February 12, 2015, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) voted to formally part of the LED products and similar components started 337 investigations, involving products include LED bulbs and LED chips. For a time the industry outcry, LED field of patent war imminent. LED chips, the sapphire substrate technology controlled by Nichia, Cree dominate American technology silicon carbide substrate, the silicon substrate is technically out of the localization of the chip road with core intellectual property rights, and gradually broke the Japanese and LED manufacturers in Europe and America strong patent barrier formation. Therefore, in the recent "two sessions", Jiangxi delegation raised the silicon substrate LED industry rise to be focused on promoting a national strategy.
Silicon substrate LED manufacturing technology is different from the sapphire and silicon carbide substrates third LED chip manufacturing technology route, compared with the other two methods, has four major advantages. First, the silicon material is cheaper than sapphire and silicon carbide prices, and higher production efficiency, low cost, make the LED chip costs significantly lower than that of the sapphire substrate chip; the second is the device with excellent performance and good antistatic performance of the chip, long life, can withstand high current density; three chip packaging process is simple, chip upper and lower electrodes, single wire vertical structure, when the device requires only a single electrode lead package, simplifying the assembly process, save packaging costs; Fourth, with independent intellectual property, product can be sold to the international market, subject to international patents.
Although silicon substrate technology has good prospects for development, but in the process of industrialization, there are some technical difficulties. Because there is a huge lattice between the silicon substrate and the GaN epitaxial material mismatch and thermal mismatch, which will lead to epitaxial material defects, cracks and more, and ultimately makes the device low yield, low luminous efficiency and poor reliability.
Because of the many advantages of the silicon substrate, many international units or research institutions have increased the pace of its R & D. From 2011 onwards, the United States will develop Bridgelux technology shift to a silicon substrate; a large number of well-known enterprises and research institutions Samsung, LG, Japan Sanken Electric, Cambridge, Ma Berg university, also have "into" the silicon substrate technology; in 2012, Toshiba has invested heavily and acquisition of the US company's silicon technology sector Puri; recently acquired ALLOS Semiconductors silicon crystal power LED is authorized and completed the first phase of successful technology transfer. Faced with competitive pressures of international companies, China should maintain a first-mover advantage, enhance the international competitiveness of its own brand.
Strengthen the industrial chain to promote positive interaction between the silicon substrate technology collaborative innovation
First joint research guide upstream and downstream enterprises to achieve the overall package of the silicon substrate chip. Due to the special nature of the chip, package and method of the silicon substrate and the sapphire substrate chip packaging some differences. At present most of the domestic LED packaging companies supporting the sapphire substrate chip, which restricts the large-scale promotion of the silicon substrate. We should strengthen guidance and focus on the downstream silicon substrate backbone enterprises to develop strategic cooperation, joint research, centralized breakthroughs in key technologies.
The second is to promote the silicon substrate technology innovation to enhance the competitiveness of the chip. Chip silicon substrate and a sapphire substrate compared to the high-power chips optical efficiency level is close to, but need to further optimize the consistency, uniformity and reliability. Meanwhile, one of the advantages of the silicon substrate is not restricted area of the substrate, the substrate size should accelerate to 6 inches or 8 inches promote industrialization and further reduce manufacturing costs, improve price advantage.
The third is to strengthen the application and popularization of domestic equipment, realize the localization of the silicon substrate chip penetration. Support validation and development process to develop the silicon substrate key sets of domestic equipment, including MOCVD equipment, lithography, etching machines, packaging equipment and other silicon substrate using equipment supporting all aspects of development, gather various resources, in an orderly domestic silicon substrate LED chip application, increasing market share.
Application of marketing efforts undertaken to increase the silicon substrate differentiated brand building
First, the mining market segments, to avoid the homogenization of competition. Silicon substrate chips are used in "one large and one small", that is, in high-power chips and small size chip applications a strong competitive advantage. High-power chips should expand special outdoor LED lighting market, encourage enterprises to further identify the development direction of the tunnel lighting, street lighting, landscape lighting and other applications in different segments; the small size of the chips should face the backlight and display applications demand, the development of LCD backlight source and fine pitch display applications market. Thinning of the silicon substrate chip applications, avoid and sapphire chips on the same low-cost applications vicious competition.
The second is aimed at emerging applications, seize the development opportunities. To develop a silicon substrate LED chip R & D work in intelligent lighting systems, eco-agriculture, health care, automotive lighting and other areas, to encourage companies targeting new applications in the field of technical innovation, seize the development opportunities. Support the organization of a silicon substrate technology-related forums, user-oriented demand, increase publicity efforts to enhance user silicon substrate chip awareness and penetration.
Third, innovative business models, build their own brands. Encourages the silicon substrate LED enterprises to explore new profit model, take advantage of the Internet, online sales, offline experience and service, enhance industry chain cooperation. Guide enterprises to identify the market position, starting from the ideology, system construction and funding and other aspects of innovation as the core, to the quality of life and the market as a touchstone, policy support, integrated a variety of ways, and actively promote silicon substrate chip brand building work.
Focus on intellectual property protection and improve the silicon substrate LED chip quality inspection system
First, innovation-driven research and development, strengthen the core patent portfolio. Our silicon-based LED chip already has more than 200 related patents, primarily patents. Should further innovative drive technology innovation, patent, trade mark cultivate and improve intellectual property rights. Encourage enterprises to pay attention to patent layout to the silicon substrate LED technology as the core, the epitaxial growth, chip manufacturing, packaging and distribution applications and other aspects of the patent network, enhance the foreign patent barriers.
Second, develop intellectual property strategies, enhance early warning consciousness. LED patent in the field of war imminent, intellectual property has become a means of competition. It should encourage enterprises to effectively use intellectual property system to develop strategies, establish intellectual property early-warning mechanisms to monitor foreign competitors' patents focus on dynamic information, reduce research and development before, during and after the process of intellectual property risk.
The third is to strengthen the product quality supervision, improve the LED chip to detect targets. LED chips currently on the market quality varies greatly, should rely on the national and local quality supervision and inspection center, strengthen market regulation and supervision, regular LED chip safety, energy conservation, environmental protection and other indicators of checks on non-compliance of public exposure and punishment of enterprises, supervision enterprises to strengthen their management and technology, improve product quality. Further development of an international advanced level of third-party testing platform to enhance the detection ability and level.
------ From China Electronics News, the electronic information industry network
