Cree Introduces World's First IPx5-Rated Tri-Color LED for Full-Color Displays


DURHAM, N.C., June 17, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq:CREE), a market leader in LED lighting, announces the first commercially available water-resistant, surface-mount, high-brightness LEDs for outdoor video screens. This RGB (red-green-blue) LED has an IPx5 rating, indicating that the LED is protected against low-pressure jets of water from all directions.

"We've developed a water-resistant, red-green-blue LED that can be used in indoor and outdoor video screen applications," said Paul Thieken, Cree director of marketing, LED components. "Previously, LEDs had to be encapsulated to protect them from water. By incorporating encapsulation at the LED level, we can help our customers save time and money."

"Displ'aire, working with Cree, is changing the rules for LED displays," says Leo Stearns, Displ'aire's CEO. "Cree's involvement started with us early in our development cycle, and they provided the support we needed to rapidly deploy our new technologies. Displ'aire portable, daylight-visible displays and the new water-resistant Cree LEDs are a perfect technology match for creating brighter, more efficient displays that can better stand up to the elements."

The ScreenMaster(r) CLV6A-FKB features a black face for improved contrast in full-color video screens, decorative lighting and amusement applications. It has a unique encapsulation resin with UV-inhibitors, minimizing the effects of long-term exposure to direct sunlight which helps to improve the stability of the light-output over the life of the LED. It also features a unique matched horizontal radiation pattern-enhancing color mixing and pixel-to-pixel color consistency.

The CLV6A-FKB is commercially available now, and samples can be requested through a Cree representative.

About Cree

Cree is leading the LED lighting revolution and setting the stage to obsolete the incandescent light bulb through the use of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly LED lighting. Cree is a market-leading innovator of lighting-class LEDs, LED lighting, and semiconductor solutions for wireless and power applications.

Cree's product families include LED fixtures and bulbs, blue and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs, lighting-class power LEDs, power-switching devices and radio-frequency/wireless devices. Cree solutions are driving improvements in applications such as general illumination, backlighting, electronic signs and signals, variable-speed motors, and wireless communications.

For additional product and company information, please refer to www.cree.com

The Cree, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3529

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 these products with sufficiently low cost to offer them at competitive prices or with acceptable margins; the potential lack of customer acceptance of the products; the rapid development of new technology and competing products that may impair demand or render Cree's products obsolete; 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 29, 2008, and subsequent filings.

Cree and ScreenMaster are registered trademarks of Cree, Inc.


            

Contact Data