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Toshiba Announces Development of White Light LED; Positioned to Reinforce Industry Leadership in LED Lamps

Business Wire, Feb 9, 2001

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 9, 2001

Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. (TAEC) with its parent company Toshiba Corp. (Toshiba), today announced that it is set to launch a white light emitting diode (LED) that points the way to a stable white light source with the luminosity required for future replacement for incandescent lamps.

The new device was jointly developed with Toyoda Gosei, Co., Ltd. and the two companies will commercialize and market it independently. Samples will be available from April 2001, and mass production will start from November 2001.

The new LED integrates Toshiba's phosphors and packaging with Toyoda's LED, which achieves a short peak wavelength approximately 380 nanometers (nm). The diode will be manufactured by Toyoda and packaged by Toshiba in a phosphor-mixed transparent resin package. Both companies will market the product under their own brand name.

Background of Joint Development

The white LED holds out great promise as a high luminosity, low power consumption light source. While the main goal is a level of luminosity allowing replacement for incandescent lamp, current applications include the instrument panels of motor vehicles and LCD backlighting.

The new LED adopts a technological approach differing from that used in conventional LED. Light emission in the visible wavelength band is controlled by excited phosphors, not by using temperature changes in the LED to achieve a change in color output. The fact that the LED emission does not directly determine the color brings advantages in overall controllability and wavelength stability.

Incorporated in LCD products, the new diode achieves improved tonic reproduction and enhanced color durability during temperature shifts.

The LED builds on Toyoda's know-how in gallium-nitride devices, an area the company has promoted since 1995 with blue and green GaN LEDs. Toshiba has been a leader in indium gallium aluminum phosphide (InGaAIP) LEDs since 1991, with a product lineup widely used in LED information panels and automobile applications, such as high-mounted stop lamp and backlight of instrument panels.

The companies will continue to build on the current LED with technology and products supporting a wider spectrum of brighter colors.

Major Characteristics of White LED

-- Light source of backlight for color LCDs

-- Automobile applications

-- Replacement of other white lights


Major Specifications of New LED

Package                3.2 x 2.8 millimeter, Surface Mount Device (SMD)
Luminosity             Typ. 100 millicandela (mcd) at 20mA
Luminous Flux/
 Electrical watt       Typ. 4.5-5.0 lumen per watt at 20mA
Correlated color
  temperature          6,500-9,000K
Operating temperature  -40-100 Celsius
Storage temperature    -40-100 Celsius

Note: The above specification is a target specification for the first
 sample of white LEDs in April 2001.

Product Availability

Part number: TLWA1100

Sample price: $1.70 to $2.60 USD

Mass production: November 2001

Applications


-- Light source of backlight for color LCDs

-- Automobile applications

-- Replacement of other white lights

About TAEC

TAEC, recognized as one of the largest suppliers of semiconductor, electronic component and storage solutions, is the North American engineering, manufacturing, marketing, and sales arm of Japan's Toshiba Semiconductor Co. and Toshiba Display Devices and Components Co.

The Toshiba Semiconductor Co. is one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of semiconductor products including LSIs, microprocessors and controllers, and advanced memory products, in addition to discrete and analog peripheral components.

TAEC is also responsible for sales and marketing of other major electronic components including liquid crystal displays, color display and picture tubes, lithium-ion and other secondary batteries. For additional information, visit TAEC's Web site at www.toshiba.com/taec.> Photo available upon request, contact Jennifer Apuron at 949/260-1300.