Oct. 11, 2017
HPK and Nichia Agree to Build Wide-ranging Collaborative Framework
Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. (President and CEO: Akira Hiruma; hereinafter “HPK”) and Nichia Corporation (President: Hiroyoshi Ogawa; hereinafter “Nichia”) have reached a basic agreement to build a wide-ranging collaborative framework leveraging the two companies’ proprietary optical and other technologies.
HPK is highly reputed in Japan and worldwide for its optical technologies, with a particular focus on high-performance optical sensors such as photomultiplier tubes (or PMT) and photodiodes. Its technologies contribute to a wide range of fields, from industrial applications to academic research in physics. Nichia possesses technologies in the fields of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), laser diodes (LDs), phosphors and battery materials. Nichia has been recognized as a world leader in the field of opto semiconductors since famously becoming the first company in the world to establish mass production of blue LEDs and violet LDs.
The optical/optoelectronics technologies in which these two companies specialize play indispensable roles in various industries (e.g. energy, automobile production, communications, medicine, etc.). Their importance in sensing and other applications is expected to continue to grow year over year.
In view of these prospects, and recognizing the importance of strengthening their own and each other’s businesses, the two companies have agreed on an operating partnership to advance proactively on a wide range of cooperative ventures. In so doing the two companies vow to respect the leading-edge technologies and intellectual properties held by each other.
Through this new partnership, HPK and Nichia will organically integrate their respective advanced technologies and put them to mutual practical use. The two companies expect this integration to generate superior optical/optoelectronic products and bring them to market rapidly.
The first phase of the partnership will concentrate on semiconductor-wafer processing technology called stealth dicing (SD) (1) . HPK is a producer and vendor of SD engines, a core SD technology device, while Nichia possesses several patents in the SD field. Nichia will make these patents available to HPK so that HPK can broaden its portfolio of SD patents further, advancing the development of next-generation SD technologies and further strengthening its SD business. Nichia is beginning an evaluation process geared to expanding its range of adoption of HPK’s high-performance SD engines for Nichia’s LED production processes.
HPK’s state-of-the-art technology in sensors is the perfect match for Nichia’s leadership position in light emitting devices. By fusing these two high-technology portfolios, both partner companies expect to achieve stronger business prospects and enhanced brand presence. HPK and Nichia aim to create fresh value for the benefit of society, by bringing forth technologies with the power to change the world (2) .
Notes
(1).Stealth dicing is an environmentally friendly technology for dicing semiconductor wafers. Developed first by HPK, this technology uses lasers to separate chips by internally processing the wafer.
(2).HPK was founded by disciples of Kenjiro Takayanagi, the father of television technology. Through continued pursuit of the outermost possibilities of light, HPK discovers innovative applications for optical technologies and develops exciting products from a wide variety of perspectives. The company’s technological excellence has earned high praise throughout Japan and around the world.
Nichia became a global leader when it was the world’s first company to succeed in mass-producing blue LEDs. This technology was then applied to create white LEDs that today provide illumination in a wide variety of products (e.g. mobile phones, TVs, automobiles, general lightings, etc.).
The technologies of HPK and Nichia are changing the way people live around the world, contributing in countless ways to achieve a better quality of life in today’s societies.
Chinese version (simplified)
Chinese version (traditional)
Korean version