eNewsletter

May 2007

Universal Display Corp., Nippon Steel Chemical Co. Release OLED Performance Enhancements

Universal Display Corp. and Nippon Steel Chemical Co., Ltd., have released new PHOLED emitter material from Universal Display, called UDC-RD39 and the exciting collaborative results of combining this new emitter material with NSCC’s commercial NS11 host material.

Universal Display’s new PHOLED emitter and the corresponding device performance results were announced by Dr. Raymond Kwong, manager, OLED Materials Application Department for Universal Display, in a paper titled “Development of Phosphorescence Organic EL Materials”, at the Flat Panel Display R&D and Manufacturing Technology Expo & Conference. When combined with NS11, this new bright-red PHOLED emitter, with CIE coordinates of (0.65, 0.35), exhibits a luminous efficiency of 24 candelas per Ampere (cd/A), corresponding to a 19 percent external quantum efficiency, at 1,000 candelas per square meter (cd/m2). Under accelerated testing conditions, this new red emitter demonstrates an operating lifetime of approximately 220,000 hours, at an initial luminance of 1,000 cd/m2. These dramatic performance gains represent a 60 percent increase in luminous efficiency and five-fold increase in lifetime, as compared to Universal Display’s first-generation commercial red PHOLED emitter. As a result, Universal Display’s second-generation emitter in combination with NSCC’s host material may be well suited to meet the performance requirements for TV and other demanding product applications.

“To advance the OLED materials infrastructure, it is important for companies like Nippon Steel Chemical Company and Universal Display to work together,” said Steven V. Abramson, president and COO of Universal Display Corp. “Our work with Nippon Steel Chemical has yielded significant advances in vacuum-deposited PHOLED materials for both red and green OLEDs. We look forward to our future work with Nippon Steel Chemical and continued advances in both PHOLED emitter and host materials for these colors and for blue OLEDs as well.”

“In order to make the OLED market expand, the exciting collaborative results of combining UDC-RD39 with NSCC’s NS11 are likely to possess great significance. We have been continuing to accelerate the collaboration with Universal Display; as a result, we expect that Universal Display and NSCC will be able to provide OLED materials which give customers great satisfaction,” said Yasuhiro Shimoura, executive officer and general manager at OEL Department of NSCC.

For more information visit www.universaldisplay.com or www.nscc.co.jp.

LUXEON K2 Warm and Neutral White LEDs Offer New Lighting Possibilities

Philips Lumileds has released the warm-white and neutral-white LUXEON K2 emitters as well as a Luxeon K2 Star part that can be specified with any standard white emitter. The new white colors have typical correlated color temperatures (CCT) of 3,000°K and 4,100°K and a color-rendering index (CRI) of 80 and 75 respectively. The CCT range for Luxeon K2 now extends from 2,670°K to 10,000°K and a new finer color bin structure allows for better overall selection. Unlike most power LEDs that are limited to 700 mA, Luxeon K2 warm white and neutral white LEDs can be run up to 1,500 mA and a junction temperature of 150°C. The new warm-white and neutral white can deliver more than 130 lm and 140 lm respectively. Luxeon K2 delivers more usable light at virtually any drive current and junction temperature condition.

“With the increases in light output performance and efficacy, there is expanding demand for power LEDs that deliver the quality of light required for general lighting applications,” said Steve Landau, director of Marketing Communications. “Designers of residential applications, such as recessed can lights need uniformity, high color rendering and a warm white color temperature at 3,000°K. In many retail and commercial applications, a cooler temperature of

4,100°K is desired. With the new binning and phosphor technologies in Luxeon K2, the needs of lighting designers in both markets can be addressed.”

Lighting designers consider several critical “quality of light” factors when evaluating white LEDs including color temperature (CCT), color rendering (CRI) and color uniformity. The new Luxeon K2 parts address CCT and CRI and Philips Lumileds phosphor expertise and technologies ensure the highest degree of color uniformity resulting in white LEDs that are as much as seven times more uniform that other white power LEDs.

Luxeon K2 Star, like the configuration already available in other Luxeon product families, consists of a white LUXEON K2 emitter mounted onto a metal core pc board (MCPCB). This configuration allows for rapid prototyping and production in a wide range of applications without the need to create custom level 2 boards. Luxeon Star products have been an industry standard for many years and been the configuration of choice for everything from architectural and entertainment lighting to emergency and portable lighting. Complete product information is available on the company’s website and in the Luxeon K2 datasheet also available online.

Luxeon K2 warm-white and neutral-white power LEDs are in-stock and available for immediate delivery from Future Electronics. Luxeon K2 Star is stocked in limited quantities.

For more information visit www.lumileds.com.

Zylight Introduces Brighter Z90 Intelligent LED Light

Zylight, a LED lighting company for the film and video production industry, has released the Z90 Intelligent LED light, which is four times brighter than their Z50. The Z90 features Zylight’s exclusive switchable tungsten and daylight output and is the brightest compact LED light for film and video production.

Only slightly larger than the Z50 and drawing the same power, the palm-sized and rugged Z90 also features a new color Gel Mode allowing users to select any one of over 400 industry-standard theatrical gel numbers from four leading manufacturers. Color selection is easy with an integrated digital display and presets are provided for saving user favorites.

Wireless control continues to be simple with ZyLink technology built in to every Zylight. With the Z90, lighting professionals can choose from 10 independent wireless ZyLink channels to create flexible and scaleable multi-light installations. The same Zylights used independently on one shoot can be wirelessly linked together the next, forming a large soft source of light eliminating the need to carry bulky panel lights.

Zylight’s advanced HD-led technology produces an amazingly bright soft and wide output similar to incandescent fixtures, but with no bulbs or filaments to break. A snap-on adapter allows professionals to mount standard 3-inch lighting accessories, such as barndoors or a softbox, to easily control the output. Powered from AC or 7 to 24 VDC source, the Z90 is equally at home on a camera or light stand.

Through its partnership with Color Kinetics, Zylight has leveraged proprietary color-mixing technology to produce the next-generation of LED light instruments.

For more information visit www.zylight.com.

Energy-Efficient Light Source Produces Near-Daylight Quality

Seoul Semiconductor has announced that Acriche, the world's first semiconductor lighting source for AC power outlets, can now achieve warm white of near-daylight quality, making it suitable for general and indoor lighting applications. The warm white Acriche features 42 lm/W based on light source.

Actual System Efficiency, which takes into account luminous efficacy, ballast efficiency and luminaire efficiency, for the warm white Acriche is 39.9 lm/W. This is higher than 7.5 lm/W for incandescent lamps and 30.6 lm/W for compact fluorescents.

Warm white Acriche is a suitable replacement for DC-LED lighting. Compared to conventional warm white DC LED, which has a luminous efficacy of nearly 35 lm/W, the warm white Acriche at 42 lm/W is 20 percent more efficient. Warm white Acriche can also produce a brighter lighting environment without the need of a converter or ballast.

Seoul Semiconductor has also released warm white Acriche with a luminous efficacy of 33 lm/W that has a Color Rendering Index (CRI) rating of 90. The CRI measures the ability of a light source to produce vibrant colors in objects. A CRI rating of 100 suggests that the light source is equivalent to daylight, while a low CRI rating near 0 suggests that colors will appear unnatural under that particular light source.

Acriche Warm White's high CRI ratings and superior color rendering capabilities make it a suitable solution for environments that demand vibrant and accurate lighting, such as museums, luxury hotels, art galleries, show rooms and displays.

"The need for alternative lighting sources has never been more pressing," said Seoul Semiconductor CEO, Cheong Hoon Lee. "Environmental pollution and oil prices are rising, and the effects of mercury and lead continue to take a toll on our ecosystems. We hope to accelerate the move towards energy efficient and environmentally friendly lighting by producing alternative lighting sources such as warm white Acriche that can match the capabilities of conventional lighting sources, but with less harm to the environment and at a lower cost in terms of energy consumption."

For more information visit www.ariche.com.

The Lumetrix STiR 1.4 delivers high performance spectroradiometric measurements from 400 nm to 720 nm in a 1,400 by 1,040 image. Radiance images at each wavelength are compiled and computed to report values at each pixel in the image such as CIE chromaticity, luminance, and radiance. The system’s exceptional performance specifications include: low stray light, 1 nm accuracy, a nominal bandpass resolution of 7 nm, and more than six decades of dynamic range.

This excellent performance enables more reliable chromaticity measurements for all light sources. Accurate imaging measurements of sources such as LEDs and fluorescent lamps can now be achieved without special corrections or specific calibrations. Also new is the Paint Shop-style Photometrica software that allows easy acquisition, analysis and reporting.

Measurement applications include the characterization of displays, LEDs and lamps. Users of spot spectroradiometers will appreciate theSTiR for its speed and comprehensive measurement detail. The STiR offers the intuitive ability to superimpose measurement data on an image. Spectral data at every point in the image provides engineers with enhanced analysis not previously possible.

For more information visit www.lumetrix.com.

Lamina Unveils World's Brightest LED Light Engines

Lamina, Inc., a developer of LEDs, has released two LED light engines with outputs as bright as many traditional bulbs used in home, office, retail, commercial and exterior applications everywhere.

TitanTurbo is immediately available to lighting application designers in 2 models, a 3,000°K "warm white" version equal in light output to the widely used 75 watt halogen PAR-30 and equally popular 100 watt R-20 flood lights and a 4,700°K "daylight white" (cool) model twice as bright.

TitanTurbo represents the state-of-the-art in high output LED light engines from Lamina. Delivering more than 2,000 lumens in daylight white and more than 1,000 lumens in warm white light, these LED light engines offer superior performance for all general lighting applications. The TitanTurbo Warm White has an enhanced red and orange color spectrum, making it well suited as a halogen or incandescent replacement.

While advances in solid state lighting have been rapid, until now, the brightest commercially-available LED light sources have only been able to rival the light output of a 20 to 30 watt tungsten accent lamp – bright, but not ready to replace more powerful lighting needed in homes, offices and exterior applications.

"The light emitted by most white light LED products currently on the market is 'cool' in terms of color temperature, like most mercury vapor fluorescents," said Frank M. Shinneman, Lamina's president and CEO. "That's fine for many applications like lighting offices, but it's not the 'warm white' light we want in living areas of our homes, restaurants and other intimate environments."

Among many possible uses, Shinneman noted both TitanTurbo models are uniquely suited for commercial and residential recess down lighting, architectural lighting and lighting for streets and perimeters.

They feature a standard 60°-beam pattern with additional wide, medium and narrow optics available. An integral EZ-Connect board eliminates need for soldering and the metal base of each is electrically isolated, allowing wiring in parallel or series on a common heat sink. Both models feature integrated protection from electrostatic discharge (ESD) and superior thermal performance, resulting in long life, high lumen maintenance and outstanding reliability.

For more information visit www.laminaceramics.com.

Catalyst Semiconductor Offers Four-Channel Low Dropout Driver (LDD) for Driving LEDs Directly from a Battery

CAT4004 addresses migration of white LEDs to lower forward voltages

Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc., a supplier of analog, mixed-signal and non-volatile memory semiconductors has released the CAT4004, a new four-channel LDD (low dropout driver) designed for emerging, power-conscious portables where the LEDs are driven directly from the battery.

With the migration of white LEDs to lower forward voltages, a number of portable applications are now able to drive LEDs directly from the system battery without the need to boost voltage.

The new CAT4004 is designed specifically to meet the needs of this emerging market requirement by achieving a low dropout voltage of 130 mV, which maximizes LED performance as system battery voltage decays.

 “When driving LEDs in portable systems, the end-of-life battery voltage is directly proportional to the sum of the LED forward voltage and the LED driver dropout voltage,” said Scott Brown, Vice President of Marketing for Catalyst Semiconductor. “As the market trends toward lower voltage LEDs, a portion of the market will choose to drive LEDs directly from the battery. The low dropout voltage of the CAT4004 LDD will enable these designers to significantly extend battery life.”

The CAT4004 LDD features tight current matching of ±5 percent across a wide range of LED voltages. It also offers LED programming simplicity via Catalyst’s one-wire EZDim interface, which allows output enable/disable and LED dimming control all from a single I/O on the system microcontroller. LED current can be controlled at six levels: 100 percent (full-scale brightness), 50 percent, 25 percent, 12.5 percent, 6 percent and 3 percent.

The CAT4004 low dropout LED driver is priced at $0.52 each in 10,000 piece quantities. Samples are available now. Projected lead-time for production quantities is currently 6 to 8 weeks ARO.

For more information visit www.catsemi.com.

Semtech Debuts Software Controllable Octal LED Driver for Portable Devices

SC620 Provides 800:1 LED Current Dimming Range via I2C Software Control

Semtech Corp., a supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors for communications, portable devices, computers and industrial equipment, have introduced the SC620, an octal, I2C-controlled LED driver. The SC620 is designed to provide regulated currents for powering a wide range of LEDs, including white, red, blue, green or yellow, with different forward voltages.

The SC620 is designed to drive the LED backlights for small to medium size LCDs in portable systems that use rechargeable lithium ion/polymer batteries, but may also be applied in systems with a fixed 5 V or 3.3 V bus. Its low 150 mV current sink dropout voltage makes it well suited for use with LEDs that have forward voltages that are less than the system supply voltage. All LEDs are connected in parallel, with power coming from the system battery or available power rail and each cathode connected to an independent current sink.

Up to eight parallel LEDs, or strings of LEDs, can be driven at one time and each string can be enabled/disabled or dimmed independently using the I2C control bus. Multiple SC620 devices can be connected to the same I2C bus to provide synchronized control of large banks of LEDs. Each current sink may also be used as an addressable general-purpose output, to enable multiple devices or functions remotely using only the two lines for the I2C interface.

The current sinks are very accurate and exhibit close matching when programmed for the same current, making them suitable for LCD backlighting applications. The current setting range allows dimming ratios up to 800:1, performing well for LCD panels that are exposed to varying ambient light conditions. The flexibility to select the power source for driving the loads allows for a lower cost solution, or lets the designer select an available source that maximizes efficiency for a particular application.

An enable pin allows the system designer to set the part into an ultra-low power shutdown state where the LEDs are disconnected, preventing residual glow due to leakage. The SC620 input voltage range is 2.7 V to 5.5 V. The maximum total output current capability is 200 mA. In a typical application (VBATT=3.6 V typ.), eight white LEDs (Vf = 3.4 V) can be driven at 25 mA each (full brightness) with 92 percent efficiency.

“The versatility of this device allows full brightness control to be easily obtained using a reliable two-wire serial interface, only one external component and an industry proven LED current control topology,” said Karl Volk, director of Marketing for Semtech’s Portable Power Management Products Group. “Additional space savings can be accomplished for those who use any remaining SC620 outputs as general purpose controls to power additional devices within the same space-limited system.”

The ultra-small SC620 features a 3 mm by 3 mm MLPQ-UT-16 package with a low profile of 0.6 mm maximum, suited for small form factor designs. It is RoHS and WEEE compliant.

To assure safe operation across all load conditions, the SC620 contains protection features such as short circuit current limit, thermal protection and under-voltage lockout.

The SC620 is available immediately in production quantities and is priced at $0.68 each in 1,000-piece lots. Data sheets, volume pricing, delivery quotes, as well as evaluation kits and samples are available.

For more information visit www.semtech.com.

Luminus Devices' PhlatLight LEDs Illuminate Six New Models of Slim DLP HDTVs

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has begun shipping its new line of Slim Depth LED Engine Widescreen DLP HDTVs with 1080p resolution, featuring Luminus' patented PhlatLight LED technology. The six new models use Luminus' high-powered, energy-efficient LED illumination in place of a UHP or arc lamp, the traditional light source found in most projection TVs.

Luminus' PhlatLight LED technology is setting a new standard in HDTV performance and reliability. This illumination technology is a light source that lasts the entire lifetime of the TV and delivers a consistent picture without fading, saving consumers lamp replacement costs and inconvenience over the life of the set.

Televisions powered by PhlatLight technology produce 40 percent more color than traditional lamp-based TVs due to the technology's unique ability to individually create pure, primary colors, which allows owners to enjoy superior color reproduction. PhlatLight technology eliminates mechanical noise that is sometimes prevalent in TVs that are equipped with color wheels. Since bulb warm-up time is unnecessary, the picture appears instantly with full brightness. In addition, TVs with PhlatLight illumination are more environmentally friendly because they eliminate the conventional lamp that requires repeated replacement during the lifetime of the TV.

According to research from DisplaySearch, Samsung is the world market share leader in total television unit sales and revenue. Additionally, DLP is the world's leading rear projection display technology and Samsung is the worldwide market share leader in DLP rear projection sales. In 2006, Samsung introduced the first LED DLP, the award-winning HL-S5679W and the first Slim DLP, the HLS4676S. Both categories were so well received that Samsung has combined their respective virtues to create a new, expanded category of Slim LED DLP HDTVs. This year's product line includes six new models: the HL-T5087S, HL-T5687S, HL-T6187S, HL-T5089S, HL-T5689S, and HL-T6189S – available in three large screen sizes: 50, 56 and 61-inches.

"We've taken the best features from our LED DLP model from last year, which uses Luminus' PhlatLight technology and combined it with our new Slim DLP design to create six new models to deliver one of our most innovative product lines yet," said Dan Schinasi, senior marketing manager for product planning at Samsung Electronics America. "By incorporating the performance advantages and energy efficiency that PhlatLight LEDs provide, we are able to bring more value and flexibility to the consumer and produce one of the best viewing experiences available on large screen HDTVs today."

The new models are illuminated using a single PhlatLight PT120 chipset, which was specifically designed and optimized for use with the Texas Instruments xHD5 1080p DLP chipset. The PT120's red, green and blue LEDs combine to produce pure, accurate sequential colored light and cycle at 2.9 KHz, 48 times faster than traditional television frame rates, creating a smooth, stable color and superior motion quality. The new models boast a sleek cabinet design that is 3.0 inches less in height and 2.0 inches less in depth and width than the previous Samsung LED DLP. The depth of the cabinets is as low as 13.4 inches and they are light enough to mount to a wall. Their revolutionary thin bezel allows the sets to fit in spaces that a flat screen TV of an equivalent screen size will not fit into. Additionally, consumers get the benefit of this slim design in large screen sizes that consume less energy than their flat panel counterparts.

Samsung's 2007 DLP line-up combines the color saturation and long lifetime of PhlatLight LEDs, the high resolution DLP technology and Samsung's new slim and lightweight cabinet design, to give consumers a superior viewing experience.

Samsung's new LED-based Slim DLP HDTVs start at $2,499.99 MSRP.

For more information visit www.phlatlight.com.

Color Kinetics Licenses Patents to TRUMPF for Medical Lighting Systems

Color Kinetics Inc. has signed a global licensing agreement with TRUMPF GmbH + Co. KG, a $2 billion German manufacturing company. TRUMPF will license Color Kinetics' patents to offer the iLED surgical light, which combines intelligent microprocessor control with LEDs to produce variable color temperatures of light. The license will also apply to any future intelligent LED-based medical lights that TRUMPF may develop. The agreement marks Color Kinetics' first in the medical lighting field and the first related specifically to white light applications.

The FDA-approved iLED surgical light offers multiple benefits over conventional medical lighting systems. Its lack of radiated heat provides a more comfortable operating environment for doctors, while its variable color temperature allows more precise examination of human tissue by making contrasts more visible. iLED utilizes Color Kinetics' patented inventions to produce LED-based white light that is adjustable from 3,500° to 5,000°K, or "warm" to "cool." This capability has also proven helpful for doctors' concentration and alertness during lengthy surgeries, when cooler light is preferred.

"Thanks to the advent of innovative LED lighting technology, we can now deliver highly controllable illumination for surgical procedures. The iLED was designed to offer adjustable light characteristics, which make it adaptable to individual surgical situations, a feature that is unique in the medical world today," said Kordt Griepenkerl, managing director, TRUMPF KREUZER, a medical technology subsidiary of TRUMPF.

"This agreement reflects yet another exciting market direction for LED lighting technology, and one that clearly exemplifies the power of intelligent digital control," said Bill Sims, president and CEO, Color Kinetics. "We often talk about the use of light to transform environments for aesthetic purposes and in this case it's being precisely controlled to create an optimal environment for surgery. We're very pleased to grant access to our intellectual property to TRUMPF, whose expertise in medical equipment will help expose the benefits of LED technology to a new and perfectly suited market."

"Given the ubiquitous nature of lighting and its many diverse markets, our approach from day one has been to foster cross-industry product development and adoption by making our intellectual property accessible to third parties," said Sims. "We believe that the physical properties and inherently 'smart' nature of LEDs have very broad applicability, whether for lighting fixtures, automotive and aircraft interiors, gaming machines, toys or furniture. We've bolstered our licensing program through the successful defense of our IP and on-going patent prosecution, and the quantity and caliber of new agreements signed indicate that our efforts have been well focused."

For more information visit www.trumpf-med.com.

USA Signal Technology, Inc. has received its first purchase orders from the Texas Department of Transportation for production evaluation units for field testing of its proprietary LED "Intelligent/Wireless" Lane Control Signals (LCS) that utilizes the latest National Transportation Communications for Intelligent Transportation Signals (NTCIP Protocol).

Lane Control Signals are those ever-present traffic signs with illuminated colored symbols on highway bridges and overpasses. The symbols show a specific lane's traffic condition: a green arrow for a lane flowing freely, a yellow arrow or yellow "X" for a slow lane, and a Red "X" for a lane that is shut down.

USA Signal Technology developed the wireless controlled, LED-LCS system at the request of the Texas DOT to replace about 2,200 existing lane control halogen/fiber-based signals that are prone to failure and consume over 10 times the energy. The first LED-LCS signals purchased will be used for field-testing.

In addition to replacing the present halogen/fiber-based signals, Texas DOT has suggested that it may install a comparable number of LED-LCS systems in cities, such as Houston, that have not yet installed halogen/fiber units due to their failure rate and high operational costs.

USA Signal Technology LED Intelligent Lane Control Signals that cost between $5,000 and $7,000 each are energy efficient since they powered with 10 watts of electricity, require almost no maintenance and offer continuous intelligent feedback to a centralized control location. In comparison, the tens of thousands of conventional Lane Control Signals now deployed across the nation are powered by an array of halogen lights through fiber optic harnesses that require 150 watts of power, are high maintenance, often unreliable and require local controllers within the unit.

What makes USA Signal Technology's LCS intelligent, is that unlike present signals, it is equipped with a microcontroller that provides wireless communication with a central location, redundant power supplies to function during blackouts and brown-outs and several other advanced features highly sought by DOTs. This allows for lower installation costs and extremely less on-going maintenance expenses compared to current fiber optic-halogen Signals. Most important, because of increased reliability and the ability to alert a central controller if a particular LCS will be in need of repair, or has actually stopped functioning, highway safety is greatly enhanced.

With its own redundant power supply, separate water-tight and dust-free enclosures for the LEDs and control electronics that are convection cooled, USA Signal Technology LCS have a greatly extended operating life. For these reasons, USA Signal Technology is able to warranty its LCS for an unprecedented 5 years.

For more information visit www.usasignal.com.

May 2007

5/6-10/07
LightFair International 2007
New York, NY
www.lightfair.com/lightfair/V40/

5/14-17/07
Int'l Conference on Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology
Austin, TX
www.mantech.org

5/20-25/07
SID 2007 International Symosium, Seminar & Exhibition
Long Beach, CA
www.sid.org/conf/sid2007/sid2007.html

June 2007

6/5-7/07
euroLED
Birmingham, UK
www.euroled.org

Photonics West
January 19 – 24, 2008
San Jose, California, USA  

Start your year at Photonics West, North America's most prestigious photonics event. Photonics West includes the entire spectrum of light-driven technologies and attracts researchers and product developers from around the world.  Present your research at these renowned symposia:

• BiOS 2008: Biomedical Optics
• LASE 2008: Lasers and Applications
• MOEMS-MEMS 2008: Micro & Nanofabrication
• OPTO 2008: Integrated Optoelectronic Devices

Present your research and expand your professional network in a unique 20-minute-talk format or poster.  Receive immediate feedback from a forum of international experts.

With four essential symposia, 3,000 R&D presentations, and two robust exhibitions Photonics West connects the brightest minds with leaders in science and technology.

Submit your research today!