WASHINGTON: LED epitaxial wafer and chip maker Genesis Photonics has begun to ship CSP of (chip scale package) of chips for use in automotive headlights, backlighting of LCD TVs and camera flashes, with shipments expected to significantly increase in March 2016, according to company chairman David Chung.
Having developed CSP technology for a few years, Genesis Photonics started CSP of chips in October 2015 and shipments to Taiwan-based automotive headlight makers for after-market sale in November, Chung said. In addition, Genesis Photonics plans to cooperate with Europe-based automotive lighting OEMs to enter supply chains of automobile makers, Chung indicated.
Genesis Photonics has won adoption of CSP of chips for use in edge-type and direct-type backlighting of LCD TVs from Japan-, South Korea- and China-based vendors, with shipments to begin in the second quarter of 2016, Chung said.
Genesis Photonics currently has 72 MOCVD sets, equivalent to monthly production capacity of about 200,000 LED epitaxial wafers, Chung noted. As Genesis Photonics is replacing 2-inch wafer equipment with 4-inch wafer equipment, the overall capacity utilization will drop to 50-60% in the first quarter of 2016, Chung indicated. The proportion of total output for CSP will increase beginning the second quarter and thereby net operating loss will be decreasing, Chung said. The revenue proportion for CSP is expected to rise to 40-50% at the end of 2016, Chung noted.
As China-based makers have slowed down expansion of LED chip production capacities and LED chip inventory levels have dropped, LED chip prices are expected not to further fall, Chung indicated.