With the vast array of different LED packages and applications, bin sorting is becoming an important means of achieving a consistent light pattern in a final product.

But what exactly is bin sorting and how does it work?

On the front end of manufacturing, wafers are produced, with each wafer containing thousands of dies that will become individual LEDs. The dies are “diced” (separated) from the wafer and placed together in a giant bin. These individual dies vary slightly in chromaticity, color temperature, and wavelength. To deal with variances, automated testing equipment (ATE) sorts the dies into smaller bins based on similar color and intensity, with the number of bins determined by the volume of LEDs made by a manufacturer.

After being sorted into smaller bins, the dies go to “final package” where they are placed in a final LED assembly.  Each LED is once again tested for operation and light pattern.

When selecting an LED for a lighting application or when clustering them together, manufacturers can achieve an even and consistent look in a product if they select LEDs from the same bin, as indicated on the LED data sheet.

*Find a more detailed explanation of wafer manufacturing at Wikipedia.

LEDs have been a hot topic in the TFT LCD market due to their rapid adoption in notebook PC displays and the high potential in LCD TV panels. In 2012, 34 billion LEDs will be used in TFT LCD backlights, in sizes ranging from 1” to more than 70”, up more than 300% from 8 billion in 2008, according to the new DisplaySearch report Display LEDs: Lighting Up the Display World.

A total of 70.8 billion LEDs were shipped in 2008. There are two categories of LEDs used in display applications; active outdoor displays, which used 11 billion LEDs or 15% of the total in 2008, and LCD backlights, which consumed 8 billion or 11% of the total. Within LCD backlight applications, five key types are adopting LEDs: small/medium, notebook PC, desktop monitors, industrial applications, and most notably TV. 

With the fast growth in LED outdoor displays and backlights, DisplaySearch forecasts that display LEDs, including 24 billion for active outdoor display and 34 billion for LCD backlights, will have a 34.7% share of the global 167 billion unit LED market in 2012, making display LEDs the largest market segment. Low-current LEDs will be the mainstream type used in large-area LCD backlights, due to cost, thermal management and luminance efficiency requirements. High-power LEDs, with a driving current higher than 350 mA (more than 1W), are not well-suited for LCD backlights due to thermal issues, and will mainly be used in general lighting applications that require high brightness.

Shipments of LED backlights for large-size (10”+) TFT LCDs will exceed 368 million in 2012, an amazing 25 times 2008 shipments (see figure above). For LCD backlights, side-view LEDs enable slim design, and dominate small/medium LCD backlights. Large-size (10”+) LCD backlights typically use top-view LEDs, and with the increased penetration of LED backlights in notebook PCs and increasingly TVs, top-view LED shipments will pass side-view in 2010. 

The penetration rate of LED backlights in notebook PCs will reach 52% in 2009, and DisplaySearch forecasts penetration will grow rapidly to 81% in 2010. In LCD TV, the penetration rate will ramp up from 3% with 3.6 million units in 2009 to 10% with 15 million units in 2010. Leading LCD TV brands including Samsung, Philips, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, Vizio and LG are planning increased use of LED backlights starting in the second half of 2009. A driving factor is the change in LED backlight structure from direct to edge light type, which reduces the cost premium over CCFL backlights. Finally, LED backlights in desktop monitors are expected to reach 31 million units in 2012. 

Eyeing the growing LED needs for their panels, nearly all panel makers are participating in the LED business through new LED companies or investments in existing manufacturers. DisplaySearch analysis indicates that Nichia and Toyota Gosei will continue to dominate the market for blue and white LEDs for LCD backlights over the next three years, due to their strong patent portfolios and customer relationships. However, Samsung LED, Stanley, Citizen, Showa Denko, Seoul Semiconductor and OSRAM are targeting growth in LED backlights for LCD TVs. Finally, Taiwanese makers like Lite-On, Chi-Mei Lighting, Lighthouse and Everlight are entering the backlight market with low cost structures. 

The DisplaySearch Display LEDs: Lighting Up the Display World report also reveals that LED revenues for outdoor displays will reach $1 billion in 2009 and are expected to grow to $1.5 billion in 2012. The use of LED outdoor displays in the 2008 Beijing Olympics provided international visibility, and such events will be a driving force for growth in LED outdoor displays in the coming years. 

“LEDs will create new growth for the TFT LCD industry due to characteristics such as lowering power consumption, meeting green requirements, adding dimming capability, improving color performance and enabling slim and light form factors for LCD panels and applications,” noted Yoshio Tamura, Vice President of DisplaySearch and the component research team leader. “On the other hand, TFT LCDs also provide new vigor to the LED industry, as they open up broader applications requiring higher quality and more advanced technology.” 

Tamura concluded, “The interaction between the LCD and LED industries can be viewed as a key development in electronics in the coming decades.” 

About DisplaySearch 
DisplaySearch, an NPD Group company, has a core team of 57 employees, located in Europe, North America and Asia, who produce a valued suite of FPD-related market forecasts, technology assessments, surveys, studies and analyses. Visit the DisplaySearch blog to read about how our top analysts are interpreting up-to-the-minute issues that impact the display industry, and join us in this discussion about technology and the flat panel industry. The company also organizes influential events worldwide. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, DisplaySearch has regional operations in Chicago, Houston, Kyoto, London, San Diego, San Jose, Seoul, Shenzhen, Taipei and Tokyo. 

Demand and usage of LEDs is booming, in direct contrast to the bearish global economy and the resulting contraction in many product categories. Beginning in the second half of 2007, LEDs have recovered from the sluggish sales and unit shipments that characterized the market from 2004 to mid-2007. LEDs – especially certain fast-emerging niche segments like High Brightness (HB) for specialized applications – have rebounded, and that resurgence will continue over the next three to five years. 

As a result, the LED market will experience robust growth over the next five years, fueled by increasingly more-powerful and energy-efficient offerings that will help businesses and consumers lower their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), accelerate Return on Investment (ROI) and be more environmentally friendly. 

NextGen Research, in its new report “LED Lighting: Solid State Lighting Applications, Technologies, and Market Opportunities,” forecasts the overall solid-state lighting (SSL) market to achieve worldwide revenues topping $33 billion by 2013. The illumination segment of the LED market will light the way with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 22% in the 2009-2013 timeframe as cities worldwide shift their streetlights to these more energy-efficient and ecologically friendly solutions. The display portion of the market also will shine brightly, achieving a five-year CAGR of over 14%. 

Energized by improvements in the technology and significant extensions of product lifespans, LEDs now have powerful proponents in government agencies, municipalities, utilities and even iconoclastic, forward-thinking private citizens, all calling for widespread acceptance and adoption of LEDs. 

Research analyst Laura DiDio has identified a number of trends that have combined to make this one of the most dynamic periods in the history of LEDs. These include: bifurcation in the market between commoditized LEDs and higher-end, leading-edge applications; the speed at which LED technology is advancing; standardization and green initiatives; industry consolidation; the emergence of niche market illumination applications, and new markets for mature applications. 

On the other hand, says Ms. DiDio, “The LED industry still faces challenges. Vendors must work with legislators and industry groups to foster a smooth, orderly transition from incandescent bulbs to the more efficient LEDs. Vendors also must provide specific product roadmaps to assist users with business continuity planning, and provide excellent after-market technical support and guidance during the transition period.” 

NextGen Research is the emerging technology arm of ABI Research. NextGen Research informs clients of the outlook for applications currently in use and the opportunities presented by new technologies, so they can make sound business decisions.

LEDs Magazine – LED lighting market to exceed $5B by 2012, says report 

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What does this mean for the US? How far are we behind the EU?