San'an Licenses Japanese LED Patent Portfolio to Luminus Devices
San'an Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. today announced that it has licensed the United States patents of an LED patent portfolio it recently acquired from a major Japanese company to its subsidiary, Luminus Devices, Inc. The portfolio comprises over 125 issued patents, including over thirty United States patents as well as issued patents in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Germany.
The earliest patents in the portfolio have priority dates reaching back to the mid-1990s, and more recent patents are from the mid-2000s. These patents in the acquired portfolio are directed to a range of fundamental LED chip and wafer level technology, such as p-type branch electrodes (for example U.S. Patent Nos. 6,881,985 and 6,384,430), transparent ZnO layers, and reflecting electrodes, barrier layers (U.S. Patent No. 6,265,732), spacer layers, doped active layers (U.S. Patent No. 6,081,540), optimized MQWs (U.S. Patent No. 6,501,101), direct-bonded substrates, and GaInP current spreading layers.
According to San'an President Zhiqiang Lin, "We were quite pleased to acquire this well-respected LED patent portfolio as it complements the San'an patent portfolio nicely in time and subject matter and increases the San'an patent holdings to over 280 issued patents and published applications. San'an recognizes the importance of a strong patent portfolio in the LED industry and we are committed to growing our patent base organically and by strategic acquisition."
The license of the United States patents to Luminus Devices is exclusive, subject to prior issued licenses, with the right to enforce. "The addition of the licensed patents to our existing patent portfolio further reinforces the position of Luminus Devices in the LED market," said Decai Sun, the chief executive officer of Luminus Devices. Luminus Devices has over eighty patents worldwide including fifty United States patents and is the exclusive licensee of key patents related to laser lift-off and patterned sapphire substrates.
About San'an:
San'an Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. (Securities Code: 600703), is China's earliest-established and largest producer of full-color ultra-high bright LED epitaxial products and chips with optimum quality. San'an is engaged in the R&D, manufacturing, and marketing of full-color, ultra-high brightness LED epitaxial products, chips, compound solar cells, and high-power concentrating solar products with internationally leading performance. San'an is headquartered in the beautiful coastal city of Xiamen and owns industrial bases in Xiamen, Tianjin, Wuhu, Huainan, Quanzhou, and other regions of China.
About Luminus Devices:
Luminus Devices, Inc., a subsidiary of San'an Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., develops and markets solid-state lighting solutions (SSL) to help its customers migrate from conventional lamp technologies to long-life and energy-efficient LED illumination. Combining technology originated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with innovation from Silicon Valley, Luminus offers a comprehensive range of LED solutions for global lighting markets as well as high-output specialty lighting solutions for performance-driven markets including consumer displays, entertainment lighting and medical applications. Luminus Devices is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, and has operations in Woburn, Massachusetts.
