Goldeneye Announces the EpiChip™ LED
Goldeneye has developed a freestanding “epi-only” LED that will power its high brightness light sources for general lighting and other applications in the future. Utilizing a novel and patent-pending fabrication process, the company has been able to simplify manufacturing while enhancing device performance.
The result is a revolutionary new type of LED that Goldeneye has dubbed the “EpiChip™”.
“The EpiChip™ is the ultimate simplification in LED design in that it is simply all epi”, says Scott Zimmerman, Goldeneye’s VP of Technology. “It provides the lowest thermal resistance, highest extraction efficiency, lowest cost of manufacturing, and maximum flexibility in packaging.”
The new device marks the introduction of several Goldeneye innovations, including the use of an economical proprietary thick epitaxial layer. This, combined with the elimination of the need for expensive wafer-bonded submounts and other process steps, enables Goldeneye to produce a unique and versatile high power LED at a fraction of the cost of existing devices.
Blue and Green EpiChip™ LEDs up to 1 mm2 have been produced. A wide range of die configurations, sizes and colors, including amber and white, are being developed. Typical output levels at 20 ma exceed 5 mW at 520 nm for 200 x 200 micron emitters. Devices from 350nm to 585nm have been demonstrated. The company expects to have selected products ready for commercial introduction by the third quarter of 2008.
The EpiChip™ technology platform was developed initially for use in Goldeneye’s patented light recycling systems. However, the versatility, superior cost and performance benefits of the EpiChip™ quickly became evident and the company now has multiple patents pending covering other applications including automotive, architectural, and general lighting.
“We have spent the last several years putting a wide range of technologies together both from an IP and process standpoint”, says Goldeneye CEO Bill Livesay. “Over the next 12 to 18 months we intend to roll out a series of products utilizing the EpiChip™ that will have a strong impact on the solid state lighting and display industries.”
About Goldeneye Inc.:
Goldeneye, Inc. is an LED light source manufacturer and technology foundry focused on optical solutions to the solid-state lighting market. Its current products include high brightness RGB light sources for projection displays and bio-medical applications. The company is headquartered in Carlsbad, California.
