Philips said that its strong results in the second quarter of 2008 were largely due to growth in its Lighting division. From overall sales of EUR 6.46 billion during the quarter, Lighting accounted for EUR 1.739 billion, compared with EUR1.464 billion in the same quarter last year. The main driver for the increase was good performance by Genlyte.
Philips said that Lumileds accounted for roughly 4% of Lighting sales, which equates to approximately EUR 70 million ($110 million).
ON Semiconductor acquires Catalyst
Two semiconductor manufacturers, ON Semiconductor Corporation of Phoenix, AZ and Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc. of Santa Clara, CA, have signed a definitive merger agreement. Both companies supply driver ICs for LED lighting.
ON Semiconductor will acquire Catalyst Semiconductor in an all-stock transaction in which Catalyst shareholders will receive 0.706 shares of ON Semiconductor common stock for each share of Catalyst common stock they own. This represents an equity value of approximately $115 million and an enterprise value of approximately $85 million.
Cree lawsuit continues
LED maker Cree has lost an attempt to gain a summary judgment in a patent infringement suit filed by a retired Columbia University professor over doping of LEDs. The judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York rejected Cree's summary judgment bid in the case filed by Gertrude Rothschild, who has already reached settlements with other LED makers including Toyoda Gosei, Philips Lumileds, Osram and Epistar. The lawsuit continues.
Beta-Kramer files 100th patent for LEDs innovation
Beta-Kramer, a Ruud Lighting company, says it has filed its 100th patent application relating to LED luminaires. The latest one relates to an Off-Axis Total Internal Reflection (TIR) NanoOptic; this technology will enable the KramerLED recessed series to deliver unsurpassed recessed downlight efficiency and optical control while maintaining specification grade 45-degree visual cutoff. More details in the press release.
New US patents for Luminus
Power LED manufacturer Luminus Devices has received its 21st United States patent for its PhlatLight technology. The company also has 120 additional patents pending in the United States and foreign countries. The company's patent portfolio covers a wide range of patented technology including large-area LED devices, high-power wavelength-converting LED devices, and LED packaging technology.
