Applied Wins DOE Grant for LEDs

Moving the ball forward in next-generation lighting, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $37.8 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will fund 17 high-efficiency solid-state lighting (SSL) projects. Applied Materials will receive $3.9 million of those funds for a project to reduce costs of LED manufacturing through improvements in manufacturing equipment and processes.

Applied was one of eight companies selected in the manufacturing arena. Other recipients include GE Global Research, GE Lumination, KLA-Tencor, Philips Lumileds, Ultratech, Universal Display Corp. and Veeco Instruments.

The grants were awarded in the areas of core technology, product development and manufacturing. The DOE has previously funded five rounds of SSL research in core technology and product development. This latest round marks the first investment in the manufacturing sector.

This funding – Applied’s first U.S. government grant in lighting -- is an important sign that the DOE understands the importance of manufacturing efficiency in order to see the broad adoption of LEDs. The DOE estimates that widespread use of cost-effective solid-state lighting could reduce electricity use for lighting by one-third nationally. LED lighting is good for the environment, good for jobs growth, and increasingly, good for customers’ wallets.

Increasing the cost-efficiency and improving manufacturing processes of LEDs continues to be the focus of Applied’s work in this arena. Our 40+ years in nanomanufacturing technologies translates well to the burgeoning LED industry as it expands into LCD TVs and a whole new realm of lighting opportunities.