Following iPhone 5S adoption of dual-flash LED, smartphones are expected to set off a new dual color flash LED trend. The market is very optimistic about growth in demand for flash LED. The two main supply chains for flash LED are separated into vertical chip manufacturers including Osram, Cree, and Samsung and flip chip manufacturers, such as Philips Lumileds, and Nichia. Taiwanese manufacturers Epistar and Genesis Photonics Inc. (GPI) are also following suit to grab flash LED market shares.
Flash LED requires high stability, small beam angle, and low voltage for operations. From large European, U.S., and Japanese manufacturers perspective flash LED chips can be classified into vertical and flip chips. The first is flip chips, which have a large beam angle, small package size, and high luminosity making them suitable applications for products with size restrictions. However, vertical chips also has a huge support base out of flash LED products that are capable of conducting high voltages in a short period. Vertical chips have a smaller beam angle than flip chips making it an ideal application for flash products with focused light source. Vertical chips are also highly stable and are better at preventing blue light exposure during phosphor applications.
Vertical and flip chip technologies both have supporters within the industry. One example is global flash LED leader Philips Lumileds, who uses thin film flip chip technology. Another is Citizen, a specialist in the Japanese market, who uses flip chip technology that incorporates chips manufactured by Nichia. Taiwanese manufacturers Epistar andGPI have also begun developing flip chips with the goal to cross into the flash LED market
Vertical chip manufacturers are equally worth noting, with big names such as Osram, Cree, and Samsung. Osram flash LED has the largest market share in China. In second is Taiwanese package manufacturer Everlight, who uses chips by Cree in their flash LEDs. In addition, other manufacturers that also use vertical LED chips, such as Samsung flash LED products have support from their large export markets.
