Joint press release of Osram and Vishay

Osram and Vishay sign License Agreement for LEDs

Osram GmbH, Munich, and Vishay Group, Malvern/California, represented by Vishay Semiconductor GmbH, today announced they have entered into an agreement covering the use of patents. On payment of a licence fee, Vishay is acquiring the right to manufacture and sell light emitting diodes (LEDs) for white light with conversion technology and surface-mount LEDs for high-current applications (Power SMT LEDs), for which Osram hold patents. Typical applications include e.g. the automotive interior lighting.

The white LED technology developed by the Osram Opto Semiconductors subsidiary and being licensed by Vishay enables white LEDs to be produced with blue emitting InGaN (Indium Gallium Nitride) chips by using a suitable phosphor converter. Osram Opto Semiconductors holds a large number of patents relating to white LEDs and has previously signed licensing agreements with Nichia, Rohm, Everlight, Lite on and Samsung Electro Mechanics.

"Our patent portfolio is the result of many years of research and development, and we are sure that both partners will profit from this agreement. With this new licence agreement, yet another global LED manufacturer has underlined the importance of our patent portfolio," said Dr. Rüdiger Müller, President and CEO of Osram Opto Semiconductors.

"As a result of this agreement, Vishay gains a new opportunity to expand its white LED product offering with new devices for the automotive industry," said Dieter Wunderlich, Executive Vice President Semiconductors at Vishay Intertechnology. "Beyond automotive, white LEDs are being designed into a wide range of signage, indicator, all of which represent additional opportunities based on the Osram technology for strengthening the Vishay visible LED product line."

About Osram
Osram is one of the two largest lighting manufacturers in the world. Its subsidiary, Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH in Regensburg, offers its customers solutions based on semiconductor technology for the lighting, sensor and visualisation sectors. The company has sites in Regensburg, San José (USA) and Penang (Malaysia). In the 2003 fiscal year (to the end of September) its around 3,300 employees produced sales totalling EUR 392 million. For more information go to www.osram-os.com.

About Vishay
Vishay, a Fortune 1,000 Company listed on the NYSE, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors (diodes, rectifiers, transistors, optoelectronics, and selected ICs) and passive electronic components (resistors, capacitors, inductors, and transducers). The Company’s components can be found in products manufactured in a very broad range of industries worldwide. Vishay is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and has plants in 17 countries employing over 25,000 people. Vishay can be found on the Internet at www.vishay.com.

Press contact:

OSRAM

Christian Bölling
Tel: +49-89-6213-2597
Fax: +49-89-6213-3457
Email: c.boelling@osram.com

Vishay

Andrew Post
Tel: +1-610-251-5287
Fax: 
Email: andrew.post@vishay.com