March 7, 2011 ...Bridgelux Inc. of Livermore, California USA, announced today its first major lab-based development, a demonstration of 135 Lumens per Watt GaN-on-silicon-based LED Technology.
Bridgelux contends that growing GaN on larger, low-cost silicon wafers that are compatible with modern semiconductor manufacturing can deliver a 75% improvement in cost over current approaches, which commonly use 2- to 4-inch sapphire wafers.
Additionally, the Bridgelux devices are demonstrating a low forward voltage and superior thermal resistance which make them ideally suited for high-performance, illumination-grade applications.
Bridgelux sees the move to silicon substrates as a revolutionary step for the LED industry.
Over the past 5 years, Bridgelux CTO Dr. Steve Lester has shepherded a quietly-dedicated GaN-on-Silicon R&D team.Concurrently, industry-wide research and development of GaN growth on silicon has increased, both for production electronic devices and in the labs for optical technology.
Over the course of the next two to three years, the company anticipates the delivery of its first commercially viable GaN-on-Silicon products that meet performance requirements of LED lighting. “Bridgelux's achievement is a significant reflection of the strength of our leadership in Silicon materials and epitaxial process technology," said Bill Watkins, Bridgelux CEO.“The significantly reduced cost-structures enabled by Silicon-based LED technology will continue to deliver dramatic reductions in the up-front capital investment required for solid state lighting. In as little as two to three years, even the most price-sensitive markets, such as commercial and office lighting, residential applications, and retrofit lamps will seamlessly and rapidly convert to solid state lighting.”
