How to keep the advantage of LED technology on silicon substrate in China?

February 12, 2015, the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) decided to vote on the official part of the LED products and similar components to start the 337 investigation, involving products, including LED bulbs and LED chips, etc.. One time the industry in an uproar, the field of LED patent war triggered at any moment. For LED chip, the sapphire substrate technology is Nichia control, CREE dominate the silicon carbide substrate technology on silicon substrate technology in China out of a domestic chip with a core of intellectual property rights of the road, gradually broke the Japanese and European manufacturers formed LED strong patent barriers. So in the recent two sessions, the Jiangxi delegation proposed to increase the industrialization of silicon substrate LED national strategy to focus on promoting.

Silicon substrate LED manufacturing technology is different from sapphire and silicon carbide substrate third LED chip manufacturing technology route, compared with the other two methods, has the advantages of the four. One is the silicon sapphire and silicon carbide material than the cheap price, and high production efficiency, the cost is low, can make LED chip costs significantly lower than the sapphire substrate chip; two is a device with excellent performance, good antistatic performance of the chip, long service life, can withstand the high current density; three chip packaging process simple chip for the upper and lower electrodes, single lead vertical structure, only single electrode lead in device packaging, simplifies the packaging process, save the cost of the packaging; four is with independent intellectual property rights, the products can be sold to the international market, not the limitation of international patent.

Although silicon substrate technology has good prospects for development, there are some technical difficulties in the process of industrialization. Because of the huge lattice between GaN epitaxial material and the silicon substrate and thermal mismatch, thus causing epitaxial material defects, cracks, eventually making device of the low rate of finished products, low luminous efficiency and poor reliability problems.

Due to many advantages of silicon substrate, many international units or research institutions have increased the pace of its technology research and development. From 2011 onwards, the United States will shift the focus of R & D Bridgelux silicon substrate technology; Samsung, LG, Japan, University of Cambridge, Sanken electric ma de Berg University and a large number of well-known enterprises and research institutions also have to enter the "silicon substrate technology; in 2012 the Toshiba Co invested a large amount of capital and the acquisition of the U.S. company Puri silicon technology department; recently, ALLOS Semiconductors silicon crystal electric LED authorization, and the successful completion of the first phase of the technology transfer. Facing the competitive pressure of international enterprises, China should maintain the first mover advantage and enhance the international competitiveness of its own brand.

Strengthen the positive interaction of the industrial chain and promote the collaborative innovation of silicon substrate technology

First, to guide the upstream and downstream enterprises joint research, to achieve the overall integration of silicon substrate chips. Due to the special characteristics of the silicon substrate chip packaging, the form and method of packaging and sapphire substrate chip some difference. At present, most of the domestic LED packaging companies for sapphire substrate chip, restricting the large-scale promotion of silicon substrate. It is necessary to strengthen the guidance and support of the upstream and downstream backbone enterprises to carry out strategic cooperation, joint research, to achieve a breakthrough in key technologies.

Two is to promote silicon substrate technology innovation, enhance the competitiveness of the chip. Compared with the sapphire substrate, the optical efficiency is close to that of the high power chip, but it needs to further optimize the uniformity, uniformity and reliability. At the same time, one of the advantages of silicon substrate is the substrate area is not restricted, should accelerate the substrate size to 6 inches or even 8 inches of industrialization, further reduce manufacturing costs, improve the price advantage.

Three is to strengthen the application of domestic equipment to promote the realization of the localization of silicon substrate chip penetration. Verify and support the development of silicon substrate during the research and development of key sets of domestic equipment, including supporting research and development of MOCVD equipment, lithography, etching machine, packaging equipment and other equipment used in all aspects of the silicon substrate, the agglomeration of various resources, in order to promote the popularization and application of domestic LED chip silicon substrate, increase market share.

Expand the application of market development efforts to carry out the construction of differentiated brands

First, tap the market segments, to avoid homogenization of competition. Silicon substrate chip is mainly used in the "one big one small", that is, in the high power chip and small size chip application field has the advantage. High power chips should develop special outdoor LED lighting market, encourage enterprises to further identify the development direction of tunnel lighting, street lighting, landscape lighting and different subdivision applications; small size chips should be oriented to the backlight and display applications, the application and development of LCD backlight and small space display market. Refining silicon substrate chip applications, and to avoid the sapphire chip in the same application of low-cost vicious competition.

Two is aimed at emerging applications, seize the development opportunities. Explore the development of silicon substrate LED chips in the field of intelligent lighting systems, ecological agriculture, health care, automotive lighting, etc., to encourage enterprises to aim at new applications to carry out technological innovation, seize the development opportunities. Support the silicon substrate technology related forums, user needs, increase publicity, enhance the user's awareness and popularity of silicon substrate chip.

Three is the innovative business model, to create their own brand. Encourage silicon substrate LED companies to explore new profit model, to play the advantages of the Internet, online sales, offline experience and services, enhance cooperation in all aspects of the industry chain. Guide enterprises to identify the market positioning, from the ideological awareness, institutional construction and capital investment, and other aspects of innovation as the core, the quality of life, to the market for