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To: RocketMan who wrote (14641)	1/9/2000 5:01:00 AM
From: unclewest	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 54805

I just searched the HP site, and found a variety of LED products from Agilent in different colors. The blue LEDs are SiC, but there is not information as to whether they manufacture them themselves or they get them from Cree. This brings up a question, though, isn't SiC pretty much restricted to luminesing in blue/green? Wouldn't traffic signs need brighter colors, yellows and reds? And wouldn't LED screens need LEDs in several colors? So are we talking about a subset of LEDs that Cree could supply in the overall market, those in the blue/green light? And if so, if a company can get a good deal from another supplier on the other color LEDs why would't they stay with them for whatever blue/green LEDs they supply as well, even if they are not as good as Crees? I will have more info on HP on monday. For now I can say that I believe HP uses mostly sapphire based blue/green and i also believe they buy CREE chips. I have no info that HP/A produce SiC. The traffic lights here using SiC LEDs...are using them initially for red. The LED market is price driven...CREE's chips are cheaper than sapphire based, and are engineered better(easier to use). CREE is the good deal. This does not affect SiC's use as a substrate, or FETs, power applications, or hardened electronics, but I wonder how much of Cree's revs are tied to LEDs? presently 50%

To: RocketMan who wrote (14641)	1/9/2000 12:11:00 PM
From: FLSTF97	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 54805

Let me see if I can answer this succinctly> The short answer is that as long as SiC cost more than the alternatives for the other colors, it will be relegated to the green-blue LEDs. The other color LED's are commodities and at some time in the future blue LEDs will also be commoditized. The one who delivers the right quality at lowest price wins. The users don't care what materials are used and from which suppliers they get the products. The longer answer is that in theory SiC could produce most any color with a lower energy level than it's bandgap. Which means if suitable impurity materials can be found and added, many different colors can be emitted by SiC LEDS. If one reads any of the Cree info, you will notice that various "flavors" of SiC crystal material is produced. Each of these is capable of emitting differing shades in the green blue spectrum. High power LEDS in the other colors exist and I would think are already priced below what a SiC LED might bring; so for Cree that shouldn't be interesting. Fatboy PS for those who understand the physics and wish to argue the finer points/errors in my statement above: please don't, I was trying to keep it simple.