[September 22, 2005] Cree Now Selling 100 mm Silicon Carbide Substrate and Epitaxy Materials Tweet PITTSBURGH, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cree, Inc., announced today that it can now take orders for 100 mm (4-inch) n-type silicon carbide (SiC) substrates and epitaxy material. The current Cree standard for SiC is 3-inch diameter material. The announcement is being made at the International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials being held in Pittsburgh, PA. SiC is a high performance semiconductor material used in the production of a broad range of power, light and communications components, including power switching devices, light emitting diodes (LEDs) and RF power transistors for wireless communications. Cree's ability to produce single crystal SiC in the larger 100 mm format allows customers to potentially double the number of devices produced per wafer compared with current production on 3-inch material. "Cree's launch of 100 mm substrates and epitaxy establishes that SiC can be a high volume, production-oriented material within the semiconductor industry. It demonstrates Cree's technology and commitment to develop material products targeted to the needs of the commercial market," notes Lyn Rockas, Cree Materials general manager. "Cree would like to acknowledge the significant support received from the Army Research Laboratory and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in our efforts to develop 100 mm SiC substrates and epitaxy. We all benefit from the commercialization of this product," notes John Palmour, Cree executive vice president of advanced devices. Additional information about SiC materials can be obtained by calling Cree at 919-313-5300 or visiting http://www.cree.com/. About Cree, Inc. Cree, Inc. is a market-leading innovator and manufacturer of semiconductors that enhance the value of solid-state lighting, power and communications products by significantly increasing their energy performance. Key to Cree's market advantage is unrivaled materials expertise in silicon carbide (SiC) with gallium nitride (GaN) to deliver chips and packaged devices that can handle more power in a smaller space while producing less heat than other available technologies, materials and products. Cree drives its increased Return on Energy(TM) (ROE(TM)) solutions into multiple applications including exciting alternatives in brighter and more tunable light for general illumination, backlighting for more vivid displays, optimized power management for high-current switch-mode power supplies and variable speed motors, and more effective wireless infrastructure for data and voice communications. Cree customers range from innovative lighting fixtures makers to defense related federal agencies. Cree's product families including blue and green LED chips, lighting LEDs, LED backlighting solutions, power switching devices and radio frequency devices. The company is also currently developing near-ultraviolet lasers. For additional product specifications, please refer to the data sheets at http://www.cree.com/. This press release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors, such as the risk we may encounter delays or other difficulties in ramping up production of our new products; the risk we may be unable to manufacture products with sufficiently low cost to offer them at competitive prices or with acceptable margins; the rapid development of new technology and competing products that may impair demand or render our products obsolete; the potential lack of customer acceptance for the products; variations in demand for Cree's products and its customers' products; and other factors discussed in Cree's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 26, 2005, and subsequent filings. Cree and the Cree logo are registered trademarks and Return on Energy and ROE are trademarks of Cree, Inc. Cree, Inc. CONTACT: Deb Lovig, Marketing Communications of Cree, Inc.,+1-919-287-7505, or [email protected] Web site: http://www.cree.com/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]