新聞：（2008年4月18日經濟日報-台積電跨足LED 震撼磊晶廠）台積電旗下創投VTAF公司投資美國LED大廠BridgeLux，並取得一席董事，引領台積電進入LED磊晶代工市場，搶食千億元龐大商機，全球LED產業將因台積電的投入，面臨重新洗牌，台灣磊晶大廠如晶電等將受衝擊[1]。
評析：
台積電是否要投入LED產業現階段還不明朗，但是先調查BridgeLux現有專利布局狀態，與核心人物所擁有專利技術領域甚為重要。
現有美國核准與早期公開專利中，掛在BridgeLux Inc.下之專利有10件，如表一所示。以BridgeLux技術長（前CEO）劉恆（Liu, Heng）為發明人，所得相關專利如表二所示。由表二可以看出，劉恆尚有部分專利未轉移到BridgeLux中。
表一、BridgeLux美國核准與早期公開專利
|
專利號 |
專利名稱 |
全文連結 |
|
US20050011436 |
Chemical vapor deposition reactor |
[pdf] |
|
US20060049417 |
III-nitride based on semiconductor device with low-resistance ohmic |
[pdf] |
|
US20050178336 |
Group III-nitride based led having a transparent current spreading |
[pdf] |
|
US20050196887 |
Group III-nitride based led having a transparent current spreading |
[pdf] |
|
US20060063288 |
High power AllnGaN based multi-chip light emitting diode （已核准：US6869812） |
[pdf] |
|
US20070145380 |
Low optical loss electrode structures for LEDs |
[pdf] |
|
US20060255358 |
Electrode structures for LEDs with increased active area |
[pdf] |
|
US20060255349 |
High power AllnGaN based multi-chip light emitting diode |
[pdf] |
|
US20070209589 |
SLAB CROSS FLOW CVD REACTOR |
[pdf] |
|
US6869812 |
High power AllnGaN based multi-chip light emitting diode |
[pdf] |
|
Source: Google Patents，科技政策研究與資訊中心—科技產業資訊室，2008/04。 |
表二、BridgeLux技術長劉恆有關之美國專利
|
專利號 |
專利名稱 |
原專利權人 |
公告日 |
申請日 |
|
US20080057197A1 |
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION REACTOR HAVING MULTIPLE INLETS |
|
2008/3/6 |
2007/10/31 |
|
US20070209589A1 |
SLAB CROSS FLOW CVD REACTOR |
|
2007/9/13 |
2007/4/26 |
|
US20060255349A1 |
High power AllnGaN based multi-chip light emitting diode |
|
2006/11/16 |
2006/7/20 |
|
US20060124943A1 |
Large-sized light-emitting diodes with improved light extraction efficiency |
eLite Optoelectronics Inc. |
2006/6/15 |
2004/12/14 |
|
US20060063288A1 |
High power AllnGaN based multi-chip light emitting diode |
|
2006/3/23 |
2005/11/10 |
|
US20060049417A1 |
III-nitride based on semiconductor device with low-resistance ohmic contacts |
elite Optoelectronics Inc. |
2006/3/9 |
2004/9/9 |
|
US20050236637A1 |
High power, high luminous flux light emitting diode and method of making same |
Lumei Optoelectronics Corporation |
2005/10/27 |
2005/6/13 |
|
US20050224823A1 |
High power, high luminous flux light emitting diode and method of making same |
|
2005/10/13 |
2005/1/28 |
|
US20050196887A1 |
Group III-nitride based led having a transparent current spreading layer |
|
2005/9/8 |
2005/5/5 |
|
US20050178336A1 |
Chemical vapor deposition reactor having multiple inlets |
|
2005/8/18 |
2005/2/23 |
|
US20050173724A1 |
Group III-nitride based LED having a transparent current spreading layer |
|
2005/8/11 |
2004/2/11 |
|
US20050151136A1 |
Light emitting diode having conductive substrate and transparent emitting surface |
|
2005/7/14 |
2004/1/8 |
|
US20050011459A1 |
Chemical vapor deposition reactor |
|
2005/1/20 |
2003/7/15 |
|
US20050011436A1 |
Chemical vapor deposition reactor |
|
2005/1/20 |
2003/12/3 |
|
US20040169185A1 |
High luminescent light emitting diode |
|
2004/9/2 |
2003/2/28 |
|
US20030214807A1 |
Light-emitting diode with silicon carbide substrate |
|
2003/11/20 |
2002/5/17 |
|
US20020175337A1 |
InGaN/A1GaN/GaN Multilayer Buffer for Growth of GaN on Sapphire |
AXT, Inc. |
2002/11/28 |
2002/7/8 |
|
US20020079500A1 |
Light emitting diode |
|
2002/6/27 |
2000/12/22 |
|
US7193245 |
High power, high luminous flux light emitting diode and method of making same |
Lumei Optoelectronics Corporation |
2007/3/20 |
2005/1/28 |
|
US6919585 |
Light-emitting diode with silicon carbide substrate |
Lumei Optoelectronics, Inc. |
2005/7/19 |
2002/5/17 |
|
US6888171 |
Light emitting diode |
Dallan Luming Science & Technology Group Co., Ltd. |
2005/5/3 |
2000/12/22 |
|
US6869812 |
High power AllnGaN based multi-chip light emitting diode |
|
2005/3/22 |
2003/5/13 |
|
US6650018 |
High power, high luminous flux light emitting diode and method of making same |
AXT, Inc. |
2003/11/18 |
2002/5/24 |
|
US6495867 |
InGaN/AlGaN/GaN multilayer buffer for growth of GaN on sapphire |
AXT, Inc. |
2002/12/17 |
2000/7/26 |
|
Source: Delphion，科技政策研究與資訊中心—科技產業資訊室，2008/04。 |
另外，美國Lumei Optoelectronics Corp公司，前身為AXT光電公司，在半導體光電行業中的技術優勢僅次於Nichia、Toyoda-Gosei和Cree。根據美國專利移轉資料庫，AXT許多專利已經移轉到Lumei Optoelectronics公司與Dalina Lumei Optoelectronics。根據新聞[2]報導，這是AXT將LED製造部門賣給Lumei Optoelectronics。現階段BridgeLux與Lumei Optoelectronics關係需進一步調查。
根據BridgeLux網站介紹，劉恆個人經歷如表三所示。可以看出，劉恆博士在GaN MOCVD機台開發扮演關鍵角色，並且個人在藍光與綠光InGaN晶片上著墨甚多。
表三、BridgeLux技術長劉恆（Heng Liu）個人經歷
|
Dr. Heng Liu, Chief Technology Officer & Founder |
|
Dr. Heng Liu founded Bridgelux in December 2002 and served as CEO for the first 2.5 years. He leads the company’s technology team and sets the direction for its R&D and engineering efforts. Liu received his Ph.D. from North CarolinaStateUniversity in 1991, and developed Emcore’s first GaN MOCVD reactor in 1994. With that reactor, he pioneered Hewlett-Packard’s GaN blue LED development and succeeded in creating several generations of products that contributed to the foundation of what became Lumileds (an Agilent and Philips joint venture now owned by Philips). Liu later led AXT’s LED operation as chief technology officer, where his team developed high-performance and high-reliability green and blue InGaN chips, utilizing his MOCVD expertise. |
|
Source: BridgeLux，科技政策研究與資訊中心—科技產業資訊室，2008/04。 |
最後，在LED熱門的專利訴訟議題上，BridgeLux也不缺席，Cree與BridgeLux在2006年底互控對方侵權，對應專利如表四所示[2][3][4]。
表四、BridgeLux與Cree間之專利訴訟
|
原告 |
被告 |
時間 |
專利 |
|
Cree
BostonUniversity |
BridgeLux |
2006年9月20日 |
US6,657,236
US5,686,738
US7,235,819 |
|
BridgeLux |
Cree |
2006年10月12日 |
US6,869,812. |
|
Source:科技政策研究與資訊中心—科技產業資訊室，2008/04。 |
最後，本新聞報導台積電旗下創投公司入股BridgeLux，表示台積電要切入LED代工領域一事，我們認為可能性不高。畢竟向外投資與自己經營是兩件不同的事情，有時策略思維差異是很大的，特別是台積電這麼專注本業的公司。(1381字)
參考資料：
- http://udn.com/NEWS/FINANCE/FIN1/4305036.shtml
- http://www.ledsmagazine.com/news/3/9/14
- http://www.sslighting.net/documents/articles/news/7442.html
- http://3fire.blogspot.com/2008/04/bridgelux-vs-epistar.html
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