Hitachi Cable has transferred to Giga Epitaxy Technology Corp. (hereinafter "GET") Hitachi's Liquid Phase Epitaxial (LPE) technology to enable the manufacturing of AlGaAs epitaxial wafers (Epi wafers) for LEDs. A subsidiary of Hitachi Cable located in Taiwan region, GET plans to begin production on the wafers in July.

Based on Hitachi's compound semiconductor technology, GET currently produces epitaxial wafers for electronic devices, for example transmission devices for mobile phones for laser diodes, alongside its production of epitaxial wafers.

In recent years, the number of available colors and brightness of LEDs has improved, allowing use in numerous areas, including various display types, car-mounted lamps, traffic facilities, lighting, and electronic appliances. With LED demand poised to expand, Taiwan region is becoming one of the world's largest LED production hubs, with numerous players concentrated in the region.

GET has therefore decided to reinforce its Epi wafer business operations as a cornerstone of its business operations. Making efficient use of high technology and the overall technical assistance provided by Hitachi Cable, GET is currently seeking to rapidly establish a foundation for stable production. Estimates put GET's anticipated monthly production capacity at 130,000 square centimeters.

GET Overview

1. Trade Name:	Giga Epitaxy Technology Corp.
2. Address:	No. 429, Gaush Road, Yangmei Jen, Taoyuan Hsien, Taiwan.
3. Executives:	Billy T.S. Wu (Chairman); Mikio Kashiwa (Executive Vice President/CFO, transferred from Hitachi Cable)
4. Capital:	1,000,000,000 NT$ (approx. 3.1 billion yen)
5. Shareholders:	Hitachi Cable (58%), Optotech Co. (5%), Other local companies (37%)
6. Established:	May 2000
7. Scope of business:	manufacturing and sales of compound semiconductor materials