LED packaging service provider Bright LED Electronics is expected to hike prices for photo couplers, a type of infrared (IR) LED devices, by about 10%, according to industry sources.

Lite-On Technology has already hiked quotes for photo couplers by 10-20% and Everlight Electronics will follow suit, the sources said.

Demand for photo couplers is rising due to wide use in adapters of electric home appliances, UPS, consumer electronics, fast power charging devices, electric vehicles (EV) and inverters of charging piles, the sources noted.

Of Bright LED's consolidated revenues for the first three quarters of 2020, IR LED devices accounted for 46%, with 20% for photo couplers, and the proportion is likely to exceed 50% in 2021, the sources indicated.

Fellow maker Harvatek produces IR LED devices (not including photo couplers), and UV-C LED devices, and plans to hike prices for the former. With monthly capacity of packaging 500 million miniLED chips, Harvatek will step into miniLED backlighting in 2021 and aims at a revenue proportion of 5%.

Bright LED has reported consolidated revenues of NT$135.8 million (US$4.8 million) for December, increasing 2.19% sequentially but decreasing 15.94% on year, and those of NT$1.372 billion for 2020 slipped 22.21%.

For Harvatek, consolidated revenues of NT$230 million for December dropped 16.35% sequentially but grew 24.66% on year and those of NT$2.502 billion for 2020 rose 15.36% on year.

By DIGITIMES