A red high-power LED has set a new efficiency record in an Osram Opto Semiconductors R&D lab with an electro-optical efficiency of 61%. The 1 mm2 chip housed on a laboratory package emits at a wavelength of 609 nm (λ-dom) and has achieved a record value of 201 lm/W at an operating current of 40 mA. At a typical operating current of 350 mA its luminous efficacy is still an impressive 168 lm/W, which means that even at this high wattage more than half of the electrical energy is converted into light. Higher efficiency means more light from the same amount of electricity, which in turn means lower power consumption for a particular application. Because fewer chips are needed to produce the same brightness level, designers will have greater freedom.The light sources can be made smaller while still producing the same brightness.
LED color mixing systems such as the OSRAM Brilliant Mix concept are the latest trend, particularly for general illumination applications. Osram’s new red high-power LED promises a further improvement in the quality of light with lower power consumption, especially in Warm White. This will benefit not only color mixing concepts but also all applications that use high-efficiency red LEDs – in the general illumination, projection and automotive sectors. The enormous increase in output was achieved by a chip with the latest generation of Osama’s own thin-film technology.