1.Summary

We are pleased to inform you that the patents on high efficiency technology for micro UV-LEDs were granted in the United Kingdom, Germany, and France on September 8 (local time), and in the United States on October 5 (local time).

 

We are one of the earliest founders in the UV-LED industry. We succeeded in developing the world's first high-efficiency UV-LED in collaboration with Professor Emeritus Shiro Sakai of the University of Tokushima in 2000, and since then, we are a pioneer company of UV-LED that manufactures and sells UV-LED products. We have invested heavily in the development and improvement of UV-LEDs, which have been extremely difficult.

 

2. Technical background

Regarding the patented technology that was established this time, micro LED displays are being actively developed by various companies, including Apple Inc., as next-generation display technologies, following organic EL displays, which have problems with durability. Conventional red, blue, and green LEDs have different light wavelengths, so the compound differs depending on the color, and not only the electrical characteristics differ, but also the reaction speed and deterioration characteristics make it difficult to control the display. In addition, since the band gap of the red LED is narrow, the electrical characteristics deteriorate due to micronization. Furthermore, since the material is brittle, it is difficult to reduce the size to 50 microns or less, and each company is working on development.

 

3. This patented technology

This patented technology improves luminous efficiency in micro LED chips with wavelengths of 385 to 400 nm by reducing the chip size to 50 μ m or less, mainly using a superlattice structure, and using a patterned sapphire substrate (PSS). Unlike LEDs of other colors whose luminous efficiency decreases due to micro-sizing, this patent suppresses the decrease in efficiency.

 

○ European application (UK, Germany, France)

September 8, 2021 Patent certificate issued (patent date)

Application number: 19185578.2

Patent number: 3644379

○ American application

October 5, 2021 Patent certificate issued (patent date)

Application number: 16 / 509,053

Patent number: 11,139,342

 

4. The future realized by this technology

Micro UV-LED can obtain full color by exciting red, blue and green phosphors. It is difficult and time-consuming to mount LED chips as small as wheat flour, which are 20 to 30 microns in size, on a TFT display board. By unifying the LED chips from three types of red, blue, and green to one type of UV-LED, not only mounting is easy, but also current and voltage control is easy. Although it was said that the luminous efficiency of UV-LED was low, this high efficiency technology may greatly improve the feasibility of micro LED display.

 

5.Our patent policy

We regard intellectual property rights such as our patent rights as extremely important management assets, and we will take decisive measures around the world for acts that infringe or may infringe our intellectual property rights.