Silicon-Based Light Bulbs a Big Step Closer, Startup Says
Silicon has shaken up many industries. A startup called Bridgelux says the next big target will be light bulbs.
The Livermore, Calif., company on Tuesday claimed a breakthrough in using the material to fabricate light-emitting diodes, the new-wave components that are finding a place in many lighting applications because of their superior energy-efficiency and longevity. A key barrier to their wider use is high cost–$40 price tags aren’t uncommon for 60-watt equivalent bulbs–and that’s where silicon could come in.
Most LEDs are now fabricated on substrates of relatively costly materials such as sapphire or silicon carbide. Many companies are putting most of their efforts in trying to use larger substrates of the same materials to drive down costs, says Bill Watkins, Bridgelux’s CEO.
A more radical approach is to move to silicon, the foundation of computer chips. Besides the cost advantage of the material, the approach could theoretically make use of the many older semiconductor factories that are inexpensive to operate.
