LED Prices & Effect on Metal Core PCB Fabrication

Many sources are discussing LED pricing in the next 5-15 years, with all sources pointing to a huge decrease in pricing for a number of reasons.

The most particular and promising other than the natural lowering of pricing from increased competition comes from the components and materials used.

The newer use of larger silicon carbide wafers will bring prices down eventually as well as the promising technology of GaN-on-Silicon wafers.

Pricing for assembled LED applications are predicted to drop by up to 100% from industry sources.

LEDs are up to 40 times more efficient and longer lasting than regular incandescent light bulbs. With the more affordable pricing, they will surely take over more of the new and replace old lighting applications.

This will also increase the effect of demand for metal core pcb designers, fabricators and assembly firms.

Nanotechnology Circuits in Wireless Devices

IBM researches released information that they designed nanotechnology circuits for use in wireless devices.

They are graphene-based making them the most thin electronic material available.

IPC PCB Industry Reports

Off the topic of metal core boards and onto rigid and flex boards:

The IPC releases some information on the PCB industry for April 2011 compared to April 2010:

- Rigid PCB shipments are up just 0.8% (for the YTD, up ~5%)
- Flex PCB shipments are up a whopping 7.2%

This data just goes to show the huge increases in use for high technology boards over standard (soon to be called old technology) boards. Flex boards, rigid flex and metal core boards are becoming more and more commonplace in applications.

Source: IPC