ESD Protection Devices Safeguard High-Brightness LEDs

High-power, high-brightness LEDs (HBLEDs) are becoming increasingly popular in lighting applications. Now, there’s a side-mount ESD protection device for HBLEDs with a 100-V breakdown voltage; existing side-mount ESD protection devices have been limited to a 50-V breakdown. The LuxGuard CM1771 addresses a growing segment of high-power HBLED lighting applications that feature high output power, high efficacy levels reaching over 120 lumens per watt, or those using multiple HBLEDs driven in a serial arrangement. Delivering ESD protection at high operating voltages means dissipating more power during an ESD strike as well as maintaining acceptably low dynamic clamp voltages. The LuxGuard CM1771 provides robust, symmetrical ESD protection and features a very small, cost-effective die that can easily be integrated into a broad range of HBLED lamp modules. The CM1771 features a back-to-back Zener diode configuration for bi-directional ESD protection and safely dissipates ESD strikes of at least 6 kV, Human Body Model (HBM). The device comes in a compact flip-chip package. Samples are available in October 2009 with mass production scheduled for the first quarter of 2010. Samples are priced at $0.05 per unit with a minimum purchase of one wafer. CALIFORNIA MICRO DEVICES CORP., Milpitas, CA. (800) 325-4966 or (408) 263-3214.