LED lighting startup Illumitex has raised $13.52 million in equity, according to a government filing. The Austin, Texas-based company is looking to raise $25.23 million in total in this funding round, says a Reuters article.

Investors listed on Illumitex’s filing include DFJ Mercury and New Enterprise Associates, both of which are previous investors. The company, founded in 2005, had a $10.5-million B round in March 2008.

Last year, Illumitex unveiled its Aduro series of high-power LED modules, a range of 4- and 16-die LED arrays that emit uniform, narrow-beam white light without the need for expensive, inefficient secondary optics. The company is addressing the general lighting market, as well as architectural and horticultural lighting.

austriamicrosystems acquires TAOS

Austriamicrosystems AG (SIX:AMS), an Austria-based designer and manufacturer of analog ICs, including LED driver ICs, has entered into an agreement with Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions, Inc., headquartered in Plano, Texas (USA), to acquire 100% of the shares in TAOS. The transaction is expected to close within the next eight weeks, and is likely to be worth approximately USD 320 million.

TAOS is an established supplier of light-sensing products, including display-management solutions such as ambient light sensors, proximity sensors and color sensors. TAOS supplies these products to manufacturers of smartphones, tablet PCs, HDTVs and laptops, among others.

For fiscal year 2010, TAOS recorded audited revenues of USD 81 million (2009: USD 40 million) and an operating profit margin exceeding 30%. The companies have had a close relationship with each other for several years, since TAOS has been a customer of austriamicrosystems’ foundry business. More details.

Taiwan and China plan to set LED standards

Taiwan and China have agreed to develop unified industrial standards for LEDs, photovoltaic cells and flat-panel displays, according to an article in The China Post.

The announcement was made at the end of the Eighth Cross-Strait Communications Industry and Technical Standards Forum held in Taipei. During the forum, Taiwanese and Chinese representatives signed three memoranda of understanding (MOU) on promoting unified standards for LED, photovoltaic and flat panel display technologies.

“The two sides have also agreed to form respective technical experts' committee to start working on unified standards,” said Wen Ku, deputy director of the China Communications Standards Association.

Steve Chen, chairman of Taiwan's SINOCON Industrial Standards Foundation, said China is the world's biggest market for LEDs, for which Taiwan is the top manufacturer. “If Taiwan and China launch unified standards, we can be the world leader in LED industry,” he said.

Tsinghua Tongfang chooses Veeco's MaxBright MOCVD system

Tsinghua Tongfang Co., a Beijing-based division of Tsinghua Holdings Company Ltd, has placed an order with Veeco for a TurboDisc MaxBright Multi-Reactor MOCVD System. This system will be used for production of high-brightness LEDs.

The order comes after Tsinghua Tongfang chose Veeco as its primary supplier for a new production facility in NanTong China last year. Until now, the facility has been using Veeco's single-chamber K465i systems. The new system will help the company to improve its fab productivity. More details.

AquaLite places order for Crius II reactor with Aixtron

AquaLite Co. Ltd, a Chinese power chip company, has placed an order for a 55x2-inch Crius II reactor MOCVD system from Aixtron SE. The system will be dedicated to the growth of materials for HB-LEDs and high-voltage LED production.

The new reactor will be installed by Aixtron in the second quarter of 2011 at Aqualite's mainland-China LED production plant.

Last November, the company acquired six CRIUS 31x2-inch-configuration systems for high-power LED production, and says its is "confident that the new reactor will also be a very worthwhile new addition when it comes onstream." Read more.