDs announced its financial results for the third quarter of its fiscal year 2020, ended May 31, 2020. The company posted revenues of US$1.6 million for the third quarter of FY 2020, which increased by 2% comparing to the previous quarter. GAAP net loss attributable to SemiLEDs stockholders for the third quarter of fiscal 2020 was $513 thousand, compared to a gain of $348 thousand in the second quarter of fiscal 2020, or a net loss of $0.14 per diluted share, compared to a net gain of $0.08 per diluted share for the second quarter of fiscal 2020. GAAP gross...

Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada reported that they have created a new method to transfer and bond Micro LEDs onto flexible substrate. The approach is called “paste-and-cut” by the researchers and can selectively transfer GaN Micro LED from sapphire substrate onto flexible platforms. The results were published at Nano Energy in July, 2020. The research team unveiled their achievement of using the novel “paste-and-cut” approach to transfer and bound GaN Micro LEDs onto flexible substrate with demonstrated effectiveness. T...

Taiwan based LED packager Everlight and LED chip manufacturer Epileds announced that they won a patent litigation against Seoul Semiconductor in Germany and the Korean company’s patent was ruled invalid. On March 14, 2018, the patent litigation strategy alliance of Everlight and Epiled filed a nullity action against Seoul Semiconductor in the German Federal Patent Court. The party claimed that Seoul’s Europe patent EP1697983 (German patent DE60341314.5) should be invalid. The patent-in-suit is related to the surface roughness technology of verti...

Instrument Systems of the Konica Minolta Group introduces a camera-based measurement solution for Micro LED wafer testing that generates 2-dimensional, pixel-resolved optical analyses within given cycle times. The LumiTop 4000 has a resolution of 12 MP and can detect the smallest of defects and inhomogeneities on the wafer. Thanks to a 100 mm macro lens, the camera enables fast parallel inline analysis of all Micro LEDs on a wafer at a single test station. Micro LEDs are renowned for being an exacting new display technology. According to the latest definition of L...

Samsung plans to debut its Micro LED TV, The Wall, in the second half of 2020. However, TheElec, a Korea electronics industry media, reported that Samsung might not be able to follow its schedule as it has yet begun production necessary component by now. Samsung revealed its Micro LED TV lineup at CES 2020, among which, the 75-inch, 88-inch, 93-inch and 110-inch TVs were anticipated to launch in the market of Europe, North America and the Middle East in 2020. (Image: Samsung) TheElec quoted information from its sources that, at the moment in July,...

A research team from South Korea developed a new method to power medical implants using active photonic wireless system incorporating Micro LED that can be attached on skin and a photovoltaic device that integrated with medical implant. Medical implants such as pacemakers help to monitor and regulate physical condition of people to support efficient medical treatment. These devices usually need a constant source of energy to operate, resulting in issues of power supply. Batteries and wired power also create limitation for applications. For example, when battery power gets exhau...