LED industry leader Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) and Lite-On Technology Corporation announced a licensing arrangement that will enhance both companies’ ability to aggressively develop and market white LED-based products for backlighting laptop computer displays.
It is the first license Cree has granted specifically for a system-level application targeting laptop displays. The arrangement includes a license for Cree’s pioneering white LED patent, U.S. Patent No. 6,600,175. The license authorizes Lite-On, a strategic chip customer for Cree located in Taiwan, to manufacture and sell light bars incorporating Cree white LEDs for use in backlighting the LCD displays of laptops.
“Cree’s ‘175 patent is particularly important to companies manufacturing white LED-based display products for the laptop and PC markets, because avoiding IP disputes is essential for PC market acceptance,” noted Scott Schwab, Cree vice president and general manager of optoelectronics. “This arrangement with Lite-On is an important first step to addressing the emerging LED market in laptop displays.”
“We knew we needed a strong LED technology with a broad intellectual property portfolio for our new backlighting products,” said Rex Wu, Lite-On associate vice president. “Lite-On turned to Cree to provide a significant competitive advantage for products sold into the laptop backlighting marketplace.”
About Lite-On
Lite-On Technology Corporation is a leading worldwide supplier of digital convergence products and computer, consumer electronics, communications, car electronics devices, peripherals and components. Lite-On was founded in 1975 to produce LED products and has steadily grown to become one of the world’s largest optoelectronic product manufacturers with production facilities worldwide.
Lite-On is a global leader in LEDs, photo-couplers, LCD displays, power supplies, enclosure, GPS, DVD players, USB digital tuners, as well as printers and phone camera modules. www.liteon.com
About Cree, Inc.
Cree is a market-leading manufacturer of semiconductors and devices that enhance the value of solid-state lighting, power and communications products by significantly increasing their energy performance and efficiency. Key to Cree’s market advantage is its world-class materials expertise in silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) for chips and packaged devices that can handle more power in a smaller space while producing less heat than other available technologies, materials and products.
Cree’s product families include blue and green LED chips, lighting LEDs, LED backlighting solutions, power-switching devices and radio- frequency/wireless devices.
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