eNewsletter

May 2010

Thermal Management Basics and Its Importance for LED Luminaire Performance and Cost

By Mike King, Visible LED Product Manager • TT electronics Optek Technology, Inc.

LED luminaires are being marketed today as an alternative lighting technology that reduces power consumption and maintenance costs for commercial and residential installations.  Thermal management has a significant impact upon the lifetime, performance and cost of an LED luminaire.  Without proper application of thermal management design principles, the potential benefits of solid state lighting and its ability to be successfully marketed will be reduced.

Read full article here.

NREL Finds a Way to Give LEDs the Green Light
Light bulbs that last 100 years and fill rooms with brilliant ambiance may become a reality sooner rather than later, because of a discovery by DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

NREL scientists found a way to generate a tricky combination of green and red that may just prove to be the biggest boost for illumination since Edison’s light bulb.

Green isn’t just a symbol of environmentalism, it is a real color, and a desperately needed one for researchers looking for a way to light homes, streets and buildings at a fraction of today’s costs.

LEDs are the promise of the future because unlike tungsten bulbs or compact fluorescent bulbs, they deliver most of their energy as light, rather than heat. To make an LED that appears white, researchers minimally need the colors red, green and blue. Red proved easy to generate, and about 15 years ago, Japanese scientists found a way to generate blue, thus providing two of the key colors from the spectrum of white light.

But green has been elusive. In fact, the $10 LEDs that people can buy now are made to look white by aiming the blue light at a phosphor, which then emits green. It works OK, but the clunky process saps a big chunk of the efficiency from the light.

Along came NREL, a leader in designing solar cells, but a neophyte in the lighting realm.
NREL scientist Angelo Mascarenhas realized that an LED is just the reverse of a solar cell. One takes electricity and turns it into light; the other takes sunlight and turns it into electricity.

“We had already developed some of the know-how to capture sunlight in this green spectral region,” Mascarenhas said.

Why not try that same process, only in reverse, to make a reliable deep-green LED using gallium nitride and indium?

Astonishingly, once the concept was understood, Mascarenhas’s team produced a radiant deep green on their very first try. The aim now is to provide a fourth color to make that white light even whiter. “We have full confidence that this is achievable,” Mascarenhas said.

Prototype and Low-Volume Parts in One Business Day
Proto Labs, through our First Cut and Protomold services, utilizes proprietary computing technologies and automated manufacturing systems to provide quick turn prototype parts and short-run production services. All parts are made using standard production methods, sold at affordable prices, and shipped in as little as one business day.

Our First Cut CNC machining service automatically produces toolpaths for state-of-the-art CNC milling equipment that machine parts from solid blocks of engineering grade resins or aluminum. Typical quantities are 1-10 parts and prices start at around $95. www.firstcut.com

Our Protomold injection molding service supplies quick-turn plastic injection molded prototype and low-volume production parts, with mold prices starting at $1,495. Parts are available in a variety of surface finishes and at a fraction of traditional injection molding costs. www.protomold.com

Submit a 3D CAD model online, anytime day or night, and our 1.9 teraflop compute cluster will go to work, checking your design for manufacturability. Then our proprietary software presents you with results you can use, all web-based and interactive. Potential issues associated with features such as thick walls, sharp corners, undercuts and more are highlighted on detailed 3D illustrations.

FREE PROTOTYPING WHITE PAPER
Whether you’re a newbie, expert or in-between, our Prototyping Processes white paper will help you choose the best process for your project. It’s packed full of excellent information on material properties, surface finish and more. Download it today.

WAC Lighting Introduces Organic LED Chandelier for Luxury Market
WAC Lighting has introduced an Organic LED chandelier for the luxury market, featuring ORBEOS OLED Lighting from Osram Opto Semiconductors. WAC Lighting is a manufacturer and designer of track, recessed, under-cabinet, monorail and decorative lighting.

Following up on the company’s two Organic LED concept luminaires last year, WAC Lighting is introducing SOL, a new, upscale decorative chandelier utilizing white Organic LED panels as the exclusive light source. SOL uses Osram’s ORBEOS Organic LED panels.

“The concept fixtures we exhibited last year were created primarily to inspire the design community about the possibilities of the new OLED technology,” said Shelley Wang, president of WAC Lighting. “SOL, our new decorative chandelier, is our first complete Organic LED fixture introduction. We believe that the inconceivably thin curved planes of the complete design, and the incorporated glare-free adjustable Organic LED panels, will capture considerable attention.”
 
The SOL chandelier is inherently sustainable; designed around energy efficient and environmentally friendly technology, and individually crafted in WAC Lighting’s zero-landfill factory. The luminaire incorporates Osram’s ORBEOS OLED panels, based on the latest OLED technology. Soft light from the ORBEOS panels is incorporated into the design and requires no additional light control from lenses or reflectors that traditionally result in a 10 percent to 40 percent loss in efficiency. ORBEOS light panels achieve energy efficiency without the use of heavy metals or other rare earth materials common among other energy efficient sources currently available. Rather, Organic LEDs are sustainably made of layers of carbon-based materials that self-illuminate in various colors when energized, without impacting the environment.

With its symbiosis of energy saving, emitting technology and inspiring aesthetic possibilities, Organic LEDs will transform lighting into a new experience that provides a unique platform for architects, lighting planners and designers. Intrinsically thin and uniformly luminous, OLED applications will allow designers to rethink decorative, general, and accent lighting.

The slim profile of the OLED panels encourages new design opportunities for lighting fixtures with new utility, proportions and style. SOL’s playful and natural form is inspired by the Sun and ancient tribal designs, which celebrate this natural source of energy.

Molex Introduces LED Printed Circuit Assemblies
Molex, Inc. has released its LED Printed Circuit Assemblies. Combining Molex’s LED and Printed Circuit Assembly design and manufacturing expertise, these custom-lighting solutions work seamlessly for LED subassemblies across several industries.

The LED Printed Circuit Assemblies support rigid and flexible circuits used in packaging LED products. Molex’s custom LED assemblies support backlighting applications with polyester circuits that support lower power consumption applications and heat sinked polyimide and rigid boards to support high power consumption applications such as surgical and automotive lighting.   

Molex design and manufacturing teams utilize in-house design, test and manufacturing capabilities to provide an LED assembly solution. Molex also provides expertise in BIN control, which is key to ensuring the consistent lot-by-lot LED luminosity output ranges, critical in a quality LED lighting product.

Molex’s LED design, assembly and manufacturing expertise continues to directly address customer requirements for energy efficiency, productivity and ease of use. “Molex has specialized in designing and manufacturing complex LED and printed circuit assemblies for more than 20 years,” said Julian Ladron de Guevara, associate product manager at Molex, Inc. “The new LED Printed Circuit Assemblies are the next step in Molex’s continued pursuit to provide high-quality, efficient LED solutions to a rapidly expanding market. Our experience and manufacturing expertise will help us be a key player in an exciting time in the lighting industry.”

NXP Powers Efficient Lighting Introducing Dimmable SSL2103 LED Controller IC
NXP Semiconductors, a supplier of chipsets for energy-efficient IC based lighting solutions, has introduced a new LED controller, the SSL2103. Extending NXP’s product family of AC/DC LED drivers (SSL2101/SSL2102) for a wide range of lighting applications such as retrofit lamps, the SSL2103 includes the functionality and performance of its sister product, the SSL2101, while extending the application reach towards higher power solutions.  The SSL2103 is a versatile device for all AC/DC LED lighting segments with extended power range and extended dimmer compatibility, making it suitable for both dimmable and non-dimmable LED lamps. Furthermore, each product of the SSL210x family seamlessly integrates the same controller functions for easy proliferation into a wide range of LED lamp applications.

NXP has delivered more than 10 million units of the SSL2101 since its entry into the market in the spring of 2009. The SSL2101 and the SSL2102 are well established and fully integrated dimmable LED drivers well suited for highly compact low-power (below 25 watts in an external ballast configuration or below 15 watts in a lamp retrofit form factor). The SSL2103 is designed to target higher power LED lighting (PAR20, PAR30 and PAR38) and to bring the complete flexibility to lamp designers in terms of power rating, form factor and dimmer control.

“As the global lighting industry embraces ‘digital lighting,’ more electronics are being built into each bulb creating smart, efficient and long-lasting alternatives to incandescent lighting. LEDs represent the future,” said Jacques Le Berre, marketing director, Lighting, NXP Semiconductors. “We are proud of the success of the SSL2101 because it highlights how our product is meeting market demand for LEDs and setting the pace for the industry to deliver more energy-efficient lighting solutions.”

The SSL2103 includes the functionality and performance of the SSL2101 and SSL2102 while extending its application reach towards a higher power domain. This reach is achieved through external power switches and its ability to operate dimmable or non-dimmable ballasts. Similar in design to the previous versions, the SSL2103 can achieve a lifetime performance of more than 75,000 hours at nominal operating temperature. NXP products in the AC/DC LED portfolio offer immense versatility for application materials and can be applied to isolated or non-isolated lamps. In addition, they can also be applied in 100 V, 110 V or 230 V AC network and form factors for E27, GU10 or PARx lamps. The portfolio of products also includes integrated switches and bleeder circuitry, enabling a small form factor and less PCB surface.

Recommended distribution unit pricing in 1,000 piece quantities for the SSL2103 is US $1.35.

Marktech Introduces COB Ceramic LED Assemblies and Arrays
Marktech Optoelectronics, a supplier of materials, optoelectronic components and assembly services, has expanded its product offerings with the introduction of custom "chip-on-ceramic" LEDs and LED arrays.

The chip-on-ceramic LEDs are available in configurations from four to hundreds of chips in series or parallel, as well as series/parallel combinations. Marktech has also expanded its full service integration and production capabilities, and is capable of volume production with a range of chip-on-ceramic and integrated light engines/modules to support the needs of the medical and military industries.

Tyco Electronics Unveils Solderless Socket Solution
Tyco Electronics has launched the Solderless LED Socket, Type CM, for easy integration of the new Cree XLamp MP-L multichip LED into light fixtures.

The socket, designed shortly after the release of Cree’s breakthrough 1500 lumen output LED, offers customers a simple termination solution for the LED while allowing ample optical clearance for the provided 120° beam angle. An additional benefit of the socket is the snap-on connect feature for the LEDIL Tyra series of reflectors, which offers directional optics in 18, 30 and 50° beam angles.

The Solderless LED Socket provides a rapid termination solution for the XLamp MP-L LED’s six 0.60 mm² connection pads that are mounted on the top of the LED. Tyco Electronics’ low-profile socket eliminates the need to solder by providing a solderless solution that reduces assembly time while providing a repeatable and separable termination. In addition, the socket is conveniently offered in two versions to suit wire or board applications, each version is offered with or without attachment features for optics.

The wire termination version incorporates a Tyco Electronics AMP mini CT connector header that mates to a cable mounted AMP mini CT plug -- allowing for quick, easy wire connections. This version eliminates the need for a circuit board and allows the XLamp MP-L LED to be mounted directly to the heat sink using a thermally conductive adhesive. The board termination version, suitable for PCB-mount applications, provides a solderless termination directly to the PCB from the XLamp MP-L LED. This version suits applications where drive circuitry and remote connectors are integrated onto the same board as the LED. 

Socket design meets UL 1977 requirements and utilizes standard, commercially available hardware for attachment. Pre-production product will be available for engineering evaluation beginning in July 2010, with expected production quantities set for August 2010.

Consistent light-curing results require periodic monitoring of light energy intensity and dosage levels.  The ACCU-CAL 50-LED radiometer is simple to operate and offers accurate measurement of curing energy.  This radiometer can measure energy levels emitted from lightguides (3 mm, 5 mm and 8 mm) and LED flood lamps.  A spectral sensitivity range of 350 to 450 nm and intensity measurement from 1 mW/cm² to 40 W/cm² make this unit suitable for measuring LED curing-source energy levels.  A specially designed photo-sensor assembly provides repeatable measurements and protection from high temperatures associated with some LED systems on the market.  The unit is CE Marked and available globally.

ERG Lighting Introduces eDriver Family
ERG Lighting, a new Division of Endicott Research Group, Inc., has introduced the eDriver family of LED power supplies for maximum efficiency in a range of SSL applications.

The eDriver family is available in a broad range of constant voltage and constant current drivers. These driver modules are 90 percent efficient and fully isolated, with universal input (120 V, 220 V, 277 V), power factor correction > 90 percent, and 0 to 10 V dimming options.

eDrivers offer improved efficiency and economy and include the slimmest 100 W LED power supplies on the market – up to 30 percent slimmer than other drivers in similar power ranges, and up to 50 percent smaller in total volume.  All eDrivers are manufactured in the US, with short lead times, full application engineering support and a 5-year warranty.

eDrivers provide the precise voltage and current critical for proper light output and SSL longevity and reliability. There is no wasted energy due to driver/load mismatch.  ERG Lighting provides the exact driver that customers specify, with no unnecessary materials or functionality that would drive up the cost.

Applications for eDrivers include cove and architectural lighting, refrigeration lighting, parking and street lights, commercial and bay lighting and more.  All ERG Lighting eDrivers will have UL8750 and CE approvals and a rating of IP67.  ERG is ISO 9001 certified as well as RoHS and REACH compliant.

National Semiconductor Introduces LED Driver with Dynamic Headroom Control for High-Power Applications
National Semiconductor Corp. has released the industry’s first LED driver with dynamic headroom control and multiple outputs for high-power applications that accurately and efficiently drives up to four strings of LEDs. The LM3464, a member of National’s PowerWise energy-efficient product family, maximizes system efficiency and reduces system complexity and cost in LED-intensive applications such as industrial, street and automotive lighting.

Unlike traditional high-brightness LED drivers that drive current to each string independently, the LM3464 LED driver includes four channels to drive up to 20 LEDs per channel, reducing system complexity and cost.
The LM3464’s dynamic headroom control feature dynamically adjusts the LED supply voltage through the power supply feedback to the lowest level required to provide optimal system efficiency.

The LM3464 is a high-voltage current controller with four individual current regulator channels. It works in conjunction with external N-channel MOSFETs and sense resistors to accurately drive current to each LED string. The LM3464 features a wide input voltage range up to 80 V to drive multiple LEDs per string, making the LM3464 well suited for LED-intensive applications.

A thermal foldback feature protects the LEDs from unsafe temperatures that can degrade the light output or lifetime of the LEDs. During an over-temperature condition, the thermal foldback reduces the current through the LEDs until the LED junction temperature of the LEDs returns back to a safe operating temperature. This user-programmable feature allows for a more robust and reliable thermal design, helping to ensure the lifetime and light output of the LEDs over time and through temperature variances due to environmental conditions of the fixture.

The dynamic headroom control feature monitors the forward voltages of the LED strings and dynamically adjusts the LED supply voltage through the power supply feedback to the lowest level required. By directly controlling the output of the offline regulator, the LM3464 can eliminate the second stage switching regulator commonly required for offline LED power supplies.

The LM3464 features both pulse-width modulation (PWM) and analog dimming interfaces to allow the user to select between various dimming types for different applications. Protection features include VIN under-voltage lock-out, LED open/short circuit and over-temperature fault signaling to the system controller.

National’s LM3464 is priced at $4.50 in 1,000-unit quantities. Samples are available now with production quantities available in June, 2010. 

Wavien, Inc. Licensed Premien Recycling LED Technology to TaYih Industrial Co., Ltd. of Taiwan for Flashlight Applications
TaYih Industrial Co., Ltd. has licensed Wavien’s Premien LED Recycling technology for use in ultra-narrow beam, high-output tactical LED flashlights.  This new design produces more than 80 percent increase in output intensity compared to standard technology. Wavien’s Premien Recycling Collar is a very low-cost component that captures the wasted light in conventional LED lighting designs, recycles the light and directs it back into the output beam. Wavien continues to optimize the system performance using the Recycling Collar and plans to expand the technology into other lighting systems that are compatible with standard lighting fixtures.

“The ability to brightly illuminate an object from a distance with sufficient brightness has been a goal for many lighting designers, especially for specialty flashlight systems where an ultra-narrow, targeted high-intensity beam is needed, such as search and rescue and law enforcement operations,” said Dr. Kenneth Li, president and CEO of Wavien, Inc., who is also the inventor of the technology. “Wavien’s Premien technology allows the designers and manufacturers to now look at a completely new line of products that can now benefit from the ultra-bright narrow beam platform.”

“LED-based portable lighting equipment has the advantages of high brightness and low power consumption; however, none of the existing commercial, off-the-shelf products really capture the light emitted by the LED efficiently. By using Wavien's unique Premien LED recycling technology, the greatest performance can be achieved. When I had the first sight on Wavien's trial product, I was so impressed by Wavien's amazing R&D capability in the photonics field, and thought that products developed based on this technology will create a brand new market,” said Mr. Huang, president of TaYih Industrial Co., Ltd.

DuPont Delivers OLED Technology Scalable for Television
DuPont has achieved record performance in printed OLED displays, sufficient to enable future adoption of OLED TV.  Using proprietary DuPont Gen 3 solution OLED materials, DuPont has demonstrated a solution-based manufacturing process in which OLEDs can be cost effectively printed while delivering the necessary performance and lifetime.

OLEDs are an inherently more sustainable display technology when compared with liquid crystal displays (LCDs).  OLEDs have the potential for lower power consumption and eliminate the need for many of the LCD components, such as backlights and color filters.  OLEDs also can offer consumers an improved viewing experience through higher contrast ratios and faster response times.  

“OLED displays are in portable devices available in the market today, but the current high-cost of manufacturing with evaporated materials has limited market adoption, and constrained OLED manufacturing for larger size displays,” said David B. Miller, president, DuPont Electronics & Communications.  “Now, with DuPont printed OLED materials and process technology, fabrication costs can be significantly reduced and manufacturing can be scaled to accommodate TV-size displays.” 

DuPont previously developed solution-based OLED materials with record-setting lifetime performance.  With the new results, DuPont has now translated its advances in materials science to a scalable manufacturing process where an OLED television operating eight hours per day would last more than 15 years.  

To report these results, DuPont made printed test devices which can be operated at elevated luminance for an accelerated lifetime test.  Printed devices using the DuPont process have reliably achieved lifetimes to 50 percent of initial luminance of 29,000 hours for red, 110,000 hours for green and 34,000 hours for blue at typical television brightness levels.

DOE Launches Municipal Consortium on LED Street Lights
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that Seattle City Light has been selected to lead a national effort to guide municipalities in evaluating LED street lights. Edward Smalley of Seattle City Light will lead the Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium, which will collect, analyze and share information and lessons learned related to LED street lighting demonstrations.
Interest in LED street lighting is growing rapidly across the country, fueled in part by cities looking to use American Recovery and Reinvestment Act/Block Grant funding to replace existing street lighting with energy-efficient LEDs.
Starting today, cities and power providers and others who invest in street and area lighting are invited to join the Consortium and share their experiences through national and regional meetings, webcasts, web-based discussion forums and other means. The goal is to build a repository of valuable field experience and data that will significantly accelerate the learning curve for buying and implementing high quality, energy-efficient LED street lights. The DOE Consortium efforts are funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Download the 2010 Resource Guide Issue

Issue Features:

• DOE's CALiPER Program: Shedding Light on an Emerging Marketplace
• Extending the Life of LED Lighting Systems
• Phosphor Film Conversion for White LEDs
• Application Profile: Widnes Waterfront Future Flower is Unveiled
• 2009 Innova Awards
• 2010 Annual Resource Guide

MAY 2010

5/21, 2010
LED lighting 2010
Naples, Italy

5/23 - 5/28
SID 2010
Seattle, WA

5/31 - 6/4
Compound Semiconductor Week 2010
Kagawa, Japan

SID International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition
May 23-28, 2010
Seattle, WA

The 48th SID International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition, or Display Week 2010, will take place May 23-28, 2010, at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.  Display Week is the premier international gathering of scientists, engineers, manufacturers and users in the field of electronic-information displays.  Display Week is where the future of displays is envisioned and it’s the only venue that provides display enthusiasts with a glimpse into what will be on the market in 2-3 years.  Some of the exciting areas showcased this year include OLED, e-paper, flexible displays, greener manufacturing techniques, 3D, touch, etc.  Come see what new technology is shaping the future.  For more information, visit www.sid2010.org or follow us on Twitter at @DisplayWeek. 

SEMICON West 2010
July 13-15, 2010
Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA

SEMICON West 2010 will be the hub of activity for products and technologies for the design and manufacture of microelectronics, the microelectronics supply chain, and emerging markets and technologies.  Hear keynote speakers from Intel, Applied Materials, IBM, and LAM.  Attend the Extreme Electronics mini-conferences on MEMS, photovoltaics, flexible electronics and displays, nano-electronics, and solid state lighting (LEDs). Spend time at the TechXPOTs, which feature sessions on key industry segments, technologies, and trends, or the new TechSITEs with short sessions on a wide variety of topics and invited technical presentations and non-commercial exhibitor demonstrations.  Stop by the exhibitor booths.  Be part of the excitement. Join the thousands of semiconductor professionals this year at SEMICON West. www.semiconwest.org