The US Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the third round of funding for SSL Manufacturing R&D. The three beneficiary projects will focus on achieving significant cost reductions while maintaining quality by improving manufacturing equipment, processes and monitoring techniques.

Total DOE funding for the three projects is $7.1 million and leverages an additional $5 million in private-sector funding from the three awarded companies. Cree, based in Durham, NC, has been awarded one project, with the goal of developing an optimized LED fixture that can be readily integrated into buildings and outdoor applications using fewer raw materials. The project targets lower overall manufacturing cost without sacrificing illumination performance.

Another recipient, KLA Tencor based in Milpitas, CA, will seek to improve the color consistency of LEDs by developing a high-precision hot-testing tool that can be used during LED manufacturing. The final recipient, k-Space Associates of Dexter, MI, will build on the company’s existing optical monitoring methods to enable high-precision measurement of organic LED (OLED) layers. The tool, which measures layer thickness and composition, is designed to provide production-level control of OLED efficiency, color and lifetime.

This is the third round of DOE investments in SSL manufacturing projects. They are designed to create jobs, boost exports, and promote America's role as a global leader in energy efficiency.