News

19 October 2009

 

Epistar and Lynk Labs sign equity investment & licensing agreement

Taiwan’s largest LED epiwafer and chip maker, Epistar Corp of the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park, has entered into a strategic equity investment and license agreement with Lynk Labs Inc of Elgin IL, USA, which supplies AC LED device, light engine and power supply technology.

Lynk Labs has been building an LED technology patent and product portfolio since 2002, focusing on AC LED technology. The portfolio includes fundamental core AC LED circuits that can be integrated at the chip level as well as drive methods and product- or system-level solutions. With over 50 patents filed to date and its first US patent (no. 7,489,086, ‘AC light emitting diode and AC LED drive methods and apparatus’) granted early this year, Lynk says that it will soon be announcing more patent approvals in major international markets.

In March, Epistar announced plans to enter the AC LED market with single-chip AC LED technology. The firm has been developing AC LED chips since 2004 and has also filed more than 10 patent applications in related fields. Last year, Epistar obtained a patent license from Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), which is also developing chip-level AC LED technology.

Through the strategic partnership, Epistar and Lynk aim to share and leverage technology and expertise from both firms to develop new AC LED technology, as well as IP and products including single-chip and system-level solutions for the lighting industry.

“Having access to Epistar’s chip-level design and manufacturing expertise will allow us to advance AC LED technology as well as accelerate its adoption into all areas of lighting where AC LEDs can deliver an advantage,” reckons Lynk Labs’ president/CEO Mike Miskin.

AC LED technology-based products continue to show advantages over DC in many applications when integrated into the AC power infrastructure, says Epistar. “AC LED technology creates a new era in the industry and Lynk Labs has been the pioneer driving AC LEDs into the market for many years now,” adds Epistar’s chairman Dr B.J. Lee.

See related item:

Epistar to ship AC-LED products in Q2/09

Search: Epistar Epiwafers LEDs Lynk Labs

Visit: www.epistar.com.tw

Visit: www.lynklabs.com