Several years have passed since the launch of blue LEDs, and LEDs have been adopted for the three applications introduced in the previous post (traffic signal/display/scanner). Large screen display systems, which had been used mainly outdoors, have expanded to include large-sized displays used in stadiums to small, high-definition versions for advertising, such as those installed in buildings, and now indoor applications are in sight. For indoor applications, the distance between the viewer and the screen is closer, so the LED pitch (distance between each LED) must be narro...

Blue LEDs were ready for mass production, and in November 1993, the day of the launch announcement for the blue LED finally arrived. The announcement was not some gorgeous event like renting out a conference room at a hotel to give a presentation to a large number of media outlets; instead, Nichia just asked the Tokushima branch of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Japanese Newspaper company) for an interview. At that time, Nichia Corporation was a completely unknown company to the public. The company was introduced in newspapers, weekly magazines, television, and other media as ...

The price of blue LED chips has dropped to almost half compared to the price last year, putting a great pressure on many manufacturers. The price of 4-inch wafer has fallen from US$ 22 in 1Q17 to around US$ 15 in 1Q18. As the cost is about US$ 15, the decrease of price could lead to deficit for LED chip makers.

Taiwanese LED chipmaker Epistar reported a decline in revenue in October due to the slow season and estimated 4Q17 sales less than that of 3Q17. However, Epistar’s outlook for 2018 is positive with the momentum from collaboration with display makers on Mini LED-lit displays.

“It is only a matter of time before white LEDs using blue LED chips will disappear from the market,” said Shuji Nakamura at a forum on GaN technology in July organized by Nikkei Asian Review. The comment from the inventor of the blue LED chip and Nobel Laureate shocked the industry. Nakamura shares a Nobel Prize in Physics with two Japanese inventors Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano for their invention of the blue LED. Yet, Nakamura’s recent remark completely derails his previous accomplishments. Industry insiders in China try to decode Nakamura’s comments to determine whether it reflects embedded flaws in blue LEDs design, or whether his motive is to promote Soraa’s purple LEDs.

A team of scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found that blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) have strong antibacterial effect on major foodborne pathogens, and are most effective when in cold temperatures (between 4°C and 15°C) and mildly acidic conditions of around pH 4.5.

This year’s Nobel Laureates are rewarded for having invented a new energy-efficient and environment-friendly light source – the blue light-emitting diode (LED). In the spirit of Alfred Nobel the Prize rewards an invention of greatest benefit to mankind; using blue LEDs, white light can be created in a new way. With the advent of LED lamps we now have more long-lasting and more efficient alternatives to older light sources.