GoKawiilSeoul Viosys starts mass production of rare-earth-free white LED chip
Seoul Viosys has begun mass producing a white light-emitting chip, called WICOP 3, that uses gallium nitride instead of rare-earth materials like YAG. The chip can be made as small as 10 micrometres and the company says it costs roughly half as much to produce as conventional white LEDs, which currently rely on rare-earth coatings over blue LED chips.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Removing rare earths from white LED production could reduce manufacturers' exposure to the environmental and supply-chain issues tied to rare-earth mining, an industry the company itself flags as polluting. The claimed cost halving and sub-100µm size suggest WICOP 3 could compete directly in the roughly $10bn white LED segment of the packaged LED market, though actual adoption will depend on performance and customer uptake not detailed here. Seoul Viosys frames this as comparable to the transistor's disruption of vacuum tubes, a comparison that reflects the company's own ambitions rather than a confirmed market outcome.
- WICOP 3 is a package-free white LED chip made from gallium nitride alone, without rare-earth materials.
- Chips can be produced as small as 10 micrometres, targeting the micro-LED segment.
- Seoul Viosys claims roughly half the production cost of conventional white LEDs and fewer environmental drawbacks.
Source: semiconductor-today.com, 2026-11-01
Published there as: “Seoul Viosys begins production of rare-earth-free white light emitter”
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