Nichia

The Nichia Corporation (日 亜 化学 工业 株式会社Nichia Kagaku Kabushiki Kōgyō gaisha ) is a Japanese chemical and semiconductor company with headquarters in Tokushima, Japan, and worldwide subsidiaries. He has specialized in the production and sales of LED, fluorescent, laser diodes, pharmaceutical, magnetic, battery and coating materials. The company is divided into two areas, one while the second is responsible for LEDs and lasers for fluorescent and other fine chemicals.

With the invention of the blue LED in 1993 and 1996 of the white LED Nichia has become one of the world's largest manufacturers of LEDs and has contributed so significantly to the sustainable success of efficient, durable and environmentally friendly LEDs on the world market. The company develops, manufactures and markets LED's for displays, LCD backlights, the automotive field and lighting with a wide range of products within the visible spectrum, and UV LEDs.

With over 8,400 employees (as of April 2012) and numerous subsidiaries worldwide Nichia achieved a turnover of 2.75 billion euros in 2011.

Nichia is also one of the largest LED supplier for Apple products. So all iPhones and iPods with Nichia LEDs are equipped with iPads is about 50 percent.

History

The company was founded in 1956 by Nobuo Ogawa (小川 信 雄, 1912-2002 ) founded in Aranto -cho, Anan, Tokushima. Since then, it is still majority owned by the Ogawa family. The current president, Eji Ogawa (小川 英 治), is the son of the company founder.

In 1956, Nichia began with the production of high-purity calcium composites. Ten years later producing phosphor for fluorescent lighting was added, which found its way also in color televisions. From 1993, followed LEDs as another successful business.

One of the most famous decisions of the founder Nobuo Ogawa was to promote the engineer and later Professor Shuji Nakamura in the development of gallium nitride-based LEDs ( GaN LED), which at that time was considered risky. However, the task presented with the so- created breakthrough LED out to be a great success.

Nichia promotes the Polish company ammonolysis, currently the world leader in the GaN-based production of high quality bulk C -plane substrates with 2 inch diameter, as well as non - polar M -plane, A -plane and semi-polar GaN wafers. Nichia also funded a joint research project with ammonolysis to develop ammon other males GaN. In return, Nichia has access to a part of Ammonos intellectual property.

Some innovations of Nichia been associated with awards excellent as the Nikkei Best Product Award.

Competitor

Nichia competes in the LED sector with companies such as Osram, Cree, Samsung, Seoul Semiconductor and Lumileds.