LED lights/cluster lamps

	Xiamen Guangpu's car-use LED lights use chip LEDs and have an operating temperature of -25 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius
	In this report   •   Main story   •   Mature supply chain attracts new entrants   •   Makers address patent issues   •   New facilities set up to boost capacity   •   Exports on the rise even as prices decline

Manufacturers of LEDs and LED products in mainland China continue to enhance their R&D capabilities to produce high-end LEDs at par with those manufactured overseas. As Xiamen is one of the leading producers of LEDs in the region, makers from the city are also sharpening their product development skills, specifically by launching R&D projects, investing in new technologies and developing new models with enhanced features.

LCD backlights top the R&D agenda of Xiamen LED makers. According to them, the LED and LED backlight industry will benefit from the continued growth of the LCD business both at home and abroad. Product development efforts for LED backlights lean toward large-sized backlights with higher brightness and super-thin width.

Xiamen Guangpu Electronics Co. Ltd, for instance, is cooperating with Hong Kong-based Astri in developing 15.4in super-thin high-brightness linear LED backlights. The company employs more than 120 R&D personnel, which include 18 senior engineers, 12 researchers and more than 90 engineers. Some of these personnel once took part in the development of electronic components for mainland China's space vehicle Shenzhou and were later commended by the State Administration of Science Technology & Industry for National Defense.

In addition, Xiamen Guangpu has also established the Xiamen Research Center for LED Encapsulation Technology. Its LED project, "Super thin, high efficiency and low resistance SMD LED," has been a recipient of the National Technology Innovation Fund since last year.

Specializing in LCD backlights, Xiamen WeRun Technology Co. Ltd is now exerting efforts to increase the light utilization efficiency of its LCD backlights, including LED backlights. According to the company, the utilization efficiency of most backlights is roughly 50 percent. A key R&D project involves the development of a new model with utilization efficiency of at least 70 percent.

Meanwhile, other manufacturers are focusing on LED encapsulation and standalone LEDs with lower thermal resistance and luminous efficacy. Xiamen Hualian Electronics Co. Ltd has developed 0.1W to 3W LEDs using various encapsulation methods such as PLCC, metal-cooling-structure and multichip integration. Its product offerings also include high-power LEDs with more than 75lm/W efficacy and less than 6°C/W thermal resistance. The company also manufactures customized LEDs with different light distribution levels.

Xiamen Hualian has more than 80 engineers in its R&D team, for which the company earmarks 5 percent of its annual sales. The maker was recently named "Provincial LED Technology Center" and hopes to be recognized as a national technology center.

Many manufacturers in Xiamen cooperate with academic institutions, such as Xiamen University and Fudan University, as well as foreign-based companies to develop LEDs and LED products. Xiamen Guangpu is collaborating with US-based Evident Technologies on the development of a certain type of patented white LED.

Xiamen is home to various institutions engaged in R&D of LEDs, including the Semiconductor Photons Research Institute in Xiamen University and the technology centers established by Sanan, Xiamen Hualian and Topstar Lighting. Soon to rise in the area is the Semiconductor Lighting Test and Certification Center. Civic organizations, such as Xiamen LED Promotion Center and the Optoelectronic Association, have been actively promoting LED development by offering short courses, and organizing seminars and exhibitions.