Nichia Corp. announced Wednesday it will begin sample shipments of its green gallium-nitride (GaN) semiconductor laser diode in August. The company said it has confirmed an estimated lifetime of 10,000 hours for the diodes at 50 mW in continuous-wave operation at 60°C case temperature. With its low power consumption, small volume, high efficiency and lower costs compared with conventional light sources, Nichia said the primary initial application for its green semiconductor laser diode will be in pico projectors. For more information, visit: www.nichia.co.jp/en