will be the top supplier of LED backlit panels by the end of the year

Epistar President B.J. Lee noted that LED demand is turning larger than supply, making the market outlook for the third quarter quite bright.chairman of LED lead-frame maker I-Chiun Precision Industry Co., Ltd., pointed out that the island’s LED industry is currently saddled with shortage of expitaxy wafers as a result of robust orders.Lite-On President S.H. Lin estimated the global LED industry would still have 30 years of boom ahead in consideration of consistent rollouts of new applications for white LEDs. He noted that his company would introduce LED lighting fixtures in July, marking the company’s first step into LED lighting segment.Chipmaker Formosa Epitaxy Inc. has begun output expansion at its factory in Shandong Province of the mainland to cope with upcoming brisk orders.

will be the top supplier of LED backlit panels by the end of the year, seizing 32 percent of total market share, the report said. The company expects 70 percent to 80 percent of total notebook computer panels to use LED backlighting by the end of the year.Hannstar Display Corp will rank No. 2, followed by South Korean company Samsung Electronics Co, the researcher said.In the first quarter of 2009, shipments of LED backlit panels used in computers grew almost 8 times from the same period last year to 10.6 million units, the report showed. About 4.2 million units were shipped for netbooks, with 100 percent LED penetration, and 5.9 million for notebook PCs, with 26 percent penetration.Two years ago, about one-fifth of the 1,000 suppliers had the capability to make LED-equipped models. And less than 20 percent of their total production was allotted to the segment, as incandescent designs were mainstream.

By now, nearly all the suppliers boast regular manufacturing lines for LED Christmas lights. In fact, such types now account for 60 to 70 percent of the output in most factories.LED bulbs feature low power consumption, high heat tolerance and brightness, and last 20,000 to 100,000 hours, comparing with the average 3,000 hours for incandescent bulbs. What’s more, they function properly in temperatures of -40 to 80 C and can be switched on and off frequently without damaging the wires.Some Chinese makers are also adopting new power sources for the energy-efficient lights. For example, Shenzhen-based Ever Bright Electric Co. Ltd has developed LED Christmas lights that run on solar energy. China’s production of such models is projected to increase at an annual rate of 5 to 10 percent.