In the current application of the led, LCD TV backlight and lighting applications to accelerate the growth of the two areas, the use of high-power LED more and more relevant cooling technology is also increasingly important. In order to pursue a better thermal solution, the current major LED epitaxy, chip manufacturers have invested in a variety of alternative substrate technology, including copper and other metal substrate technology, as well as ceramics, diamond coating and other different materials as a substrate technology, Improve the heat dissipation of high power LED. At present, some manufacturers have begun a small trial production shipments, but in general have not reached the mass production stage.
The so-called alternative substrate technology, the current manufacturers are investing in the development of metal substrate technology, that is, on the sapphire substrate after the long crystal, remove the substrate, change plating a layer of metal, to replace the bottom. The development of this new technology is mainly due to high power LED in the heat of the high demand, because the metal thermal conductivity is better, to better heat. But the demand for sapphire substrate has not changed.
Ideally, the LED industry is now also using alternative substrate technology to replace the sapphire substrate, can be recycled sapphire substrate, just like recycling. That is, extended in the sapphire, remove the substrate, you can re-take the long crystal, but the current difficulty is still great, because the substrate is very easy to be damaged after the long crystal, thus affecting the effect of its re-use.
Currently in the LED epitaxy, chip manufacturers, Taiwan LED manufacturers are very active, crystal power, Thai Valley have been put into other alternative to sapphire substrate technology development, hoping to make high-power LED to achieve better cooling effect. At the same time the direction of R & D is not limited to metal substrates, it is understood that the main reason is that the metal has the problem of hot and cold shrinkage, two different nature of the metal in the hot environment, prone to crack the situation.
Formosa Epitaxy has been actively involved in copper tungsten substrate technology LED chip development, at this stage is mainly used for the production of micro-projection light source LED products. It is reported that sapphire substrate drive power is small, can not heat, and copper tungsten substrate can drive 6W-7W power, suitable for micro-projection products.
Formosa Epitaxy and international manufacturers for patent cooperation, the introduction of micro-projector in the application of high-brightness green LED chip in May this year, a small trial production, from June heavy volume shipments. It is expected that by the end of this year, green chip accounted for 10% of the share of Formosa revenue, single month shipments will reach more than 1 million. The company expects the future copper-tungsten substrate LED also has the opportunity to apply to lighting or some backlight products.