OSRAM Opto Semiconductors Develops Red Chip For Increased Performance

Santa Clara, CA - OSRAM Opto Semiconductors is developing a red 1 mm² chip, featuring the latest thin-film technology, with unprecedented brightness values of more than 300 lm. The new chip will be used in the company's DRAGON and OSTAR LEDs, and is targeted for applications in the projection and automotive sectors where high luminance and efficient output is in increased demand.

The new red chip from OSRAM has a power consumption of 6 W, achieves 52 lm/W, and features a wavelength of 615 nm from an operating current of 2 A. As a comparison, the existing red Platinum DRAGON has an output of 96 lm from a consumption of 2.5 W, and a luminous efficacy of 38 lm/W.

"OSRAM has achieved this enormous increase in brightness by designing the new red chips to handle higher currents. This has resulted from optimizing the series resistors," Dr. Ralph Wirth, development engineer at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, said.

For OSTAR Projection, the new chip offers greater luminance than its predecessor, allowing for optimum light injection into external optical systems. As a pure surface emitter in OSTAR LEDs, the red chip will achieve higher system outputs in an efficient package.

The new chip's higher current handling capacity and high brightness are also a perfect fit for exterior automobile lighting. In addition, because of the red chip's thin-film technology and scalable, smaller chip surfaces, the same number of LEDs can be used as in previous applications yet will result in greater luminance.

The new red chips from OSRAM are expected to go into series production by the third quarter of 2008.

SOURCE: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors