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Technology Stocks : Wolf speed -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: FLSTF97 who wrote (1796)	2/4/2000 9:25:00 AM
From: mauser96	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 10713

I believe you are correct. I'm approaching this from the theoretical end first since I couldn't find any direct information. A fluorescent lamp works using mercury to release radiation that is both in the visible range (green and blue) as well as the even higher energy shorter wavelength ultraviolet. Apparently it's the latter that is the bulk of the output and does most or all of the exciting of the phosphors to produce the visible"white" light, or at least a color our eyes perceive as white. The ones I've used a camera with show the light isn't the same color as daylight and appears to have some gaps in the spectrum. In any case, it's very efficient. An ultraviolet LED should be good at this too. I'm unable so far to find references to a UV LED. All this means that as far as getting a white light goes, blue is more important than it would seem at first glance. Except for very large applications like displays, it may be that the phosphor method is the best way to approach white light from LED. The phosphors can be tinkered with to produce somewhat different emitted light color, just as is done with fluorescent lamps. Most non commercial lighting today is still done using incandescent bulbs, an idea dating back a hundred years or so. It's time for technology to give us something better. Are LED the answer??? Do they have future uses that haven't been explored because white wasn't available? Can they be made substantially larger than they are today? Does the SiC substrate mean that the LED could be made larger without as much problem with over heating? Any ideas or comments Fatboy? I sense something potentially big in CREE - more than just your average small high tech company.