 |
 |
The Fox Group Inc. is a developer and a manufacturer of blue, ultraviolet and white epitaxial wafers and light emitting diodes (LEDs.) The company's products are used as indicator lighting and for display illumination of wireless handsets, PDAs, automotive and aerospace instrument panel dashboard lighting, electric toys, video games, printers and stereo equipment.
Red, orange and yellow LEDs have been produced for decades using conventional low cost methods. However it took years to develop blue, ultraviolet and white LEDs. |
The primary obstacle preventing the development of Gallium Nitride LEDs was the ability to make epitaxial wafers. It was only in the mid-1990s that Nichia Corporation, in Japan, discovered a way to make Gallium Nitride epitaxial wafers.
At present, all blue, green, ultraviolet and white LEDs are made using the expensive Nichia's MOCVD epitaxial wafer process. Nichia Corporation currently exercises a near monopoly, along with Cree Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE) and Toyoda Gosei (a division of Toyota Motor) over the Gallium Nitride LED markets. Blue LEDs account for virtually none of the low brightness LED market since the three existing manufacturers are not able to produce at a low enough cost to address this market segment. Fox Group's low cost epitaxial wafer process enables the company to uniquely serve the needs of companies interested in purchasing low cost blue LEDs including Panasonic, Sharp, SANYO, Sega and Toshiba.
Target market
The Fox Group is building a broad patent portfolio with over 30 patents filed and core patents issued encompassing its proprietary technologies. The company has developed a non-MOCVD low cost epitaxy process to produce Gallium Nitride wafers. Its low cost process enables blue, ultraviolet and white LEDs to be produced in volume at unit costs that are in the low pennies. The company is currently producing blue epitaxial wafers, but with further development it will be able to produce ultraviolet and white LEDs. The company initially intends to sell its epitaxial wafers to the original equipment manufacturer, which in turn will perform the wafer processing, package and testing steps necessary to create finished LEDs.
|
|
