Usm Researchers Develop Cost- Saving Substance For Making Led Lamps

GEORGE TOWN (Bernama) - Malaysia may become an
important producer of a basic substance for producing light-emitting diodes
after two researchers from Universiti Sains Malaysia managed to develop what is
known as Nitrida 3.

Science University of Malaysia, acronym: USM is a public university with
its main campus in Penang, Malaysia.


Dean of the universty's School of Physics Prof Zainuriah Hassan said the
research conducted together with Prof Haslan Abu Hassan since 2002 was expected
to be completed in another five years.

"Nitrida 3 is not only strong compared to other substances, but also lasts
longer; about 20 years, than the substance used in ordinary lamps, hence is
cost-saving," she told a press conference here Friday, with Haslan also present.

Zainuriah said the researchers used silicon which was much cheaper than the
substance usually used for making LED lightbulbs.

She said Malaysians would have the opportunity to use LED-based electronic
appliances like TVs, lightings and blue ray VCDs that would be 40 per cent
cheaper if Nitrida could be developed on a big scale.

"Consumers will be able to watch films from VCDs that are as big as a 50-sen
coin using blue ray technology and save electricity by using LED lightbulbs."

Haslan, meanwhile, said the substance (Nitrida 3) could also be used for
under-sea communication purpose and for enemy detection by the military.

"For the purpose of light detection and absorbing dangerous gases, the
research involved will take a long time and the cost, high."

He said USM was using a RM22 million government grant to set up a
sophisticated lab, the Nano-Optoelectronics Research and Technology Laboratory,
also known as the NOR LAB.