Prices for 10W LED Light Bulbs That Are Meant to Replace 60W Incandescent Bulbs

Prices for 10W LED light bulbs that are meant to replace 60W incandescent bulbs are expected to drop from over NT$500 (US$16.9) currently to below NT$300 at the end of 2012, according to Lee Biing-jye, chairman of Taiwan-based LED epitaxial wafer and chip maker Epistar. Taiwan-based Nan Ya Photonics, in which Epistar holds a 40.75% stake, is setting up an automated production line of LED light bulbs, with trial production scheduled for the third quarter and volume production for the fourth quarter of 2012, Lee indicated. With Epistar to supply LED chips, the production line can turn out 400,000-500,000 LED light bulbs a month, Lee noted. Automated production is crucial to lowering LED light bulb prices, Lee added. While Epistar focuses its 2012 business operation on LED lighting, orders for LED chips for large-size TFT-LCD backlighting have been increasing, including those from China-based LCD TV vendors, Lee indicated. Epistar's utilization of its capacity for blue LED chips will rise to 90% in April, Lee said. Source: www.digitimes.com