is a Japanese chemical engineering and manufacturing company headquartered in
Anan, Japan with global subsidiaries. It specializes in the manufacturing and distribution of
phosphors
A phosphor is a substance that exhibits the phenomenon of luminescence; it emits light when exposed to some type of radiant energy. The term is used both for fluorescent or phosphorescent substances which glow on exposure to ultraviolet or vi ...
, including
light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (cor ...
s (LEDs),
laser diodes
The laser diode chip removed and placed on the eye of a needle for scale
A laser diode (LD, also injection laser diode or ILD, or diode laser) is a semiconductor device similar to a light-emitting diode in which a diode pumped directly with e ...
,
battery materials, and
calcium chloride
Calcium chloride is an inorganic compound, a salt with the chemical formula . It is a white crystalline solid at room temperature, and it is highly soluble in water. It can be created by neutralising hydrochloric acid with calcium hydroxide.
Ca ...
.
The Nichia Corporation comprises two divisions — Division 1, responsible for phosphors and other chemicals, and Division 2, responsible for LEDs. In the field of phosphors the company has 50% of the Japanese market and 25% of the world market.
Nichia is the world’s largest supplier of LEDs. It designs, manufactures, and markets LEDs for display, LCD backlighting, automotive and general lighting applications with the many different leds across the entire visible spectrum. Nichia’s invention and development of white LEDs have spanned several accomplishments throughout the history of the company.
History
The Nichia Corporation was founded in 1956 by Nobuo Ogawa (小川 信雄, 1912-2002) at Aratano-cho,
Anan, Tokushima
270px, Japan National Route 195 in Anan
270px, Kuwano River in Anan
270px, Aerial View of Anan
270px, near Byōdō-ji
270px, Kamodamisaki Lighthouse
is a city in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 70,28 ...
to produce calcium phosphate for fluorescent lamp phosphors. The majority ownership is still held by the Ogawa family today.
In 1966, Nichia began production of
phosphors
A phosphor is a substance that exhibits the phenomenon of luminescence; it emits light when exposed to some type of radiant energy. The term is used both for fluorescent or phosphorescent substances which glow on exposure to ultraviolet or vi ...
for
fluorescent lamps
A fluorescent lamp, or fluorescent tube, is a low-pressure mercury-vapor gas-discharge lamp that uses fluorescence to produce visible light. An electric current in the gas excites mercury vapor, which produces short-wave ultraviolet ligh ...
. In 1971, Nichia began production of
phosphors
A phosphor is a substance that exhibits the phenomenon of luminescence; it emits light when exposed to some type of radiant energy. The term is used both for fluorescent or phosphorescent substances which glow on exposure to ultraviolet or vi ...
for color TVs. In 1977, Nichia began the production of tri-color phosphors for fluorescent lamps.
One of Nobuo Ogawa's more well-known decisions was to support
Shuji Nakamura
is a Japanese-born American electronic engineer and inventor specializing in the field of semiconductor technology, professor at the Materials Department of the College of Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and is regar ...
to do research on
gallium nitride
Gallium nitride () is a binary III/ V direct bandgap semiconductor commonly used in blue light-emitting diodes since the 1990s. The compound is a very hard material that has a Wurtzite crystal structure. Its wide band gap of 3.4 eV affords it ...
light-emitting diodes, when it was generally considered a very risky business. The research turned out to be a great success; however, the company received scrutiny for the small size of the ¥20,000 (US$180) bonus initially awarded to Nakamura for his 1993 invention of the first high brightness blue-light LED, which was based on
gallium nitride
Gallium nitride () is a binary III/ V direct bandgap semiconductor commonly used in blue light-emitting diodes since the 1990s. The compound is a very hard material that has a Wurtzite crystal structure. Its wide band gap of 3.4 eV affords it ...
. Nichia later settled out of court with Nakamura for ¥840 million (US$7 million), in what was then the highest bonus ever awarded by a Japanese company.
Nichia supports financially a Polish company Ammono, which is the current (as of 2011) world leader in bulk Gallium Nitride (GaN) manufacturing of 2-inch diameter high quality bulk c-plane GaN substrates as well as non-polar M-plane, A-plane and semi-polar GaN wafer. Nichia funds a joint research project with Ammono to develop ammonothermal gallium nitride growth, and in return Nichia took a stake in Ammono’s intellectual property, as well as access to the crystals that were made.
Several of Nichia's innovations have won awards, such as the
Nikkei Best Products Award Nikkei can refer to:
*, abbreviated , Nikkei, a large media corporation in Japan
*, abbreviated , Nikkei, a major business newspaper published in Japan
*, a Japanese stock market index, published by ''Nihon Keizai Shimbun''
*, often simply ''Nikkei ...
.
Major competitors
Nichia Corporation's competitors include
Seoul Semiconductor
Seoul Semiconductor develops and commercializes light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron hol ...
,
Cree
The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...
,
Everlight Electronics
Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd. is a Taiwanese company which manufactures light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It is the world's fifth largest LED package manufacturer.
History
Everlight Electronics was founded in 1983 by Robert Yeh.
Initially, Everl ...
,
Lumileds
Lumileds is a lighting company that develops, manufactures, and distributes LEDs, light bulbs, and related products for automotive lighting, general lighting, and specialty lighting. Lumileds operates as a private company, having funds affiliat ...
,
Epistar
Epistar Corp. (晶元光電股份有限公司) is the largest manufacturer of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in Taiwan. Epistar Corp. was established in 1996, and its headquarters are in Hsinchu. In 2009 it had an annual turnover of NT$10 billion.E ...
and
Osram
Osram Licht AG is a German company that makes electric lights, headquartered in Munich and Premstätten (Austria). Osram positions itself as a high-tech photonics company that is increasingly focusing on sensor technology, visualization and tre ...
.
Litigation
In January 2006, Nichia launched a lawsuit against rival LED manufacturer
Seoul Semiconductor
Seoul Semiconductor develops and commercializes light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron hol ...
Co., Ltd., alleging
design patent
In the United States, a design patent is a form of legal protection granted to the ornamental design of an article of manufacture. Design patents are a type of industrial design right. Ornamental designs of jewelry, furniture, beverage containers ...
infringement.
Nichia and Seoul Semiconductor announced that they have settled all litigation on patent and other issues as well as other legal disputes currently pending between them in the United States, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, and Korea. The settlement includes a cross license agreement covering LED and laser diode technologies, which will permit the companies to access all of each other's patented technologies. In accordance with the settlement terms, all litigations are to be terminated by mutual withdrawal, with the exception of litigation in Germany involving patent DE 691-07-630 T2 of EP 0-437-385 B1, which was resolved following a February 2009 hearing.
References
External links
*
Millennium Prize - Top prize for 'light' inventor
{{Authority control
Chemical companies of Japan
Electronics companies of Japan
Light-emitting diode manufacturers
Companies based in Tokushima Prefecture
Chemical companies established in 1956
Japanese brands
Electronics companies established in 1956
Japanese companies established in 1956