Analysis: Many LED patents set to expire in 2010

[phantom power]

With more than 30-year development, Chinese light-emitting diode industry has formed the basically complete industrial chains, covering the LED inside, epitaxial wafer, chip package and application. At present, China has over 600 LED enterprises specializing in the downstream packaging and application. But the development of the epitaxial wafer and chip is comparatively backward. There are only about 10 enterprises engaged in the production of the epitaxial wafer for LED, as well as few chip manufacturers. So, the yield capacity enjoys a high degree of concentration.

...

In 2010, many patents in the light-emitting diode industry will expire. Chinese enterprises are expected to break through the shackles of the intellectual property rights from European, American and Japanese giants. They should make good use of huge market bases and abundant labor resources in order to occupy a place in the global light-emitting diode market.


http://www.solid-state.com/display_news/179356/5/HOME/Analysis:_Many_LED_patents_set_to_expire_in_2010

[Arctic Dave]

1. So instead of taking the lead, the US defers its muaufacturing power to China.

[customerserviceguy]

2. Lead? What's to lead?

I remember these things coming out when I was back in electronics class in the early 1970's.

There are many other advances in semiconductors that US firms are making that are way ahead of the lowly LED.

[Arctic Dave]

3. LED lighting should be a cornerstone of the energy policy for the US

As lowly as they are, they save a lot of energy vs. an incandescent bulb. The problem is the lack of leadership in upping manufacturing of them. The best energy savings is the energy you don't have to produce.

[AndyTiedye]

5. LEDs will replace all other forms of lighting

LEDs have become the most efficient light source for many appliications, and will soon surpass fluorescents for the rest.
They also don't have the disposal issues that fluorescent bulbs do — they last almost forever and they contain virtually no hazardous materials.

[Arctic Dave]

6. Totally agree.

[customerserviceguy]

7. LED lights will indeed be the future of lighting in the world

they just aren't at the cutting edge of semiconductor technology, that's all.

Inevitably, they will be manufactured in the cheapest place, and right now, that's China. I believe your original point might have referred to a lead in technology advancements, not to a lead in number of units manufactured. If I'm wrong, then I stand corrected.

[Tesha]

4. LEDs have made tremendous progress since the 70s.

In the 70s an "indicator" LED was about as good as it gets.
You could see whether the LED was on or off, but that was
about it.

And you could have any color you liked as long as it was red.
And then sickly green.

Nowadays, LEDs are vastly brighter, more efficient, and come
in every color of the spectrum from Infrared through ultraviolet.

And there's still more to be done as LEDs break out into white
light illumination.

Tesha

[customerserviceguy]

8. There's a cutting edge of semiconductor technology

and LED's, while useful in many ways, are nowhere near it anymore.

[Tesha]

9. Whatever you say. (NT)

[customerserviceguy]

10. I guess my experience working in the industry

counts for nothing. Your experience probably is more significant.

[Tesha]

11. Okay, spill -- what do you do "in the industry"? (NT)

[customerserviceguy]

12. Did

I used to work in a microchip plant. Let me tell you, we weren't making LEDs. I had to leave when I moved east, and there are no jobs in that industry here. You do have a point about ceding tech manufacturing to the Chinese, but LEDs are not where it's at.

While LED lighting is clearly the future, there's not going to be much money to be made there, only money to be saved. It's like if someone found a way to boost everybody's gasoline mileage by using clothspins, it would save us a lot of imported oil, but it will not make any clothspin millionaires.