High-Brightness LED Engines Look To Replace Incandescents

June 9, 2003

Targeting commercial and industrial applications like road signage, automobiles, and industrial lighting, a new series of low-cost LED light engines features brightness levels of up to 840 lumens/in.² Based on Lamina Ceramics' proprietary low-temperature co-fired ceramic-on-metal (LTCC-M) technology, the engines' advanced ceramic packaging enables low-cost LED arrays for many rugged settings.

The LTCC-M packaging technology lets the engines operate up to 250°C, compared to about 70°C for many conventional plastic packages. The LED light engines are available in seven- or 134-element arrays. They emit red, green, blue, amber, or white light, visible even in direct sunlight. Light can be generated with viewing angles of up to 70°. The devices are rated for 100,000 hours and operate from either 120 V ac or 12 V dc. They require about 85% to 90% less power than comparable incandescent bulbs.

Prototypes can be had in four weeks. Pricing starts at $0.25.

See associated figure

Lamina Ceramics www.laminaceramics.com

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.