Cree Inc. is a Durham, North Carolina based, American corporation which manufactures semiconductor materials and devices. It was formed in 1987 by researchers from North Carolina State University. Materials products include silicon, silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride. Device products light-emitting diodes (LEDs) made from their materials for a variety of uses, as well as power supply chips, motor controllers and microwave radios. The wide band gap semiconductors are suitable for high voltage or high power or high temperature operation. SiC is used for high power electronics, largely due to having a very high thermal conductivity. Two of the Head people of Cree are John Palmour and Chuck Swoboda.

The company's silicon fabrication line in Sunnyvale, California is closed, and the company is now focusing on wide band-gap technologies.

The company holds the record for the most efficient White LED with a prototype that can produce 130 lumens per watt when 20mA of current is applied, nearly 10 times what an incandescent (normal) light bulb can produce. detail.asp?i=1150834953712" target="_blank">http://www.cree.com/press/press_detail.asp?i=1150834953712

Cree's competitors include _Nichia Corporation, Philips Lumileds Lighting Company and Seoul Semiconductor.