It seems there’s another breakthrough
in LED lighting every
week. Most recently, Osram
Opto Semiconductors claims
to have set a world record in the lab for
brightness and efficacy of white LEDs.
The company has fabricated a white-
LED prototype using 1-mm² chips
capable of delivering a peak brightness
value of 155 lumens and an efficacy of
136 lumens per watt (see the figure). The
prototype exhibits this performance
under standard operating conditions
while accepting a forward current of 350
mA. And with color coordinates at 0.349
(CX) and 0.393 (CY), the component
produces a color temperature of 5000 K.
Osram credits a combination of recent
advances in materials and related technologies
for allowing the creation of a
matched system consisting of optimized
chip technology, a highly efficient light
converter, and a special high-performance
package. The prototype also can
support higher operating currents. For
example, at a drive current of 1.4 A, it
can output as much as 500 lumens of
white light.
“It was the successful combination
of know-how in different fields that led
to these new records in efficiency and
brightness,” says Osram CEO Rüdiger
Müller. “Starting with the light converter,
we will be gradually moving the new
developments into production.”
IN THE WORKS
According to Osram, patents are on the
way, with production beginning thereafter.
The company sees great potential for the
technology in automotive designs, LED
projection as blue and green chip versions
emerge, and any other applications that
require high-power LED lighting.
MAT DIRJISH
OSRAM OPTO SEMICONDUCTORS
www.osram-os.com