Rambus expects a 20% market penetration of LED-backlit LCD TVs in 2010, and believes it could reach 50%, if prices fall within 10% of CCFL models. The company claims that its MicroLens technology focuses the light distribution of light guide plates to improve edge-type BLU efficiency, resulting in reduced LED usage. In addition, the technology enables slim light guide plates that measure less than 0.3mm to lower material costs, the company said, adding that light guide plate cost in a 46-inch model could fall to US$20, versus US$30 at present.

About half of the LED TV market is comprised of 40-inch or larger products, and dual-side (top and bottom) BLU designs are most common in 2010, Rambus said. In 2011, the marketplace will see more models with left and right BLU designs and single-side technology will be the key to reducing cost, the company added.

Rambus predicts 46-inch LED TVs in 2011 will use 172 LEDs, down from 240 in 2010, and further drop to 142 in 2012 with single-side designs (bottom). The largest LED TV is 55-inch currently and consumers will see single-side edge-type models of this size by mid-2011, the company said.

For the lighting sector, Rambus expects LED to penetrate 4% of the 2010 market. To further expand the market, the ideal price gap of LED and conventional lighting should narrow to less than 20% and corporate users need to be able to recover costs through energy savings in 1-2 years, according to the company.

GE Lighting, a unit of General Electric, and Rambus recently signed a licensing agreement for the use of Rambus' lighting patents, including its product reference designs and manufacturing process. The initial focus will be to create a flat-panel LED lighting system for architectural and commercial lighting for global markets. Volume production is scheduled for 2011.

In December 2009, Rambus acquired the optical electronics team and patents for MicroLens from Global Lighting Technologies (GLT) for US$26 million.

By: DocMemory
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