Sharp to Start Mass Production of Blue LED Chips at Its Fukuyama Plant

Hamburg , 22 June 2010

– Sharp Corporation will start mass production of blue LED chips at its Fukuyama Plant in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan within 2010.

Growth in demand for LED backlights for LCD TVs and LED lighting fixtures has led to a rapid increase in the demand for blue LED chips. Sharp started blue LED chip production at its Mihara Plant in Mihara City, Hiroshima Prefecture in January 2010. To meet positive market demand in the mid to long term, Sharp has decided to start production at the Fukuyama Plant as well and to expand materials procurement. This will boost Sharp’s production capacity of blue LED chips to approximately five billion units a year in fiscal 2011.

Sharp’s blue LED chip production business at the Fukuyama Plant has been adopted as a project under the “Fiscal 2009 subsidy scheme for promoting the location of low-carbon industry and creating employment” run by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Sharp will strive to further enhance the development of eco-friendly products through its cutting-edge technologies and will continue to expand the market for LED business.

Manufacturing facilities	Fukuyama Plant, Mihara Plant
Production capacity	Approx. 5 billion units per year (in total)
Start of mass production	Within 2010 (plan)
Capital investment	Approx. 15 billion yen (approx. 137 Mio. Euro)

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About Sharp Microelectronics Europe
Sharp Microelectronics Europe, Hamburg, Germany, is a divisional company of Sharp Electronics (Europe) GmbH, which is a subsidiary of Sharp Corporation, Osaka, Japan. Sharp is a worldwide developer of core digital technologies shaping the next generation of electronic applications and products. With a portfolio of more than 2,000 components in the ranges of TFT LCDs in screen sizes up to 108 inches, high brightness white and colour LEDs, optoelectronics, CCD and CMOS camera sensors, photovoltaic components, RF-, IC- und LSI-components as well as advanced packaging and integration skills Sharp Microelectronics Europe offers groundbreaking solutions in particular for applications in automotive electronics, mobile / communications technology, industrial automation, TV- and consumer electronics, e-signage and LED based lighting technology. Sharp is dedicated to the improvement of people’s lives and environmental protection through the use of advanced technologies. Technology and product development at Sharp is strongly determined by innovation, quality, usability and saving of resources.
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