Monday, February 2, 2009

Luminus teams with Japanese LED maker Nichia

By Mass High Tech staff

Lighting technology company Luminus Devices Inc. reports it has entered into an alliance with Japan’s Nichia Corp. covering cross-licensing of intellectual property, technology sharing and manufacturing, to make a new type of high-power white LEDs.

No financial details of the deal were disclosed. Billerica-based Luminus said the goal of the partnership is to speed up the adoption of solid-state lighting by combining technologies of both companies, including Nichia’s phosphor and epitaxial materials and Luminus’ PhlatLight large-chip technology.

According to Luminus officials, some of the jointly developed products will be marketed by Nichia and others by Luminus, both of which will be able to use the Luminus’ PhlatLight trademark. The first products coming out of the partnership are planned for launch in 2009.

Nichia, the largest supplier of white LEDs in the world, is based in Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan.

In October, Luminus founder and CTO Alexei Erchak was named a Mass High Tech All-Star. In September, the company brought long-time technology executive Ellen Richstone out of retirement to become an executive vice president and chief financial officer.