Bridgelux Inc., a leading supplier of energy-saving LED technology for high-volume, solid-state lighting markets, announced the award of a U.S. patent for its surface mountable chip (SMC) LED design.

The Bridgelux SMC LED design will enable manufacturers to bond the chip directly onto the printed circuit board (PCB), eliminating the need for an additional substrate or traditional LED package. The company says that its chip design provides a high flux density LED with an ultra small footprint and thin profile. It reportedly allows the ability to closely pack multiple chips together for increased performance in applications with limited space such as camera flash, LCD display backlighting and general or specialty lighting applications. The design of this chip also has a flat surface for direct deposition of a phosphor layer on the LED die.

"This new patent award demonstrates Bridgelux's focus on driving innovation in core technologies to improve performance and reduce the cost of our lighting technologies," noted Bridgelux's director of R&D, Steve Lester. "The company is aggressively adding to its intellectual property (IP) portfolio. Bridgelux, currently, has over 75 patents filed in the U.S. and over 130 patent applications filed worldwide. Bridgelux's investments in MOCVD and chip design enable the Company to continue to innovate and deliver the right quality and quantity of light for specific SSL applications."

Bridgelux intends to manufacture LED chips using its SMC design at the Company's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Sunnyvale, Calif., or where appropriate, through one of its manufacturing partners.