Light emitting diodes (LEDs) comprise an LED chip, package frame, phosphor for light modulation, and encapsulants, which protect the LED from external environment moisture and other elements. The functional properties of these LED packaging elements are being increased as LEDs are more widely adopted.
LED encapsulants are closely related to the LED’s lifespan and light transmittance. With high-power and high-brightness LEDs emerging, the encapsulant’s role is becoming more important, says Displaybank.
Epoxy resin was the common encapsulant for lamp-type LEDs in the 1990s. As LEDs were adopted for mobile phones and LCD TVs, silicone encapsulants began to be used to meet the various functional property needs such as refractive index, heat resistance, light resistance, and so forth. Today, by revenue, more than 97% of the LED encapsulant market uses silicone encapsulant, a trend expected to continue in the future, Displaybank reports.
Figure 1. LED encapsulant market forecast, based on quantity.
LED use in LCD TVs began to grow significantly in 2009, which kickstarted a growth spurt in LED package-use encapsulants in 2010. As the LED industry declined in 2011, demand also declined for encapsulants. The encapsulant market is forecasted to continue to grow in the future, as LED lighting grows globally.
Figure 2. Regional LED encapsulant market proportion forecast, based on revenue.
Regionally, China will become the biggest market globally, accounting for more than 30% of the global LED encapsulant market in 2015, thanks to government support, continued investments from related companies, and the increased demand for LED lighting.
Based on such trend, Displaybank analyzed the overall industry overview of encapsulant and LED package-use encapsulant market, especially, focusing on the market by type and by region in the silicone encapsulant field, of the LED package-use encapsulant market. This report intends to assist LED encapsulant and LED package companies, the companies with interests in LED-related parts materials and new LED business, and the companies that belong to all LED related fields.
