i just posted this to another thread...thought i should put it here too.
go to this link, read everything, and click on each picture...be sure to click on each picture.
lerc.nasa.gov
finished? ok...now that you understand the significance of silicon carbide, let me explain briefly where cree fits in.
cree produces some 90% of the world's SiC. they have patented a crystal growing process as well as the processes used to convert SiC into some high volume products.
cree's current top and bottomline growth is around 70% and accelerating. ceo says he has 18 month visibility and believes they will remain 100% of production sold out.
cree sells many wafers to researchers who are devising even more uses for silicon carbide.
cree is opening a new facility this year and another next year. in addition, the ceo sees a 3-4x improvement in yields coming. my fellow researchers on cree believe each facility will provide a triple to revs. coupled with yield, i see a potential 3x3x4=36x growth in the next 18 months. that seems unbelievable to me. 1/2 would be awesome.
cree is debt free and profitable. on-going expansion is being funded in house with current cash and cash flow.
cree's nearest competition is 7 years behind in the crystal growth process. cree has said they will enforce their ip, if appropriate. i assume that means if the competition improves their yield.
cree's ceo says the potential uses for SiC are endless...he is concentrating on the most lucrative.
approx 50% of cree's production presently goes to light emitting diodes (leds). this market is exploding. cree has recently improved brightness 4x. the competition here is sapphire based leds. although brighter, sapphire based are 2x more expensive. cost is a huge factor, and cree's are bright enough for most apps. cree expects to completely close the brightness gap next year. because SiC is conductive it offers other significant advantages over sapphire.
the future.....
i believe cree is close to announcing a commercially viable SiC based blue laser. cree's definition of that is a blue laser with a life of 10,000 hours or more and a cost of $15.
such a laser would increase the capacity of a dvd by 4-20x.
i have seen an estimate for the worldwide market for such a device exceeds $80 B.
SiC, i am told, is excellent material for semi-conductors. SiC operates in a much broader temperature environment. imagine pc's, laptops and handhelds with no heatsinks or cooling fans required.
the broadband, microwave, and rf devices are forthcoming. cree continues to announce paid research contracts for NASA, USAF, and USN. much of next year's construction is dedicated to device production. it is difficult to get details here. i am sure it is all highly classified.
more cree info available on request.
hope this made it easier.
2 days ago the suggestion was made here...to sell cree and buy gorillas. i hope no one did. cree was +7 yesterday. qcom equivalent would have been +49.
if anyone grows weary of retirement here is a good job.
unclewest
Laser Development Program Leader
Please reference job number 535
Duties and Responsibilities:
Responsible for driving Cree's product development team to successful commercialization of Cree's first blue semiconductor laser diode.
Requirements:
Previous R&D project leadership, extensive knowledge of semiconductor laser principles, device fabrication, packaging and characterization a must.
Experience in new company or business start up and cross functional experience is highly desirable.
(from CREE website, under "employment") |
