Cree Launches New High-Performance XLamp® XT-E Royal Blue LED and Patent Licensing Program for Remote Phosphor Applications

Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE), a market leader in LED lighting, announces commercial availability of a new XLamp^® XT-E Royal Blue LED optimized for use in remote phosphor lighting and other applications with similar requirements. The new XLamp XT-E LED delivers the industry’s tightest wavelength bins combined with category-leading brightness to simplify remote phosphor designs and lower system costs.

In addition, Cree announces a remote phosphor component patent licensing program that provides access to Cree’s pioneering remote phosphor patents. The program is designed to drive the LED lighting revolution by enabling lighting fixture companies to develop and introduce their own high-quality LED system products using LEDs such as the XLamp XT-E Royal Blue. With a license under the new program, lighting OEMs can gain access to a number of fundamental Cree patents required to manufacture and use the combination of a remote phosphor optical element with blue LEDs in LED lighting applications.

"Customers using remote phosphor designs for their lighting products need both high output and consistent color,” said Mike Watson, Cree senior director of marketing, LED components. "The new Cree XLamp XT-E Royal Blue LED outperforms the competition in both elements enabling our customers to design high-performance and low cost systems.”

Built using Cree’s proven Direct Attach™ LED technology that delivers higher flux, lower forward voltage and lower thermal resistance than other technologies, the XLamp XT-E Royal Blue LED delivers up to 525 mW at 350 mA and 85 C. The new XT-E Royal Blue LED is also available in 2.5 nm wavelength bins to allow customers to achieve desired color consistency.

XLamp XT-E Royal Blue LEDs are available now with standard lead times. To locate a distributor, please visit www.cree.com/buyxlamp.

Companies interested in obtaining a license under Cree’s patents for the manufacture and use of remote phosphor components should email licensing@cree.com or call Cree at 919-313-5300.

About Cree

Cree is leading the LED lighting revolution and making energy-wasting traditional lighting technologies obsolete through the use of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly LED lighting. Cree is a market-leading innovator of lighting-class LEDs, LED lighting, and semiconductor solutions for wireless and power applications.

Cree’s product families include LED fixtures and bulbs, blue and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs, lighting-class power LEDs, power-switching devices and radio-frequency/wireless devices. Cree solutions are driving improvements in applications such as general illumination, backlighting, electronic signs and signals, variable-speed motors, and wireless communications.

For additional product and company information, please refer to www.cree.com. To learn more about the LED Lighting Revolution, please visit www.creeledrevolution.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 we may be unable to manufacture these 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 the 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 27, 2010, and subsequent filings.

Cree and XLamp are registered trademarks, and Direct Attach is a trademark of Cree, Inc.