Cree Redefines Price-Performance for High Power LEDs

New High Efficacy XT-E LED Delivers 25 Percent Higher Lumens-Per-Watt

DURHAM, N.C.--()--Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) continues to lead high-power LED innovation with significant improvements to the popular XLamp® XT-E LED. Leveraging key elements of Cree’s SC5 Technology Platform, the upgraded XT-E LED family now includes a new High Efficacy (HE) option that delivers a 25 percent increase in efficacy compared to the previous XT-E LED and provides a guaranteed minimum efficacy of 164 LPW at 85°C and 350mA. These improvements make 130 LPW or higher at the system level achievable under real operating conditions and enable existing customers to quickly upgrade system performance of applications, such as outdoor and industrial lighting, while still achieving the lowest total cost.

“We are committed to building the most energy-efficient industrial lighting systems and the newly improved High Efficacy XT-E LED enables us to do that without any additional investment or requalification,” said Colin Piepgras, vice president of engineering at Digital Lumens. “With the new XT-E LED, we are able to leverage existing optical, mechanical and electrical design elements to quickly improve our portfolio of intelligent lighting solutions.”

The enhanced XT-E LED improves the brightness, voltage characteristics and optical performance in the same, proven 3.45mm x 3.45 mm XT package. Demonstrating the excellent long-term reliability of Cree’s high-power ceramic LEDs, the XT-E LEDs now have more than 10,000 hours of LM-80 data available, delivering reported L90 lifetimes of greater than 60,000 hrs, at 105°C, 1A. This industry-leading reliability is ideal for applications like outdoor and high bay lighting where long lifetimes at high ambient temperatures matter. For example, XT-E’s improved efficacy and reliability make it well-suited for the recently updated DLC 4.0 requirements.

“Our customers rely on Cree for innovations that allow them to upgrade their existing products to both gain a competitive edge and meet increasing industry requirements,” said Dave Emerson, vice president and general manager for Cree LEDs. “Cree’s improved XT-E LED provides an immediate solution that eliminates the time and cost of redesign around other unproven alternatives.”

Product samples are available at the end of the month and production quantities are available with standard lead times. Please visit www.cree.com/xlamp/xte to learn more.

About Cree

Cree is a market-leading innovator of lighting-class LEDs, lighting products and semiconductor products for power and radio frequency (RF) applications. Cree believes in better light experiences and is delivering new innovative LED technology that transforms the way people experience light through high-quality interior and exterior LED lighting solutions.

Cree’s product families include LED lighting systems and bulbs, blue and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs, lighting-class power LEDs, power-switching devices and RF devices. Cree’s products are driving improvements in applications such as general illumination, electronic signs and signals, power supplies and inverters.

For additional product and Company information, please refer to 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, including the risk that actual savings and lifetimes will vary from expectations; the risk we may be unable to manufacture these new products with sufficiently low cost to offer them at competitive prices or with acceptable margins; the risk we may encounter delays or other difficulties in ramping up production of our new products; customer acceptance of our new 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 28, 2015, and subsequent filings.

Cree® and XLamp® are registered trademarks, and SC5 Technology is a trademark of Cree, Inc.

Contacts

Cree, Inc.
Claire Simmons, Corporate Communications
media@cree.com

Release Summary

Cree, Inc. continues to lead high-power LED innovation with significant improvements to the popular XLamp® XT-E LED.

Contacts

Cree, Inc.
Claire Simmons, Corporate Communications
media@cree.com