During the current phase of the plan, covering 2004 and 2005, the group hopes to achieve a luminous efficacy of 40 lm/W for white LEDs. Looking ahead, the next two-phase should see a further improvement to 60 lm/W.
Funding for the current phase, which is provided by the Economic Affairs department of the Taiwanese government and by the participants, amounts to NT$ 380 million ($11.5 million). Intellectual property developed during the program will be shared by the participating companies, who will all look to commence mass-production of white LEDs at the appropriate time.
"In the past five years, Japan invested more than NT$2 billion for the development of white LEDs, while South Korea is expected to allot NT$3.3 billion within the next five years," said Frank Chien. "Mainland China also intends to develop white LEDs. In line with this we decided that it is the best time for [Taiwanese manufacturers] to establish this group."
(This article was originally published in the March 2004 issue of Compound Semiconductor magazine.)