!%Veeco Instruments Inc.%! of Plainville, N.Y., a manufacturer of LEDs, solar panels and hard disk drives, was awarded $4 million in R&D matching funds by the US Department of Energy to support high-efficiency solid-state lighting projects. The award is for a project targeted at lowering manufacturing costs and improving the brightness and efficiency of LEDs by using novel materials, substrates and deposition technologies. Crystalline nitride semiconductor materials provider !%16495%%Kyma Technologies%! of Raleigh, N.C., will supply materials and services to Veeco as part of the project.