New conversion technology delivers outstanding efficacy even at high color rendering indexes
Osram Opto Semiconductors showcased its first Quantum Dot LED at LIGHTFAIR International. Quantum Dots (QD) are nanometer-sized semiconductor particles and are approximately 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Due to their very small size, the light that is re-emitted when blue LED light hits the nanoparticles depends on their size. For example, QD particles that are roughly three nanometers in size produce green light, while particles around seven nanometers emit red light. This innovative, tunable light conversion technology is featured for the first time in Osram’s Osconiq S 3030 QD mid-power LED. It will lead to more QD LEDs for the general lighting market in the future. The Osconiq S 3030 QD was specially developed to enable customers to design luminaires with high efficacy and excellent color rendering for area lighting and downlight applications.
When manufacturing conventional white LEDs, the main objectives are efficacy and product quality. Achieving both at the same time is particularly challenging, especially with very high color rendering indexes (CRI). QDs can solve this problem. The great advantage of using these nanoparticles is that the existing LED manufacturing processes remain the same. QDs are simply used instead of conventional phosphors when the converter material is applied.
More than a year ago, Osram acquired Pacific Light Technologies (PLT), a leading company in the development and manufacturing of high-performance optical nanomaterials. The PLT QD technology enables Osram to begin to close the efficacy gap that exists between CRI 80 and CRI 90 LEDs today. The new Osconiq S 3030 includes a specially developed QD phosphor solution that enables CRI 90 to achieve an outstanding efficacy value of 173 lm/W at 3000 K – a best-in-class value for 0.2 W high-performance LEDs. The compact dimensions of 3.0 mm x 3.0 mm and the low thermal resistance enable simple system design. The Osconiq S 3030 QD is also available in various color temperatures from 2700 to 6500 K.
Another unique feature of the PLT QD technology is that the Quantum Dots are encapsulated to protect them from moisture and other external influences that pose the greatest risk to the functionality of an LED. The special encapsulation technology allows the QDs to reliably master the demanding conditions of on-chip operation within the LED component.
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