Leds201309 DL

+
SIL 2013
Conference report
and market
projections P.26 & P.35
Venting luminaires
Equalization boosts
reliability P.43
Thermal
Focus on SIL
products P.55
LEDsmagazine.com
MARCH 2013
TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS OF LIGHT EMITTING DIODES
Dynamic SSL
presentation
celebrates the
Bay Bridge P.33

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Conference
report
The LED Show P.27
Thermal
materials
AlN LED packages P.39
Automotive
LEDs
Cabin and exterior
lighting P.44
LEDsmagazine.com
SEPTEMBER 2013
TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS OF LIGHT EMITTING DIODES
Hollywood Lights
Sting set gets LED
makeover P.9
See pg. 3133 for more information
1309leds_C1 1 8/21/13 11:44 AM
1309leds_C2 2 8/21/13 11:44 AM
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LEDsmagazine.com SEPTEMBER 2013 3
2013
features
27
CONFERENCE REPORT
Packaged LED discussion provides rousing start
at The LED Show
Maury Wright
31
CONFERENCE PREVIEW
SIL Europe addresses the development of a
new lighting ecosystem
Bob Steele, Strategies Unlimited
35
STANDARDS
IES moves to establish LED light-source ray
file standards
Jianzhong Jiao, Osram Opto Semiconductors
39
PACKAGING
Cost-reduced AlN delivers thermals needed in
HB LED packages
Jonathan Harris, CMC Laboratories, Inc.
44
APPLICATIONS
Europe adds driving force to LED market
Caroline Hayes
51
TESTING
LED system evaluation yields quality analysis
Richie Richards, Cree
59
DESIGN FORUM
Optical touchscreens benefit from compact,
high-power infrared LEDs
Harry Feltges, Osram Opto Semiconductors
september
columns/departments
4
COMMENTARY Maury Wright
Electronics and lighting
industries try to get in sync
9
NEWS+ANALYSIS
Iconic Santa Monica Pier
gets LED facelift
Philips adds members to Hue family
SSL streetlights drop below $100
Seoul supplies China streetlights
Packaged LEDs: Seoul, Toshiba,
Osram, Bridgelux, Cree, and Plessey
21
FUNDING + PROGRAMS
Gateway demonstration for MSSLC
reveals LED advantages over HPS
DOE revises L Prize rules
for PAR38 lamps
EPA proposes change to
Energy Star verification
DOE publishes Snapshot
Report on outdoor SSL
EPA marches toward finalizing
Energy Star Lamps spec
DOE debunks claims of LED light hazard
DOE documents residential
energy use for lighting
ISSUE 63
1309leds_3 3 8/21/13 11:55 AM

4 SEPTEMBER 2013 LEDsmagazine.com
commentary
T
he LED Show is ongoing in Las Vegas as
I write this, and a session entitled The
psychology of lighting prompted this col-
umn. Specifically, Kevin Willmorth, owner
of lighting consultancy Lumenique, made
some very interesting and humorous obser-
vations about the solid-state lighting (SSL)
industry. Much of his talk was focused on
the different cultures of the electronics and
lighting industries and the need for each to
better understand the other.
While Willmorth comes from the lighting
industry, he was a very early adopter of LEDs
in lighting applications. He was equally criti-
cal and appreciative of aspects of both of the
industries. But he said that there remains a
fundamental disconnect between the 9- to
18-month development cycle for lighting
products and what he described as a two-
month cycle for LEDs.
In describing the two mindsets, Will-
morth said, The lighting industry makes a
million different things one time. In con-
trast, he said the electronics industry wants
to make a million of one thing. An exagger-
ation for sure, but still his point hits home.
The transition to LEDs has clearly been
painful for the lighting industry. Early on,
the LED manufacturers over-promised
in terms of performance and lifetime and
under-delivered. Willmorth said, Some-
where around 2011 the products started per-
forming as promised.
Today, the LED industry regularly over-
delivers in terms of lumen output and effi-
cacy. That would on the surface seem to be
a good thing. But Willmorth says that it
can be a problem for lighting manufactur-
ers and designers who work based on a pub-
lished spec only to find out that the capa-
bilities of the light source have changed by
the time a product ships or an installation
is complete.
The electronics industry has also brought
along an overload of new standards that,
while in theory are both needed and good,
have overwhelmed the lighting industry.
Willmorth showed a complicated chart with
a complex stack of optical, electronic, safety,
form factor, networking, and other stan-
dards that he calls the SSL Dog Pile 2013
and said, This is suffocating.
He still reserved plenty of criticism for
the lighting industry, and especially its
affinity for the Edison socket and light
bulb. He said, We should have made the
Edison socket illegal rather than the incan-
descent lamp, referring to energy-effi-
ciency regulations on lightbulbs.
Willmorth described the Edison base as
dangerous and not capable itself of pass-
ing UL safety standards, whereas products
that are installed in the Edison socket are
held to stricter standards. He said Califor-
nia Title 24 is step in the right direction,
requiring GU10 and GU24 lamps in new
homes and offices.
The LED component industry has played
a part in the longevity of the Edison socket
as well. Willmorth roasted the US Depart-
ment of Energy L Prize for its part in the
process. He said, The real winner is the
Edison socket surviving another round of
advancing technology.
But the lighting industry is clinging to
the established technology as well. Will-
morth clearly thinks that retrofit lamps are
holding back real advancements in energy
savings, lighting design, and better light-
ing experiences for people. He concludes,
"The incandescent lamp is dead. Lets get
over it already.
Maury Wright, EDITOR
mauryw@pennwell.com
Electronics and lighting
industries try to get
in sync
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Christine Shaw
& PUBLISHING DIRECTOR cshaw@pennwell.com
EDITOR Maury Wright
mauryw@pennwell.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Carrie Meadows
carriem@pennwell.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Julie MacShane
juliemacshane33@gmail.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Caroline Hayes
caroline.hayes@ruivamedia.com
ART DIRECTOR Kelli Mylchreest
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Mari Rodriguez
SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR Christopher Hipp
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Debbie Bouley
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FEATURED
events
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Materials Matter
ledsmagazine.com/whitepapers/36/
Webcasts
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and market issues and
broaden SSL deployment
ledsmagazine.com/features/10/8/1
Global Certifications
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Understand the lighting
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products and projects
LED Lighting Institute
September 1012, 2013
Troy, NY
OLEDs World Summit
San Francisco, CA
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LED Japan Conference & Expo/
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October 1618, 2013
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ADVERTISERS
index
Argie Charmilles Management SA ................11
Ask SRL ......................................................34
Autec Power Systems ..................................33
Bayer Material Science, LLC ........................25
Cooledge Lighting ....................................... 17
Cree, Inc. ..................................................CV4
E-Lite OptoTech Co., Ltd. .............................41
EBM-Papst Inc. .............................................8
Edison Opto Corporation .............................23
Epistar ..........................................................1
Guangzhou Hongli
Opto-Electronic Co., Ltd ............................32
Hangzhou Everfine Photo-E-Info Co., Ltd. .......7
Helio Optoelectronics Corp. .........................56
Henkel ........................................................13
HKTDC Hong Kong International
Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) ....................57
Indium Corporation .....................................40
Instruments Systems GmbH .......................20
International LED Core
Technology Seminar .................................50
Inventronics (Hangzhou), Inc. .......................47
Lambda Research .......................................14
Ledlink Optics Inc. .......................................29
Lextar Electronics Corp. ..............................49
Linear Technology .....................................CV3
Matrix Lighting Limited, Hong Kong ...........CV2
MBN GmbH .................................................18
Metal Coaters .............................................15
NMB Technologies Corporation ...................42
Optronic Laboratories, Inc. ..........................62
Orb Optronix................................................60
SIL Europe ..................................................54
SIL Japan ....................................................63
Philips Lumileds ............................................2
Proto Labs, Inc. ...........................................43
Recom Power Inc. ................................ 53, 55
Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. ....................30
Shanxi Guangyu LED Lighting Co. Ltd. .........16
Shenzhen Crystal River Optoelectronic
Technologies Co., Ltd. ..............................12
Shenzhen OKT Electronics &
Technology Co., Ltd. .................................64
Shenzhen Refond
Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. ..........................26
Shin Etsu Silicones of America ....................61
Shrewdd Marketing .....................................61
Sichuan Jiuzhou Electric Group Co., Ltd. ......38
Signcomplex Limited ...................................24
The Bergquist Company ..............................19
The Korean Consulate General ....................36
Thomas Research Products ........................58
Underwriters Laboratories ...........................37
USHIO America ...........................................32
Shenzhen Baikang Optical Co., Ltd. ...............5
1309leds_6 6 8/21/13 11:55 AM
1309leds_7 7 8/21/13 11:55 AM

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views
n
e
w
s
The 97-year-old Santa Monica Pier and Boardwalk, on the
Pacific coast in Santa Monica, California near Los Angeles,
has installed LED lighting on the outside of some struc-
tures and in post-top lighting along the pier and board-
walk. LEDtronics reports that the project is already deliver-
ing 30% energy savings and will
also reduce maintenance costs
and provide better lighting for
safety with less light pollution.
The project entailed a num-
ber of LEDtronics solid-state
lighting (SSL) products. For
example, 1. 3W S14 retrof it
lamps were installed in place
of 11W incandescent lamps in
multiple layers ringing architec-
tural elements of the Looff Hip-
podrome. Named for designer
Charles Looff, the Hippodrome
houses the iconic wooden car-
ousel among other things.
Now that the necklace lights
on the carousel building have been replaced with LEDs,
there are no gaps, they give off a nice, bright glow, and
the colors really bring out the colors on the building,
said Jim Harris, deputy director of the Santa Monica Pier
Restoration Corporation. We wont need to
OUTDOOR LIGHTING
Iconic Santa Monica Pier gets LED facelift
COLOR TUNING
Philips adds members to Hue family
Philips Lighting has introduced new mem-
bers of its LED-based, color-tunable Hue
lighting family with what the company
is now calling Friends of Hue products.
Philips also struck a recent deal with
Disney to sell Hue-based lamps for chil-
dren in combination with entertainment
products such as interactive story books.
The first two Friends of Hue are a 2m
LightStrip that can be installed under
furniture or in architectural room features,
and the LivingColors Bloom fixture (both
shown here) that sits on a table or other
f lat surface and projects much like a
f loodlight on an architectural faade
(illuminationinfocus.com/news/4/8/6).
The new Friends of Hue products are
designed to work seamlessly with the Zig-
Bee bridge supplied in the Hue Starter
Kit, and with Philips and third-party
applications developed for Apple and
Android smartphones. The new products
would be configured just as if they were
yet another Hue lamp connected to the
local ZigBee network.
Adding color to a home doesnt need to
just be about art and paint; the page 12
page 10
1309leds_9 9 8/21/13 11:55 AM
news
+
views
change these bulbs for
years, and the LED lamps added to the rest
area and boardwalk outside of the building
increase security and provide a well-lit area
for people to relax and enjoy the sights and
sounds of the pier.
The savings with the Hippodrome lights is
near 80%, although some of the other parts
of the retrofit delivered lesser savings. How-
ever, the pier and boardwalk upgrade comes
with much better lighting and better light
control as evidenced by Harris statement.
LEDtronics supplied two different pen-
dant-style retrofit luminaires that are
suspended on decorative posts. For seat-
ing areas, 20W LEDs replace 50W and
70W metal halide (MH) and high-pressure
sodium (HPS) lamps. Along the walkways,
27W LEDs replaced 150W MH lamps. The
project also included some LED A-lamps
installed in inaccessible locations as bea-
cons around the perimeter of the pier.
With the new LED lamps in place, main-
tenance is minimal, and we have already
reduced energy consumption by more
than 30%, said Matt Henigan, energy effi-
ciency engineer with the City of Santa Mon-
ica, Office of Sustainability and the Envi-
ronment. And because the LED lighting is
directional, it improves safety and enhances
the piers appearance without causing light
pollution for local residents.
MORE: illuminationinfocus.com/news/4/7/6
OUTDOOR LIGHTING
Seoul supplies China streetlights
Seoul Semiconductor has announced that
streetlights based on the companys AC-LED
Acrich2 modules have been successfully
installed on Weiyang Road in the Jiangsu
Province in China, saving 55% in energy rela-
tive to the typical high-pressure sodium (HPS)
lights used in such applications. The project
follows on the heels of a project in Yangzhou
City that was completed back in April.
The LED streetlights use the Acrich2 4040
LEDs that are based on what Seoul calls
multi-junction technology (MJT). Essen-
tially, MJT equates to what the industry at
large calls high-voltage LEDs that connect
multiple emitters in series within a sin-
gle package, thereby simplifying the driver
design. Seouls 4040 has a 64V forward volt-
age and is driven typically at 20 mA.
OUTDOOR PRODUCTS
SSL streetlights drop below $100
While part of Seouls value proposition is
low cost (see below), AC-driver technol-
ogy clearly isnt the only avenue toward
that result. Cree took the unusual tac-
tic of leading a recent LED
streetlight announcement
with product pricing, with
the news being a product for
residential streets that broke
the $100 level.
The city of Raleigh, North
Carolina, adjacent to Crees
home base in Durham, has
been an early adopter of SSL
technology, especially in
outdoor applications. This
breakthrough technology
can change the total cost-of-
ownership equation, encouraging munic-
ipalities to transition sooner to LED with
less risk, and redirect resources to other
important community needs, said Dan
Howe, assistant city manager of Raleigh.
Streetlighting is our citys largest single
energy-related cost, and the XSPR street-
light appears to dramatically change the
economics of LED relative to traditional
lighting technologies.
The new XSPR series can deliver 2529
3819 lm and Cree says they achieve a typi-
cal 63% reduction in energy usage, replac-
ing 100W legacy lights. Cree says the
payback is one year.
Seoul takes the high-voltage approach a
step further with its Acrich AC-driver tech-
nology that has now been completely inte-
grated in a single IC that we covered back
in March (ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/16).
The company says that you can replace the
typical AC/DC modular driver used in an
LED streetlight with the IC mounted on the
LED circuit board. Presumably, that config-
uration is representative of the lights used
in the China projects.
Seoul said the Acrich2 modules eliminate
a 2- to 4-kg driver module while also offering
inherent dimming support. The company
also stated that the space saved due to the
AC technology was utilized to add surge pro-
tection to handle over-current and -voltage
conditions, as well as lightning
strikes, while also enabling the
use of a smaller enclosure.
Acrich2 AC LED modules
are the optimized solution for
high reliability and remove the
difficulties of installing dim-
ming control systems using
drivers/ballasts for existing DC
LEDs, said Marten Willemsen,
vice president of marketing for
Seoul Semiconductor. Due to
the competitive price, there will
be continued success cases
These successful cases in China will lead to
more widespread adoption of Seoul Semicon-
ductor solutions in the global outdoor light-
ing market.
MORE: ledsmagazine.com/news/10/8/10
Pier from page 9
1309leds_10 10 8/21/13 11:55 AM
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1309leds_11 11 8/21/13 11:55 AM
news
+
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f lexibility of smart LED
technology means light can play just as big
a part in creating a unique atmosphere in
the home that is flexible and personalized
to you, and this is just the beginning, said
Sridhar Kumaraswamy, general manager of
Philips Consumer Luminaires EMEA. At
Philips our core focus has always been to
improve peoples lives through meaningful
innovation, and we believe we have done just
that by expanding the infinite possibilities
of hue through Friends of Hue.
Both new products can produce up to
16 million colors. The products can be
dimmed, tuned for color, and switched
on and off locally and remotely. The light-
ing products are already available in some
stores. Philips has repeatedly added either
new technology elements or products to the
Hue family this year. For example, back in
May the company enhanced the Hue app
(illuminationinfocus.com/news/4/5/9).
Now a partnership with Disney will bring
the technology to kids. The partners will
offer tunable Disney-character-themed
table lamps along with control apps that
can enhance reading activities, provide
soothing night-time environments, and
gently wake kids from sleep, among many
other potential uses.
The Philips Disney portfolio is due from
both companies existing retail channels
starting in September for the US and Europe,
and later in the year for Canada and Asia.
Apparently, the products will use Hue-like
lamps, although the partners did not detail
the technology.
The companies identified a number of
products in the portfolio, starting with the
StoryLight and Mickey starter kit. The kit
includes a table lamp with classic Mickey
Mouse shape that houses what appears to
be a Hue lamp. An app for an iPad or e-book
reader will dynamically change the lighting
as the child reads classic Disney stories.
We are proud to work with Philips to
help create positive and comforting read-
ing and bedtime environments for families,
said Simon Philips, executive vice president
and general manager at Disney Consumer
Products. This product range is a perfect
illustration of how Disney storytelling can
extend into childrens bedrooms through an
innovative and compelling consumer prod-
uct offering.
The portfolio will also include bedside
table lamps available in Mickey and Min-
nie Mouse versions that the companies call
SleepTime. The lamps are designed to pro-
vide a soothing environment during bedtime
and also to gently awaken kids in the morn-
ing. There will also be LED Candles prod-
ucts that mimic a warm f lickering candle
and LivingColors products that produce a
dynamic light show.
Hue from page 9
1309leds_12 12 8/21/13 11:55 AM
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PACKAGED LEDS
Seoul mid-power LEDs attack
efficacy and SSL cost
Seoul Semiconductor has announced
upgrades to its mid-power LED families
both pushing efficacy up and increasing
drive current to high-power LED levels. The
company believes that maximizing efficacy
and lumens per dollar (lm/$) are the key ave-
nues through which an LED vendor can help
broaden the deployment of SSL technology.
The new plastic-packaged 5630C LED
can deliver efficacy up to 180 lm/W. There
has been a race of late to new efficacy levels
in the mid-power space. Just before the
Lightfair International (LFI) show back
in April, Samsung announced 160-lm/W
efficacy (ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/13)
in mid-power LEDs, claiming that as an
industry high. Then at LFI, LG Innotek
announced 170-lm/W efficacy in similar
products (ledsmagazine.com/news/10/5/4).
The Seoul LEDs deliver 180 lm/W efficacy
at 60mA of drive current. The touted maxi-
mum efficacy is for a 5000K LED. Maximum
current is 160 mA for 0.5W operation. The
company targets applications including ret-
rofit lamps and tubes, and panel-based fix-
tures with the 5630 LED family.
The company also said that it now offers
an LED in the 3030 plastic package that can
be driven at 1W. That would place the LED in
competition at the low end of the high-power
LED segment. Seoul said that getting the 3030
LEDs to that power level could reduce solid-
state lighting (SSL) product costs by 50%.
Mid-power GaN-on-Si LEDs
Toshiba has announced two mid-power
white LED families that are being manu-
factured using gallium-nitride-on-silicon
(GaN-on-Si) technology. The company said
that the LEDs offered in 33-mm 3030 and
31.4-mm 3014 packages specifically target
indoor general lighting applications retro-
fit lamps and tubes to linear/planar fixtures.
Both of the new LED families are avail-
able across a range of 2700K to 6500K CCTs
with a minimum CRI of 80. The 5000K LEDs
also can be specified in a 70 CRI version.
The TL3GA series (3030 package) can be
operated over a range of 0.60.9W while the
TL2FK series (3014 package) can be operated
over a range of 0.20.5W.
Toshiba touted a low forward voltage as
being important to low-power SSL prod-
ucts. The single-emitter TL2FK products
have a typical forward voltage of 2.85V
while the dual-emitter TL3GA products
have a typical forward voltage of 5.7V.
Still, the efficacy of the GaN-on-Si prod-
ucts trails the efficacy of sapphire-based
mid-power LEDs considerably. For exam-
ple, the LEDs substantially trail the mid-
power LEDs that Seoul Semiconductor just
announced.
The mid-power product launch marked
the second major announcement of GaN-
on-Si LEDs from Toshiba. Late last year the
company announced the 1W TL1F1 LED
1309leds_14 14 8/21/13 11:55 AM
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family (ledsmagazine.com/news/10/1/3).
While Toshiba has said that those products
are shipping in volume, we have yet to see a
prominent SSL product that uses the LEDs.
Osram announces COB
and mid-power LEDs
Osram Opto Semiconductors has announced
the Soleriq S 13 family of chip-on-board
(COB) LEDs that delivers 1500 lm from a
light-emitting surface (LES) that measures
just 13.5 mm in diameter. The company also
announced new multi-emitter Duris LEDs,
and an RGB MultiLED family for automotive
applications.
Osram intends the Soleriq LEDs primarily
for use in SSL retrofit lamps and luminaires
designed to replace high-wattage halogen
spotlights (ledsmagazine.com/news/10/8/8).
The LEDs range in CCTs from 27006500K
with a 3000K version delivering typical effi-
cacy of 100 lm/W. The available warm-white
CCT and high CRI make the LEDs suitable
for target markets including retail, restau-
rant, and luxury residential where color
quality is extremely important.
The Soleriq S 13 is an ideal fit for the hos-
pitality and home lighting sector because,
in addition to its high brightness, it covers a
wide range of color temperatures, said Marc
Dyble, product marketing manager for SSL
at Osram. Additionally, the color rendering
index for all color temperatures is over 80.
As a result, the S 13 significantly expands
the application portfolio of the Soleriq LED
family, whose existing E 30 and E 45 versions
are designed for downlights.
The Soleriq S 13 is indicative of a growing
trend toward COB LEDs with smaller LES
diameter and smaller packages that enable
use in lamps and compact luminaires.
For example, Cree recently added COB
LEDs with 6- and 12-mm LES diameters
(see p. 16). The smaller LES enables tighter
beams while efficacy gains still enable
high-lumen designs.
The new S 8 multi-emitter, high-power
member of the Duris series closely groups
the LED chips to deliver very good color
consistency in combination with a high
luminous flux. Designed for directional and
omnidirectional retrofit lamps and indoor
spot lighting, the LEDs are particularly suit-
able for directional lighting in office and
business settings.
In terms of color rendering, the Duris
S 8 has a CRI of more than 80, said Janick
Ihringer, product manager at Osram. An
even higher CRI will be the next step. The
LEDs also deliver high f lux from a small
LES, enabling a simpler interface to opti-
cal elements in an SSL system. Essentially,
the product brings the advantage of simpler
drivers for high-voltage LEDs to the mid-
power space.
Automobile manufacturers, meanwhile,
will have more options in using color
lighting for both function and style with the
MultiLED RGB (red, green, blue) LED from
Osram. The company says that the multi-
emitter LED is useful in lighting instrument
1309leds_15 15 8/21/13 11:55 AM
news
+
views
clusters, backlighting graphics displays,
and in implementing accent, ambient, and
trim lighting.
The packaged LED includes three indi-
vidually controllable emitters. Osram said
the differentiator in the new RGB LED is
the blue emitter both because of the broad
color spectrum and the f lux output of the
blue emitter. The blue emitter produces
energy over the range of 447476 nm. More-
over, Osram said the blue output of 370 mcd
is much brighter than the blue output in
other RGB LEDs on the market. Brighter blue
is important because the color falls at the
edge of the human visual sensitivity range
and humans perceive blue light as darker
than the measured flux level would indicate.
The new LED can offset this darker per-
ception so that customer brightness require-
ments can be met for all color ranges, said
David Rousseau, LED product marketing
manager at Osram Opto Semiconductors.
Whats more, a short-wave blue color has
a pleasant saturated appearance. We have
now succeeded in implementing this color
range in an RGB LED version.
Bridgelux enhances
Vero performance
Bridgelux has announced that the Vero COB
LEDs launched last December are now avail-
able with higher efficacy and tighter color
bins. The company also said that the LEDs
can now be driven at twice the rated current
level, and that the family achieved LM-80
characterization at the end of July.
Bridgelux boasted in the news release of
efficacy as high as 122 lm/W and character-
ized that performance as industry leading.
In reality, those figures were at 25C whereas
many companies now characterize their
LEDs fully at 85C. At the higher tempera-
ture, the tables that Bridgelux distributed
would place the LEDs close to 100 lm/W and
in the same range as products from Cree,
Philips Lumileds, and others. Still, the Vero
product has matched the industry leaders.
The company is also now offering the
LEDs in a choice of 2- or 3-step MacAdam
Ellipse bins. Aaron Merrill, director of prod-
uct line management, acknowledged that
others offer 2-step bins but said Bridgelux
is first to also offer customers 3-step bins.
The question remains as to whether there is
a customer base for a bin between the more
typical 2- and 4-step bins offered by other
companies.
Bridgelux also offers the LEDs in high-
CRI options including the 97-CRI Dcor fam-
ily. Moreover, the Vero LEDs can meet the
requirements of the California Energy Com-
mission (CEC) for CRI R9 scores greater than
50 for the saturated red color sample.
Cree launches smaller COBs
Cree has announced two new members of
its CXA family of COB LED arrays including
the CXA1304 with a 6-mm light LES and the
12-mm CXA1816. Moreover, the entire CXA
family is now available in a 95 CRI option.
1309leds_16 16 8/21/13 11:55 AM
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The new COB LEDs broaden the span of
products that can be addressed with the
CXA family. The family of CXA LED arrays
appeals to us because of the wide range of
lumen options available, all at very high effi-
cacy levels, said Michael Lin, CEO of Buck-
ingham Industrial Group. Regardless of the
lighting application that we want to address,
there is a CXA LED array offered that is opti-
mized for it.
The CXA1304 LEDs deliver up to 1034
lm with typical efficacy of 102 lm/W at an
85C operating temperature. The LED tar-
gets luminaires such as small track heads
and downlights, or retrofit lamps such as
small ref lector bulbs. The CXA1861 can
enable replacements for 70W ceramic metal
halide (CMH) spotlights as well as smaller
luminaires and retrofit lamps. The LEDs can
deliver up to 3000 lm.
The entire CXA family is LM-80 tested
and offered across the range of 27005000K
CCTs. The new High CRI CXA versions fea-
ture both the 95 CRI and a typical R9 value
of 85 at 3000K. Cree offers the LEDs in 2- and
4-step MacAdam Ellipse bins.
Plessey announces silicon-
based blue LED
Plessey Semiconductors has announced the
PLB010350 LED that is manufactured on its
GaN-on-Si manufacturing platform. The
22-mm blue LEDs deliver 350 mW of radio-
metric power when driven at 420 mA a
significant jump from the companys previ-
ously announced Si-based LEDs and a prod-
uct that can serve in some general solid-
state lighting (SSL) applications.
Back in April, Plessey had announced
availability of the PL111010 LEDs that were
more of a proof-of-concept for the GaN-on-
Si technology, delivering only a few lumens
from very low drive currents and maxing out
at 25 mA (ledsmagazine.com/news/10/4/2).
These new LEDs can be driven at up to 1A
continuously and 2A pulsed.
Its not clear why Plessey only announced
a blue version of the new LED design. Cer-
tainly the LEDs could be used in remote phos-
phor applications. The 435460-nm dominant
wavelength range is similar to the royal-blue
LEDs from major LED manufacturers that are
targeted at remote-phosphor SSL products.
The company has not said if it will offer a white
phosphor-converted version of the new LED.
In terms of efficiency, the new LEDs are
markedly improved from the earlier product
but still well behind sapphire-based LEDs.
For example, Cree announced the 2.52.5mm
XLamp XB-D LEDs in January 2012 (ledsmag
azine.com/news/9/1/16). The company offers
a royal-blue version of the LED that delivers
450550 mW at 350 mA of drive current.
Plessey said that the new LEDs can be
used in applications including entertain-
ment and decorative lighting as well as in
wall-washing and -grazing applications.
Moreover, the company said the LEDs are
especially suited to any SSL applications
that require pulsed lighting.
1309leds_18 18 8/21/13 11:55 AM
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programs
funding
DOE revises L Prize
rules for PAR38 lamps
The US Department of Energy (DOE)
has again revised the requirements
for the PAR38 LED lamp competition
within the Bright Tomorrow Lighting
Prize (L Prize) program. Lamps can
now have a slightly wider beam pattern
and the agency reduced some other
burdens on manufacturers.
The PAR38 L Prize competition was
inaugurated in 2008 along-
side the competition
for a 60W-equiv-
alent A-lamp that Phil-
ips won in 2011 (ledsmaga
zine.com/news/8/8/7). The PAR38
competition seeks a replacement for
halogen incandescent lamps. The DOE
had identif ied the A-lamp and the
PAR38 as among the most broadly used
lamps and therefore focused the L Prize
on those products for sockets where
LEDs could deliver the most energy
savings. The nearby photo of an Acu-
ity Brands PAR38 LED lamp is typical
of the product category.
While the A-lamp drew Philips as
an entrant early on and later GE Light-
ing (ledsmagazine.com/news/8/7/1)
and Lighting Science Group (ledsmaga
zine.com/news/8/3/7) each announced
their intention to enter, the PAR38
competition has yet to draw an entry.
The DOE temporarily suspended the
PAR38 competition (ledsmagazine.
com/news/8/1/6) in mid-2011, and then
relaunched it in March 2012 with the
most significant change
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has
published a report on a Gateway demon-
stration of LED streetlights in support of
the Municipal Solid-State Streetlighting
Consortium (MSSLC) that documents tests of
nine LED-based luminaires relative to high-
pressure-sodium (HPS) lights. The Kansas
City, MO trial began in 2011, and reveals that
the LED lights didnt universally best the HPS
incumbents in terms of lumen output or effi-
cacy, but the solid-state lighting (SSL) prod-
ucts did generally deliver more lumens to the
roadway surface and less light spill (ledsmag
azine.com/news/10/8/7). Realize also that the
LED products were installed in February 2011
and therefore use technology that is relatively
outdated at this point.
The project included LED lights installed
in place of 100W, 150W, 250W, and 400W
HPS fixtures. The SSL products ranged from
a 63W fixture used in place of a 100W HPS
lamp to a 291W fixture used in place of a
400W HPS lamp. The measured reduction
in energy varied from 3151% with a mean
of 39%. But the LED lights also emitted 31%
fewer lumens on average.
The LEDs delivered a 15% increase in
mean efficacy although two of the LED prod-
ucts had lower efficacy than the HPS prod-
ucts to which they were compared. Applica-
tion efficacy was more revealing, comparing
the lumens delivered to the target area to
input electrical power. There were still two
SSL products that trailed the incumbents,
although one of the two was not the same one
that trailed in laboratory measured efficacy.
But the advantage for the LED lights was
truly significant in some cases. For exam-
ple, a 130W LED fixture that replaced a
150W HPS f i xture had an
Gateway demonstration for MSSLC
reveals LED advantages over HPS
page 22
page 22
1309leds_21 21 8/21/13 11:56 AM
programs funding
appl ication ef f i-
cacy advantage of 83 lm/W compared to
45.1 lm/W. The report noted that both the
LED and incumbent fixtures were in a set-
ting with some spill light from an adjacent
source. But in a 250W comparison with no
spill light, an LED fixture delivered 47 lm/W
compared to 33.6 lm/W for an HPS fixture.
The report also contemplated the impact of
the LED products on maintenance cost. Kan-
sas City has a program in place to monitor
illuminance levels and to replace lighting that
falls below documented design criteria even
if the light in question hasnt failed outright.
The study included an evaluation of lumen
maintenance based on calculated light loss
factors. That projection revealed that two of
the HPS fixtures would require lamp replace-
ment prior to expiration of the expected lamp
life. The same statement is generally true of
some of the LED products, but that replace-
ment is as much as 30 years down the road.
The study did not project actual maintenance
costs, but clearly the SSL products will deliver
a significant advantage.
DOE publishes Snapshot
Report on outdoor SSL
Separately, the DOE has published what it
calls a Snapshot Report on outdoor area
lighting that is collectively based on Caliper
research into LED parking-garage, can-
opy, and roadway-and-area luminaires. The
snapshot highlights include a comparison
of efficacy of the various products that have
been evaluated in the Caliper program. The
bulk of the products have ranged between
7090 lm/W, although there have been
extremes with products coming in under 50
lm/W or over 100 lm/W. But generally LED-
based luminaires are performing better than
legacy alternatives including HPS lighting.
Just two years ago, HPS was viewed as supe-
rior in efficacy to LEDs, although there were
even then factors, such as broader-spectrum
light, that made SSL a superior light source.
Now the DOE has said that the best of the LED
products in terms of efficacy are substantially
higher than alternatives such as HPS.
The report does note that there are areas in
which HPS lighting is still the predominant
choice. The Caliper program has revealed
few choices among LED luminaires that can
replace the 400W HPS lighting used on major
roadways. The research only considers lumi-
naires that include photometric documenta-
tion under the DOE Lighting Facts program.
The report revealed that there are more
canopy luminaires besting 100 lm/W than
such products in the other categories. But
the canopy fixtures generally have higher
CCTs, and cooler color temperature is
directly related to higher efficacy.
Perhaps surprisingly, the report notes
little correlation between color quality or
CRI and efficacy. High CRI is often achieved
through a broader power spectrum, which
can lead to lower efficacy. But evidently the
various approaches taken by manufactur-
ers to boost CRI have at least made any such
relationship invisible.
The agency has tested luminaires with CRI
between 60 and 80, and products with suitable
color rendering for outdoor applications are
plentiful. Indeed, the SSL products generally
render color far better than HPS sources and
that can make objects more detectable from a
distance. The CCT of the tested fixtures typi-
cally falls in the 40006000K range.
being the number of sample lamps
needed for a manufacturer to enter
the competition (ledsmagazine.com/
news/9/3/5).
The PAR38 L Prize remains a $5 mil-
lion opportunity for a lamp manufac-
turer along with assurances that the
United States government will buy and
utilize the winning lamp. Philips won
$10 million for the A-lamp competition
but may have spent far more on R&D.
Still, the effort left Philips Lighting at
or near the top of the LED retrofit lamp
technology space.
The latest revisions were made based
on realities of the market, according to
the DOE. The luminous intensity dis-
tribution spec has been expanded to a
maximum allowable beam pattern of
15 from the prior 12 requirement.
The bigger changes may be in eligibil-
ity requirements. The rules had required
usage of LEDs made in the United
States. The DOE will still require that
final assembly of the lamp happens in
the US and that entrants have a business
presence in the US.
A change has also been made in
regard to production requirements dur-
ing the first year of lamp manufactur-
ing. The DOE will no longer require an
entrant to commit to producing 250,000
lamps in the first year after receiving
the L Prize award.
Gateway from page 21
L Prize from page 21
EPA proposes change to Energy Star verification testing
The US Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has proposed changes in the annu-
ally required verification testing of lumi-
naires, simplifying the process when a num-
ber of luminaires use the same lamp or light
engine. The changes are especially applicable
to luminaires that use self-ballasted lamps,
such as LED GU24 products that are used in
many products from multiple manufacturers.
There are separate certification and ver-
ification testing programs for Energy Star.
In the case of the luminaires specification, a
certification body (CB) must perform the cer-
tification testing up front before a lighting
manufacturer can use the Energy Star label.
Subsequently, the EPA requires each CB to
perform annual verification testing on 10% of
the base-model luminaires (the base unit in a
family, for instance) for which the CB has per-
formed certification testing. The CB randomly
selects products for verification, although the
EPA as well as other Energy Star partners can
nominate products for verification testing.
A luminaire that uses a replaceable lamp
or light engine must be tested with a spe-
cific lamp when undergoing Energy Star
testing, and the certification only applies to
the luminaire and lamp combination. Manu-
facturers that ship such a product as Energy
Star qualified must ship the lamp and lumi-
naire together.
The certification and verification testing
processes include tests performed separately
on both the lamp and the luminaire with the
lamp installed. But presently this means that
a CB must test identical lamps multiple times
each year in the process of verifying a lumi-
naire. The EPA is now proposing that that a
CB can test a light source once annually and
apply that test data anytime a luminaire is
verified within a 12-month window.
1309leds_22 22 8/21/13 11:56 AM
1309leds_23 23 8/21/13 11:56 AM
programs funding
EPA marches toward finalizing Energy Star Lamps spec
Back in mid-July, the EPA released the final draft of the Energy Star
Lamps V1.0 specification that has been under development for more
than two years. The changes from draft 4 that had been published this
spring are fairly minor; the new spec is slated to take effect Sept. 1,
2014. The agency stated an intent to publish the final spec in August,
although that had not happened when we went to press. There were
significant additional comments on the final draft with changes
requested from six companies and two industry associations.
The final Lamps draft is available on the EPA Energy Star Lamps
web page (http://1.usa.gov/164LERy). The specification will ulti-
mately replace the existing Compact fluorescent lamps and inte-
gral LED lamps specification.
The final draft included minor clarifications to draft 4, although
there were significant changes in the dimming requirements sec-
tion. The easiest way to see the changes is to review the actual spec;
the EPA inserted note boxes that concisely explain the changes where
they were made.
In the dimming area, the EPA relaxed the requirements allowing
lamp makers to test their products with as few as five dimmers, and
allowing lamp makers to specify the dimmers with which their prod-
ucts are guaranteed to work. The final draft also removes require-
ments that tried to segment dimmers by circuit topology for gener-
alization of compatibility ratings; the agency noted that its nearly
impossible to identify dimmers by this topology.
The agency added specific language clarifying that the percentage
of light output relative to a dimmer setting is to be stated relative to
a lamp operated at full brightness on a circuit with no dimmer. As we
have covered previously, many lamps on dimmer circuits dont pro-
vide the same maximum flux with a dimmer set to full brightness
compared to the same lamp on a simple switched circuit.
It appears the EPA will leave the existing A-lamp luminous dis-
tribution requirements in place and will not act on the request by
the Soraa-led coalition asking for a two-stage efficacy spec based on
lamp CRI. We covered both of those issues in our article on draft 4 of
the specification (ledsmagazine.com/features/10/5/8).
Earlier drafts had more stringent requirements for omnidirec-
tional lamps than what will be in the final document. The EPA said
in a cover letter that it would further examine distribution require-
ments after publication of Lamps V1.0. But the tone of the state-
ment implied a further loosening of requirements, perhaps based on
intended applications.
The final draft did not acknowledge Soraas latest request for a
change in efficacy requirements (ledsmagazine.com/news/10/6/3).
Draft 4 had noted the coalitions initial request and that there were
sufficient 90-CRI lamps on the market delivering the existing effi-
cacy requirements, thereby making any change unwarranted.
1309leds_24 24 8/21/13 11:56 AM
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DOE debunks claims of LED light hazard
The DOE has issued a fact sheet that refutes claims regarding inher-
ent dangers of LED-based lighting due to an excess of energy in the
blue end of the human visual sensitivity spectrum, and concludes that
white LED light is no more hazardous than light from other sources.
The presumed problem is founded on the fact that phosphor-con-
verted white LEDs are based on a blue LED, with the phosphor pro-
ducing the white light. Some of the blue photons pass through the
phosphor; there is research documenting that excessive blue light can
disturb our circadian rhythm and cause other maladies. Others have
claimed that excessive blue light may damage eye cells.
The DOE fact sheet, however, explains that all light sources have
energy in the blue area of the spectrum. Blue energy is necessary for
proper color rendering, and blue light is proven to be beneficial for
alertness when experienced in the morning.
The DOE goes on to say that LED lighting has no more blue energy
than lights of the same CCT based on other types of sources. If there
were an excess of blue energy in an LED light, it would impact the
CCT. The fact sheet also explains that, even with excessively bright
lighting, human response mechanisms such as blinking or looking
away typically protect the eye from damage.
The DOE concluded that lighting products should meet photobio-
logical safety standards including CIE S009-2002, ANSI/IES RP27,
and IEC/EN 62471. We ran a three-part series of articles on the topic
last year (ledsmagazine.com/features/9/2/9).
DOE documents residential
energy use for lighting
The DOE has published research conducted by the Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory (PNNL) that documents residential lighting
consumption across the nation. The report entitled Residential
lighting end-use consumption study: Estimation framework and
initial estimates is accompanied by spreadsheets that allow data
filtering and an interactive US map (http://1.usa.gov/13eQG01).
The report details lighting use by lamp characteristics, house-
hold characteristics, and where lamps are used within a home.
The results include hours of use statistics, along with energy used
broken down by geography.
Massachusetts, New York, and California were identified as
using the least power for lighting, with the states averaging less
than 1500 kWh/year in each home. In contrast, Idaho, Montana,
Utah, Wyoming, Missouri, and Arizona average more than 2100
kWh/year. The national average is just over 1700 kWh/year.
The PNNL gathered data from recent regional and national
studies including end-use metering studies correlated with
household characteristic and lighting product inventory data.
Extrapolations were necessary in some regions where complete
data wasnt available. But researchers verified the accuracy of
estimates for California, lending credibility to the entire data-
set. The methodology will enable simple updates as more regional
research becomes available.
1309leds_25 25 8/21/13 11:56 AM
1309leds_26 26 8/21/13 11:56 AM
conference report

| THE LED SHOW
T
he LED Show got off to a quick start
on August 14, with the first session
asking the question, Can LEDs
really continue to improve at the rate they
are now? Ultimately the speakers from
Philips Lumileds, Nichia, and Cree focused
more on how to meet solid-state lighting
(SSL) system quality and cost goals with dif-
ferent LED technologies. The discussion was
certainly spirited as the competitors clearly
see different component paths that will lead
to broader SSL deployment.
The 2013 rendition of The LED Show
topped all previous shows with more than
2,600 attendees and an exhibit hall with
more than 100 booths. The conference pro-
gram included 35 industry experts and the
attendees added to the learning experience
with outstanding comments and questions
following each session. The September issue
of LEDs Magazine went to press right as the
show ended so we will have limited coverage
here, but the opening session on packaged
LEDs was extremely compelling.
Efficacy roadmaps
Chad Stalker, regional marketing manager
for the Americas at Lumileds, led off and
said up front that future efficacy advance-
ments will come more at the system level
than the component level. He said that LEDs
will continue to improve but at a slower rate.
He added, LED systems will continue to
drive the improvement.
Stalker showed the US Department of
Energy (DOE) roadmap for SSL and how the
agency adjusted the efficacy plateau in 2012,
extending the potential for more energy sav-
ings. Stalker said, System integration is
what is driving those curves back up.
Still, its advancements at the component
level outside of efficacy in many cases
that can improve system efficacy and deliver
better quality light. Indeed, Stalker said the
industry needs efficacy balanced with func-
tionality and good light quality, and of course
cost comes into play.
He said better red LEDs
mixed with phosphor-con-
verted white LEDs are crit-
ical to good color rendering
at warm CCTs. The white
LEDs need to be very high
in efficacy and can be off
the blackbody curve as long
as you have good red LEDs,
and Stalker noted that those
products are available. More-
over, he said that you can cre-
ate cost-effective fixed-CCT
designs with a simple driver
or add complexity for incan-
descent-like dimming.
Of course, Philips has also
invested heavily into tunable
color with its Hue lamps that
rely on a lime-green LED, and
Stalker said that green LED
advancements are critical
for quality and cost-effective
tunable products. When ques-
tioned about the Lumileds
l ime-green LED, Stal ker
said the company had made
material advancements to
achieve high-efficiency green,
whereas other manufacturers
are using phosphor to try and
deliver efficient green LEDs.
One other questioner brought to light
an issue that exists for documenting and
projecting quality in color SSL products. The
LM-80 test standard is specific to white LEDs.
For now, Stalker said there is no standard way
to document LED performance for color-
Packaged LED discussion provides
rousing start at The LED Show
Cree, Philips Lumileds, and Nichia presented conflicting views on the future of packaged LEDs,
although all agree that the components will continue to advance, and SSL system design is the key
to better lighting products, reports MAURY WRIGHT.
The LED Show 2013 topped all previous shows with
more than 2,600 attendees and an exhibit hall with
more than 100 booths.
1309leds_27 27 8/21/13 11:56 AM
conference report
|
THE LED SHOW
tunable products, but he expects future work
on the problem to focus at the subsystem level
rather than on LEDs.
Mid-power LEDs
Erik Swenson, manager of LED sales at Nichia,
took the stage next and focused almost exclu-
sively on mid-power LEDs. He said that those
components are improving more rapidly than
high-power devices in terms of efficacy and
offer better quality and aesthetics that better
match many application requirements.
Nichia remains the largest LED manu-
facturer in the world. Swenson said that
the company is making 3 billion packaged
LEDs monthly, and that is three times the
volume of the nearest competitor. In look-
ing at future advancements, Swenson said
that the LED component industry is at the
maturity level of a college student, indicat-
ing significant headroom for improvement.
Pushing the mid-power theme, Swenson
also said the devices offer an economy-of-
scale advantage that high-power devices can
never match. He said that the Nichia 757 LED
is used in applications ranging from street-
lights to retrofit lamps to display backlights
to automotive applications. That broad appli-
cability will presumably deliver an increasing
cost advantage as Nichia manufactures more
of the same product.
Without question, high volumes are the
key to low-cost manufacturing in the semi-
conductor world. But what weve seen in LEDs
in recent years are components optimized for
specific applications, especially from Cree
and Lumileds. Those companies try to max-
imize volumes of the same wafers through
the epitaxial process and then deliver many
different products, for example, with multi-
ple emitters or specialized optics, in the back
end of the manufacturing process.
Swenson said mid-power LEDs also offer a
yield advantage in manufacturing. His rea-
soning was that if you have the same num-
ber of bad die on mid-power and high-power
wafers, with far more mid-power LEDs per
wafer, then the mid-power yield is bet-
ter. That argument rang hollow, however,
because a bad area of a wafer could easily
impact multiple mid-power die. Still, the
fact that Nichia focuses on making higher
volumes of a single product would improve
yield throughout the manufacturing process
including packaging.
High-voltage LEDs
Paul Scheidt, product marketing manager
at Cree, was last up in the LED session, and
that provided him some leeway to state a case
that couldnt be immediately refuted. He also
began focused on the system-level problem to
make the point that LEDs are a decreasing
cost factor in SSL products relative to other
things such as drivers, thermals, and optics.
To frame a system-level discussion,
Scheidt presented a reference case of a 400-
lm, 40W equivalent retrofit lamp with a
3000K CCT and 80 CRI. He went through dif-
ferent product design scenarios that might
be used to realize such a lamp.
The AC-LED approach is one possibility
Scheidt considered, because that technol-
ogy presumably eliminates the driver part
of the cost equation. But Scheidt said AC-
driven designs require more LEDs because
not all of the LEDs are driven at any point in
time. He said even the latest AC technology
only achieves 70% LED utilization.
Moreover, Scheidt said AC systems have
flicker problems that simply cant be solved
because all of the LEDs are turned off at
times. Switching them on and off a lot cre-
ates the worst flicker possible, said Scheidt;
he added that the designs cant pass Energy
Star certification requirements. He further
said that EMI problems require extra cir-
cuitry or essentially a driver IC.
Seoul Semiconductor was exhibiting at
the show and asked to respond to Scheidts
comments. Seoul director of marketing
Theron Makley said that the latest AC-LED
modules such as Acrich2 use a combina-
tion of technologies to overcome the issues
associated with earlier products. He said,
These advanced AC-LED modules are used
in many applications, such as replacement
lamps, downlights, streetlights, and flush-
mount fixtures.
Crees Scheidt also addressed mid-power
LEDs, saying that in many cases the LEDs
will shift in color with
unacceptable results in
as little as two years.
He said the problem is
especially significant
as you drive the LEDs
harder and try to limit
the number of LEDs in
the system.
Most of Scheidts com-
ments on mid-power
devices were directed at
LEDs in plastic pack-
ages. Its worth noting
that Nichia has said its
757 LED actually uti-
lizes a ceramic-com-
posite package. The
company has not
revealed details of the formulation, but
Swenson has previously said that the
package delivers lumen and color mainte-
nance that can match high-power LEDs.
Scheidt concluded that in many appli-
cations, such as retrofit lamps, high-volt-
age, high-power LEDs offer the best system-
level approach. He said such components
simplify the driver design and also match
the application requirements of light dis-
tribution and quality. In fact, Scheidt said
that SSL products such as streetlights and
ceiling troffers, which use large numbers
of single-emitter LEDs, have always been
high-voltage designs at the driver level.
And those products are broadly success-
ful and feature SSL-industry-leading sys-
tem efficacy.
Clearly the session provided food for
thought and left questions unanswered,
although its also obvious that the compo-
nents will continue to improve and product
developers face a complex set of choices. The
remainder of the conference offered many
more insights and we will provide more cov-
erage in the fall edition of our Illumination
in Focus publication.
Chad Stalker of Philips Lumileds, among several presenters
in the opening session at The LED Show, discussed how to
address future solid-state lighting quality and cost goals.
1309leds_28 28 8/21/13 11:56 AM
1309leds_29 29 8/21/13 11:56 AM
1309leds_30 30 8/21/13 11:56 AM
conferences
|
SIL EUROPE PREVIEW
S
ponsored by PennWell Corporation
and organized by its subsidiary
Strategies Unlimited, the 4th annual
Strategies in Light (SIL) Europe confer-
ence will be held in Munich, Germany from
November 1921, 2013. Set to a theme of
Developing the new ecosystem of lighting,
the conference program will feature presen-
tations on the challenges and opportunities
facing the European lighting industry as it
makes the transition to solid-state lighting
(SSL). Conference presentations will be made
by representatives from all segments of the
LED vertical supply chain, from component
suppliers to lighting designers and retailers.
Although still in the early stages of market
penetration, the adoption of LEDs in a vari-
ety of lighting applications is on a dramatic
growth path that is apparently irreversible
(ledsmagazine.com/features/9/12/6). Still,
there are many challenges, both techni-
cal and market related, that must be over-
come before LED lighting achieves adop-
tion on a large scale. SIL Europe will address
these challenges from multiple perspectives.
Existing and new market opportunities will
also be explored, with a focus on the driv-
ing factors of the applications for which LED
lighting is best suited.
SSL strategies and speakers
SIL Europe 2013 will offer three full days of
conference activities. The first day is devoted
to workshops and the SSL Investor Forum.
This years workshops will address two top-
ics of key interest to the LED lighting com-
munity: Beyond photonics Quality met-
rics for solid-state lighting, presented by
Cree, and Solid-state lighting measure-
ments From basics to recent develop-
ments, presented by Instrument Systems.
The SSL Investor Forum, sponsored by
Berenberg, is being expanded to a full day
to provide presentations by exciting new
SSL startups as well as large, publicly-traded
lighting companies.
The second day begins with the Keynote
and Plenary Sessions, discussed in more
detail further on. For 1-1/2 days following
the Keynote and Plenary Sessions, the con-
ference will be divided into two parallel
tracks: Market and Technology. The Mar-
ket Track is discussed in this article, while
the Technology Track will be addressed
in a subsequent article. For the first time,
several of the conference sessions will fea-
ture panel discussions that allow speakers
to communicate with delegates in a more
interactive manner.
Another first at the 2013 event is the
introduction of various free presentations
offered on the exhibit f loor. Tailored to
the interests of exhibit-only visitors, these
presentations will range from new product
introductions by manufacturers to sem-
inars on the latest developments in stan-
dards, programs, and supporting activities
for the European SSL industry.
SIL Europe 2013 will feature high-level
speakers from well-known European light-
ing companies. Keynote speakers wil l
include Peter Laier, chief technology offi-
cer, Osram GmbH, and Jeffrey Cassis, SVP
and general manager, Global Lighting Sys-
tems, Philips Lighting. Continuing the tra-
dition established at the inaugural event
in 2010, Strategies Unlimited will provide
its most recent market review and fore-
cast of the global LED lighting market.
Plenary speakers will include Klaus Vam-
berszky, EVP technology, Zumtobel Group,
and Zoltan Koltai, EMEA technology direc-
tor, GE Lighting. In addition, Marc Led-
better, manager of advanced lighting at
the Pacific Northwest National Laborato-
ries, will give a plenary address on the US
Department of Energys role in the devel-
opment of SSL in America.
SIL Europe addresses the development
of a new lighting ecosystem
The adoption of LED lighting brings numerous challenges and opportunities to light, as
the market track at the 2013 Strategies in Light Europe event will demonstrate, reports
BOB STEELE.
BOB STEELE is a Consultant, LED Practice
with Strategies Unlimited.
At SIL Europe, representatives from the LED vertical supply chain as well as market
analysts will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing the lighting industry.
1309leds_31 31 8/21/13 11:56 AM
conferences
|
SIL EUROPE PREVIEW
Market track: Drivers,
development, and design
The market track will begin with a session
that addresses some of the key issues asso-
ciated with pushing LED lighting into the
marketplace. Anna Weiner Jiffer, business
area manager for global lighting at IKEA,
will discuss the companys transition into
one of the leading worldwide retailers for
LED lighting products. Brad Koerner of
Philips Lighting will address the paradox
of standardization LED light engines
and mass customization. Kasper Kofod
of Energy Plano will review some of the
major EU initiatives for SSL, including
the Ecolabel program and Green Public
Procurement criteria.
Following a successful workshop address-
ing the biological effects of lighting in 2012,
SIL Europe will offer an entire session on
this topic for the first time. The featured
SIL Europe 2013 will feature high-level speakers from well-known European lighting companies.
1309leds_32 32 8/21/13 11:56 AM
5 - Y E A R WA R R A NT Y
1 0 - 3 0 0 WAT T MOD E L S
4 8 0 V I NP U T MOD E L S
C U S T OM D E S I GN &
MOD I F I C AT I ONS
D I MMI N G OP T I ONS
L E D
D R I V E R S
R E L I A B L E
E C O N O M I C A L
I N N OV A T I V E
A D A P T A B L E
D C I N P U T M O D E L S
E X T R E M E
C O N D I T I O N S &
T E M P E R A T U R E S
C O M P A C T D E S I G N S
U S E N G I N E E R I N G
S U P P O R T
AU T E C . C OM
conferences
|
SIL EUROPE PREVIEW
speaker in the session will be the world-renowned expert on chro-
nobiology, Professor Till Roenneberg, vice-chair of the Institute of
Medical Psychology at Ludwig-Maximillian University, whose pre-
sentation is entitled Lighting for life. Other speakers in the ses-
sion include Volker Lindenau of A. T. Kearney, who will speak on the
market potential of biologically efficient lighting, and Dieter Lang of
Osram, who will address the benefits and challenges of biologically
efficient lighting applications.
As always, market development will be a major focus of the con-
ference. In the Market Development session, Annetta Kelso of Philips
Lighting will provide insight on managing the second phase of the
SSL market transformation (for insight into the initial transforma-
tion phase, see Kelsos November/December 2012 article on Europes
LED lighting market at ledsmagazine.com/features/9/12/12). Leonid
Moiseev of Optogan will provide a perspective on how LED lighting
selection criteria vary in different European regions, and Juergen
Waldorf of ZVEI will discuss
the successful implementa-
tion of an LED market initia-
tive in Germany.
As an important and
growing application of LED
lighting, outdoor will be a
featured topic for SIL Europe
2013. Koen Van Winkel of
Schreder will provide an
overview of some of the key
emerging technology trends
in roadway and street light-
ing. Evgeny Dolin of the LEDs
and LED-Based Systems Rus-
sian Manufacturers Non-
profit Partnership will shine
a light on the emerging market for LED outdoor lighting in Russia.
Marc Guiraud of LightingEurope will provide an update on the ESOLI
project to demonstrate energy-saving outdoor lighting in Europe.
The market track will also have a session that will focus on LED
lighting projects and experience from the end user side, rather than
the supplier side, as has been the customary approach in previous
conferences. Florian Felsch, of lighting design company Livebau
Solutions, will give a presentation on enhancing value through the
right illumination, targeting the premium automotive industry.
Franois Seguineau of Toshiba Europe will discuss smart lighting
from the perspective of increasing the market opportunities for SSL
by enhancing the end users experience.
Although reliability does not at first appear to be a market-related
issue, in fact it has a strong impact on market acceptance of a new
technology such as SSL. In this regard, Michael Schremp of Munich
Re will present some new ideas for risk management solutions that
can protect SSL manufacturers against warranty claims. Looking
more at the component level, Matteo del Lago of the University of
Padova will provide insight on the characterization and reliability
of high-power LEDs for indoor lighting.
More information on Strategies in Light Europe 2013 can be found
on the conference website at sileurope.com.
Attendees will learn what's driving
LED lighting applications.
1309leds_33 33 8/21/13 11:56 AM
1309leds_34 34 8/21/13 11:56 AM
C
omputer-aided design (CAD) technol-
ogy has been applied in many tech-
nology segments and is increasingly
important in the optical space. Optical sim-
ulation can speed product development and
ensure that new products provide optimal
illumination. However, the available opti-
cal CAD software tools are largely proprie-
tary, including the file formats used to store
light-source ray files. An ongoing Illuminating
Engineering Society (IES) effort is seeking to
standardize ray files to ease the burden on
light-source suppliers, including LED manu-
facturers, and make optical CAD tools more
broadly applicable.
In the past few decades, especially since the
early 1990s, computer technologies improved
rapidly in both storage capacity and processing
speed. The optical design of illumination
systems, namely non-imaging optics, has
benefited greatly from these advances. Both
proprietary and commercially distributed
optical design and analysis software were
quickly developed and adopted by the optical
design community, beginning initially with
automotive lighting applications and later
extending to general lighting applications. For
an example of the use of optical software, see
ledsmagazine.com/features/9/12/8.
All of these non-imaging optics software
tools have been developed and designed
differently. Each tool has its own unique,
proprietary ray-tracing algorithm and CAD
interface, and places different emphases
on different types of applications. The
implementation of non-imaging design,
analysis, and simulation software was a huge
step in driving improvements to lighting
design lead-time reduction, accuracy, and user
interface friendliness.
Ray-tracing approach
In order to bring the light-source charac-
teristics into optical system design simu-
lations, these powerful software tools all
employ ray-tracing based approaches to
simulation, and use ray files as the light-
source models. The ray files are electronic
datasets generated by the light-source
manufacturers, either by simulation or by
using near-field goniometer measurements.
The various ray-tracing methods provide
users with optical analyses for a range of illu-
mination characteristics including luminous
intensity distribution, zonal lumen calcula-
tion, illuminance and its uniformity, tool-
ing error induced tolerances, iso-candela on-
screen simulations, road simulations (both
steady and dynamic), glare analyses, and
many others. In todays practice, for LEDs or
any other light sources, ray files are the only
viable way to model a light source accurately
if near-field information is needed in conduct-
ing non-imaging optics design and simulation.
Currently all non-imaging optics design
and simulation software requires a unique
light-source ray file format as input. For LED
light sources, the LED manufacturers must
provide users with multiple proprietary for-
mats of ray files for each LED package, gener-
ated to fit into the particular format required
by the different optics software tools. If an
LED manufacturer produces many types of
LEDs, then all of the LEDs need to have cor-
responding ray files for each supported tool.
The lighting community is using several
types of non-imaging optics software, even
within one design team, so ray files for each
type of software must be available for every
LED used in the design. Of course, generating
vast quantities of ray files is time consuming,
increases risk of error, and is inefficient as an
ongoing practice and most of the burden lies
on the shoulders of the LED manufacturers.
The standard effort
With the rapid development and adoption
of LEDs for general lighting, an increasingly
IES moves to establish LED light-
source ray file standards
JIANZHONG JIAO describes how the TM-25 IES standards effort will unify the ray file datasets used by
optical CAD tools, thereby lessening the burden on LED manufacturers that are often tasked with
creating the files and making optical simulation tools more broadly useful.
DR. JIANZHONG JIAO, Director of Regulations and Emerging Technologies at Osram Opto
Semiconductors, Inc., is an internationally recognized lighting expert. He has been actively
involved in LED and SSL standard development activities. He serves as the past Chairman of the
SAE Lighting Committee, past Chairman of NGLIA, past Chairman of the NEMA SSL Technical
Committee, active member of IESNA Testing Procedure Committee, Roadway Lighting Committee,
and Computer Committee, ANSI SSL Working Groups, Standard Technical Panel of UL8750,
standard committees in IEEE, CIE USA, SEMI, JEDEC and other organizations. He can be reached
at jianzhong.jiao@osram.com.
standards
|
RAY TRACING
A ray-trace simulation from Radiant
Zemax's optical software.
1309leds_35 35 8/21/13 11:56 AM
standrds
|
RAY TRACING
broader variety of LED packages are produced for use in many dif-
ferent specific applications. While the far-field illumination char-
acteristics (such as luminous intensity distribution) of light sources
have been standardized by IES, the light-source designated ray file
format used in non-imaging optics software has wide variation that
can create inconvenience, inconsistency, and inefficiency for LED
manufacturers and LED users alike.
The first effort to regulate and standardize ray file formats began
in late 2011 during the SPIE Optics + Photonics Conference. With
extended discussions between LED manufacturers, non-imaging
optics software developers, near-field photometry measurement
equipment vendors, and lighting optical design engineers, the con-
sensus became clear: the most effective approach would be to estab-
lish a single standardized ray file format. The participants believed
that a standard ray file format could be adopted for both general-
and automotive-lighting applications. By early 2012, the IES Com-
puter Committee had agreed to take on this project, and a subcom-
mittee of ray file format experts was formed in the Spring of 2012.
Again, ray files describe light-source emission characteristics by
a large number of rays with individual start location, direction, flux,
and optional spectral and/or polarization data. Because all ray files
store essentially the same data, the concept of standardization is to
have the ray file format be the same so that it can be accepted by
all ray-tracing software which is easier said than done.
An initial complication is the sheer size of each file. A ray file for a
light source that characterizes an LED can contain millions of rays
and can total more than 250 MBytes of data. Furthermore, the new
standardized ray file format must not only be suitable for new ray
files but also allow simple conversion of all existing ray files.
IES TM-25
With dedicated experts and diligent efforts, this new standard,
named IES TM-25, was drafted within a year, and it went through
the IES Computer Committee ballot. The scope and task of TM-25
is described as recommendations for a standard ray file format to
describe the emission properties of light sources. The ray file format
will contain information necessary to interface between ray tracing
or other optical design, simulation, analysis and metrology software
used in lighting applications.
In addition to providing more inclusive definitions, the TM-25
standard first provides high-level ray file format information such
as file type and extension, overall file structure, ray order and sam-
pling, units and data type used in the file, as well as section or block
breakdown. This gives the ray file generators the basis for how to
construct the general layout of the ray file.
Next, the document provides detailed descriptions of the require-
ments for the header section and ray file section. The header provides
software users, such as optical engineers, with descriptive informa-
tion about the light source used for the ray-tracing process. Besides the
overall physical characteristics including luminous flux, radiant flux,
spectrum data, etc., it also provides background information such as
the method of ray file creation and the number of rays to be used.
The ray file section provides the geographic and mathematical
descriptions of the rays including each rays position and direction,
and the strength or energy carried by each ray. While we all know that
light is an electromagnetic wave, its non-imaging optics behavior can
be simulated by assuming the light is a ray and each ray carries a cer-
tain amount of energy. Because color or chromaticity behavior has
become more important in general lighting design, TM-25 also pro-
vides spectrum-related specifications in the ray file section.
This standard is extremely technical and tedious and is not meant
for lighting designers or specifiers but for light-source manufactur-
ers, software developers, near-field photometry measurement equip-
ment manufacturers, and lighting optical design engineers. The devel-
opment of TM-25 is an excellent example of successful cross-industry
collaboration. In developing this standard, I have personally experi-
enced the mutual willingness and dedication among the participants.
The TM-25 working group members came from each of the afore-
mentioned sectors. The uniqueness or differentiation in each soft-
ware model is very important for the purpose of competition, and as
such, to find common ground and to standardize some part of the
software can be challenging. From starting the draft to the commit-
tee ballot, TM-25 took less than one year to develop, faster than many
of the other IES standards that have been developed. That should
give us some confidence that cross-industry standardization is not
only feasible but can be achieved in a timely fashion. The solid-state
lighting (SSL) industry encompasses many disciplines, intersecting
different talents and areas of expertise such that the technological
diversity is beyond any of traditional lighting practices.
1309leds_36 36 8/21/13 11:56 AM
U
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Cathode
LED chip
Bond layer
Metal interconnect layer
Thermal pad (electrically isolated)
Ceramic
substrate
Silicone lens
Time (hr)
L
70
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AlN CERAMICS
E
xcess heat leads to a whole range of
performance and reliability issues
for high-power semiconductor appli-
cations such as high-brightness LEDs (HB
LEDs). The need for maximum heat extrac-
tion from the LED junctions has led to the
use of aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramic pack-
ages in most high-power LEDs, whereas mid-
power LEDs can utilize lower-cost alumina
or even plastic packages. A cost-reduced
approach to AlN, however, can deliver the
thermal performance needed in HB LEDs
while also delivering package costs more
in line with mid-power devices. A reduction
in HB LED package cost could help spur
broader deployment of LEDs into solid-state
lighting (SSL) applications.
The thermal management challenges in
HB LEDs are simple to describe and hard to
overcome. HB LED light output is sensitive
to heat. As an LED gets too hot, more input
energy is converted to heat instead of light,
which further increases the LED tempera-
ture, leading to potential catastrophic fail-
ure. Fig. 1 shows the degradation of light
output as a function of HB LED junction
temperature. L70 refers to the point where the
current light output of the LED is 70% of the
original light output; at L50 the light output
falls to 50%. This example illustrates clearly
the critical importance of pulling heat away
from the HB LED in order to ensure a low
junction temperature and stable light output.
Role of packaging and materials
Conducting heat away from the semicon-
ductor junction involves heat transfer in
the z axis, as well as in the x and y axes. The
z-direction thermal conduction
happens directly from the diode
junction heat source toward
the heat sink. The x,y-direction
conduction, or heat spreading,
moves the heat horizontally away
from the junction. The closer to
the semiconductor junction, the
more critical a role a material
plays in thermal management.
Thus, in order of importance,
we can roughly rank device and
packaging material thermal con-
ductivity requirements:
1. Semiconductor material
below the junction (for non-
flip-chip applications)
2. Die attach material
3. First level of packaging (conduction and
heat spreading) the substrate upon
which the die is attached in the LED
package
4. TIM (thermal interface material) or sol-
der between first level of packaging and
board level
5. Board-level packaging (conduction and
heat spreading)
6. TIM or solder between board and heat
sink
7. Heat sink or heat spreader
This simple discussion makes it very clear
how critical the first level of packaging is to
thermal management of high-power devices,
which helps to explain the significant use of
ceramic materials as a first-level packaging
material for HB LEDs. Fig. 2 shows the basic
packaging configuration for HB LEDs with a
ceramic material as the first-level
package. Fig. 3 shows a schematic
of the packaged HB LED bonded to
a metal-core printed circuit board
(MCPCB) and heat sink, which
illustrates the entire thermal path
starting with the HB LED junction.
First-level packaging
We will focus on the first-level
packaging options for the remain-
der of the article given the perfor-
mance of the z-axis conduction.
That first-level material is a pri-
mary component of the packaged
LED and therefore contributes
Cost-reduced AlN delivers thermals
needed in HB LED packages
JONATHAN HARRIS explains that a new approach to aluminum nitride ceramics can draw near the price
point of alumina packages while offering sufficient thermal performance for HB LED packages.
JONATHAN HARRIS is president, CMC
Laboratories, Inc.; e-mail: jharris@
cmclaboratories.com.
FIG. 1. LEDs suffer more rapid lumen depreciation at
higher junction temperatures.
FIG. 2. The most direct thermal path through a
packaged LED is from the diode junction through the
package substrate on the z axis.
1309leds_39 39 8/21/13 11:56 AM
T
Slug
T
Board
T
Ambient
T
Junction
MCPCB
Heat sink
#2 - Grey
#1 - Tan
#3 - White
8/ Hemispherical refectance factor
Wavelength (nm)
1.000
0.900
0.800
0.700
0.600
0.500
0.400
0.300
0.200
0.100
0.000
360 400 440 480 520 560 600 640 680 720 760 800 840
2013 Indium Corporation
Solder and
Fluxes for LEDs
ASIA CHINA EUROPE USA
www.indium.com
askus@indium.com
Learn more:
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Flux
Solder
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Flux-Coated
Preforms
Thermal
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NanoFoil
packaging
|
AlN CERAMICS
significantly to the cost of
HB LEDs.
Lets begin by considering
the two prominent options
for substrates in LED pack-
ages. Alumina, or aluminum
oxide (Al2O3), ceramics are
widely used in lower-power
LEDs. They deliver thermal
conductivity of 20 W/m-K
(watts per meter kelvin). In
comparison, AlN delivers
thermal conductivity of 170 W/m-K. If we
consider both in a package that uses direct-
plated copper technology, AlN has a cost fac-
tor greater than eight times that of alumina.
Note we are not discussing the package cost
but the cost of the ceramic component of
the package.
AlN is an ideal choice for high-thermal-
demand applications
because of its combi-
nation of high ther-
mal conductivity and
mid-range coefficient
of thermal expansion
(CTE) of 4.5 ppm/C.
CTE is an important
factor to ensure that
electrical connections
arent damaged as tem-
perature rises, causing
component failure.
Al N is currently
used in HB LED pack-
aging but only in situ-
ations where there are
no other feasible alter-
natives. The high cost pressure in the HB LED
market, as well as the significant portion of
total device cost that packaging entails,
increases the need to minimize high-cost
AlN usage.
The high cost of AlN substrates is attrib-
utable to a number of factors, with some of
the most significant listed in Table 1. The
causes span a range from high cost of raw
materials such as AlN powder to complex
and expensive manufacturing steps.
Reducing AlN ceramic costs
There are now options for materials, how-
ever, that fall between AlN and alumina that
could change the HB LED cost equation. In
fact, material scientists have developed a new
AlN formulation that fits in the cost/perfor-
mance gap between Al2O3 and conventional
AlN. The main features of this new mate-
rial which CMC Laboratories refers to as
HB-LED-grade AlN are much lower powder
and process costs, as well as thermal conduc-
tivity that falls between alumina and conven-
tional AlN. Moreover, the new material has an
inherently white color that is highly reflective
in the human-visible range and is therefore
conducive to usage in SSL products.
The new HB-LED AlN has a thermal con-
ductivity of 100 W/m-K. That figure is five
times higher than alumina, but 42% lower
than conventional AlN. Still, the thermal
performance is more than adequate for HB
LED applications. The mechanical, electri-
cal, and physical properties are very similar
to conventional AlN.
One critical factor that drives lower sub-
strate cost is that this new AlN material uti-
lizes an AlN powder that is made by direct
nitridation of aluminum metal. This pow-
der typically costs 6075% less than the
traditional powder used in electronics
FIG. 3. The heat transfer continues from the LED package
through the MCPCB to the heat sink.
FIG. 4. HB-LED AlN features better reflectance than standard
AlN and could offer improved optical performance in SSL
applications.
1309leds_40 40 8/21/13 11:56 AM
packaging
|
AlN CERAMICS
applications, which is made through the
carbo-thermal reduction of aluminum oxide.
Processing complexity
In addition, HB-LED AlN is processed at 1700
1725C. In this temperature range, continuous
furnaces are available that use alumina heat
shields and molybdenum (Mo) heating ele-
ments. Though more complex and expensive
than lower-temperature alumina sintering
furnaces, from a cost and throughput stand-
point, the equipment and process required to
produce HB-LED AlN is less expensive and
simpler than conventional AlN processing in
high-temperature refractory metal or graph-
ite batch furnaces.
This new material has the added benefit
of being white in color compared with the
tan color conventionally associated with
AlN. This white color can be an advantage
for optical applications, such as HB LEDs,
because the reflection of visible light is much
higher. This reflection data across the visible
spectrum is shown in Fig. 4.
This figure shows reflectance factor plot-
ted relative to wavelength for tan and grey
conventional AlN ceramic samples and
TABLE 1. Considerations of AlN ceramic materials costs and characteristics.
Cost factor Comparison to alumina Comments
AlN ceramics are fabricated from AlN powder,
and AlN powder cost for typical electronic grade
material is extremely high
AlN powder is 15 to 25 times more expensive
than alumina powder
Electronics applications almost exclusively utilize
high-cost carbo-thermally reduced AlN powder
AlN ceramics are processed at very high
temperatures. High-temperature furnaces
increase capital costs and decrease furnace
throughput
Alumina is processed at 1450C to 1620C;
AlN is processed at 1825C.
For alumina, continuous furnaces are available.
For AlN, only batch graphite or refractory metal
furnaces are available
High powder processing costs due to reaction
with H2O
During early processing stages, ceramics are
shaped by forming a ceramic, binder, and
solvent slurry. AlN reacts with water so the
slurry must be non-aqueous, compared to
aqueous processing for alumina
Non-aqueous processing requires higher
equipment costs due to explosion hazards and
environmental concerns, and also requires
solvent recovery systems
1309leds_41 41 8/21/13 11:56 AM
Alumina (96) AlN HB LED AlN Silicon Si
3
N
4
200
150
100
50
0
Thermal conductivity (W/m-K)
packaging
|
AlN CERAMICS
white HB-LED AlN. Note the HB-LED AlN
ref lects 7080% through the visible spec-
trum, compared to about 30% for conven-
tional material.
Table 2 contains more details about the
properties of HB-LED AlN. The mechanical
and electrical properties of HB-LED AlN are
very similar to conventional higher-cost AlN
ceramics, including flexural tensile strength
measured in megapascals and indications
of resistance to fracture, therefore directly
impacting reliability.
Fig. 5 details the thermal performance
of HB-LED AlN relative to other available
ceramic packaging materials. The chart also
includes undoped silicon for reference. The fig-
ures were obtained using laser flash analysis.
What is next?
CMC has applied for a patent to cover the
technology described in this article and is
now actively licensing this technology to
interested manufacturers. CMC specializes
in developing new materials for electronic
interconnect and packaging applications.
The new AlN ceramic results in a material
that from a cost/performance standpoint
bridges the current wide gap between high-
thermal-conductivity, high-cost AlN and
lower-thermal-performance, lower-cost alu-
minum oxide. For the focused application of
this technology, specifically in HB LED tiles,
the 100W/m-K thermal performance is more
than adequate. Due to the cost-competitive
nature of these applications and the current
high packaging costs for HB LED devices,
there is a strong fit for a new material with
a lower cost structure. As this material is
adapted more widely, it is expected that it
will compete for many applications that are
now served exclusively by Al2O3.
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Thermal conductivity (W/m-K) 100 (typical) Measured by laser flash
Electrical resistivity (Ohm-cm) >10
12
(10
14
is typical)
Flexural strength (Mpa) 300 (typical) Four-point bend test
Density (%) >97% (typical)
Visible light reflectivity (%) 7080%
FIG. 5. The new AIN formulation is a
good choice among the other options for
thermal substrates.
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s soon as the driver opens
the car door, LEDs are all
around. They are used in
interior lighting, to illumi-
nate the dashboard con-
sole, and occasionally
at least for the moment in the vehicles
headlamps. While some promising devel-
opment projects could bring OLEDs out of
their present domain of interior screens
and into the exterior of the car, this is still
at the conceptual stage. As for the rise of
the vehicular LED, broader deployment
may not be restricted by technology or per-
formance but by cost and legislation.
In the interior instrument panel, or dash-
board, predominantly low- to mid-power
LEDs are used. They are mainly small, SMD-
packaged LEDs, which are standard reflow-
soldered onto printed circuit boards (PCBs).
Osram Opto Semiconductors, for example,
recently announced a new RGB MultiLED
family (ledsmagazine.com/news/10/8/4)
with boosted blue energy for auto cabin
applications (Fig. 1). In the case of exterior
automotive lighting, however, high-power
LEDs are typically used.
Many companies have a dedicated portfo-
lio of automotive LEDs that meet the indus-
trys specific needs, such as higher operating
temperatures ranges. A vehicles rear light-
ing has to operate at 85C and front light-
ing has to be able to operate at 105C. For
comparison, LEDs for many general-illumi-
nation applications operate in conditions
of 2565C, although temperatures can hit
85C in some cases such as in recessed ceil-
ing applications.
In vehicles, LEDs must also be able to
demonstrate extended lifetimes and reliabil-
ity even in the face of vibration and a gen-
eral rugged environment. Philips Lumileds,
for example, qualifies its automotive LEDs
to the AECQ-101 and IEC 60810 standards.
Automakers often require components that
are qualified to such standards.
LED features match application needs
The precise nature of the point of light
from the LED has led to increased adop-
tion of LEDs for exterior applications such
as daytime running lights (DRLs) the
front lights on a vehicle that automati-
cally switch on when the vehicle is mov-
ing forward. The transition to LEDs, how-
ever, has required LED-centric participants
to adapt to the auto environment and the
automotive engineers to adapt to the world
of solid-state lighting (SSL).
For example, the LED driver IC industry
has had to modify its architectures to meet
the increased integration and performance
demands of more complex electronic mon-
itoring and control systems. The lower
current consumption of LEDs also war-
rants a change to the conventional ECU
(electronic control unit) as the diagnosis
thresholds vary from incandescent to LED
lighting. The circuitry must adapt regula-
tion parameters to the binning of LEDs and
their operating temperature.
LED-based vehicle lights are usually
configured in the form of a string, which
ensures that the current is the same across
the series-connected LEDs. A single string
may include 6, 8, 10, 15, or as many as 20
LEDs. The series configuration is preferable
to parallel LEDs, explained Bryan Legates,
director of design engineering for power
products at Li near Technology. The
CAROLINE HAYES is a contributing editor with
LEDs Magazine.
LEDs are finding usage both inside the modern automobile
and out, writes CAROLINE HAYES, but cost and legislation may
gate the market more than technology or performance.
applications
|
AUTOMOTIVE
1309leds_44 44 8/21/13 11:57 AM
alternative, parallel formation does not
inherently share current equally, resulting
in some lights being brighter than others.
In the case of parallel LEDs, a filter is
needed to make all lights equal, adding
to cost and complexity. The constant
current afforded by LED strings maintains
brightness regardless of the input voltage
or LED forward voltage variations.
Generally, a boost-based driver architecture
is used, as the nominal automotive system
voltage is 13.8V or lower in transient
conditions. Protecting boost architectures
against short circuits is particularly
important in automotive design. In a collision,
electrical arcing is a potential hazard because
it could ignite spilled fuel. Boost LED drivers
are being introduced with robust short-
circuit protection; they are challenging the
pervasive use of SEPIC (single-ended primary-
inductor converter) topologies, which can be
expensive and complex, increasing the cost
of the vehicle.
It is improvements in LED drivers and
DC/DC converters that will add function-
ality, but not cost, to LED systems in vehi-
cles to make them more accessible, argued
Legates. Ref lecting this trend, the com-
pany introduced the LT3795 boost DC/DC
LED driver earlier this year. It can be con-
figured in boost, buck-boost, SEPIC, and
buck mode architectures.
Texas Instruments seems to agree that
drivers will create more LED opportunities.
The company recently introduced a multi-
topology DC/DC LED driver, the TPS92690. It
can also be used for boost, SEPIC, uk, and
flyback topologies, and has low EMI. It is des-
tined for headlamps but also for fog lights and
general-purpose area lighting (Fig. 2).
European DRL legislation
While you can find a number of reasons
why LEDs are a good match for automotive
applications, legislation will also provide
strong inf luence for the adoption of LEDs
in some cases, and rejection in others. The
decision by the European Commission (EC)
for all new passenger cars to be fitted with
DRLs in February 2011, followed by a man-
date for the same on all trucks and buses
from August last year, has seen the use of
LEDs increase. The low energy budget of
LEDs makes them the obvious choice for a
light source that is on all the time.
Some parts of the motor industry ques-
tion the eco-friendliness of having a vehicles
lights on during daylight hours. Supporters
counter the energy consumption objection
FIG. 1. The MultiLED from Osram Opto Semiconductor can provide RGB cabin lighting
in automobiles, including boosted energy in the blue spectrum.
1309leds_45 45 8/21/13 11:57 AM
applications
|
AUTOMOTIVE
with statistics that daytime running lights
use only 2535% of the energy that driving
lights consume. When the DRLs use LEDs,
this number further reduces to just 10% of
the energy that driving lights use.
There are also question marks over the
distractions that a light from a car can
cause in daylight and claims that the glare
of running lamps can mask other road
users, such as pedestrians or cyclists. There
are also claims from dissenters that the
glare in daylight can distort distance per-
ception, making it difficult for road users to
discern how far away a vehicle is. Whatever
the doubts, the EC has pressed ahead and
DRLs are now to be fitted in all new vehi-
cles. The EC says it has reduced accident
rates in Scandinavian countries where the
daylight hours in winter months are lim-
ited to just two to four hours in the north.
LED headlights
Although LEDs have been used in brake lights,
reverse lights, signal indicators, and interior
lighting for years, the conventional headlight
is only now yielding ground. Fig. 3 depicts
an Osram Ostar LED designed for headlamp
use. The headlamp application is moving at
a slow pace, largely due to the cost penalty
associated with LED headlights in favor of a
conventional bulb and its metal surround. At
present only high-end cars from luxury auto-
makers use LED headlights in place of halo-
gen or incandescent bulbs. Current examples
include the Audi A8 and R8, the Lexus LS600h
and RX450h, and the Porsche Cayenne.
In Europe, LEDs are seen as part of the
aesthetics of a vehicle, with the distinctive
blue light of LEDs being a distinguishing,
attractive feature. Every industry observer
remarks on the curve of the headlights and
the aesthetic appeal with accompanying
price tag that they represent.
The same attributes that make LEDs so
popular in interiors i.e., small form factors,
allowing them to fit into space-restricted
dashboards, and low power consumption, as
well as high luminosity are making them
attractive for use in a vehicles headlights.
Used here, they eliminate the bulb and min-
imize the surrounding metal reflector. By
their nature, they provide precise light in a
sharp beam, rather than the broad spread of
light produced by a bulb. LEDs are low main-
tenance and are designed to last the lifetime
of the average car. The light produced by LEDs
used in headlamps or DRLs is 5500K, which
resembles daylight, reducing eyestrain.
Energy reduction
LEDs also require less energy
and that ultimately leads
to better fuel economy.
Legates estimates that
the differential between
traditional bulbs and LED
lighting is a factor of 8 a 12W LED is roughly
equivalent to a 100W bulb and the typical
headlamp is approximately 200W for an incan-
descent bulb or 30W for an LED. This energy
reduction is beneficial for electric vehicles.
Unlike gas vehicles, the electricity consump-
tion in an electric vehicle directly relates to the
engine battery and thus the range of a journey.
However, there are practical constraints
to using LEDs, especially in forward light-
ing in both DRLs and headlamps. They have
to operate in the harsh automotive electri-
cal environment and must operate at rela-
tively high power levels, typically 1575W,
all in the confines of the headlamp enclo-
sure space. DRLs typically account for ~15W
of LED power, with low beams at ~20W and
high beams at ~30W of LED power. A Matrix
system can have 75W of total LED power,
although typically this is 30-45W as not all
LEDs will be on at the same time.
Miro Adzan, EMEA power marketing man-
ager at Texas Instruments, identifies electro-
magnetic interference (EMI) as a typical chal-
lenge to LED design. SMPS (switch-mode
power supply) LED drivers are avoided for low-
power uses like tail lights, but for efficiency
reasons they are a must for running lights
and headlamps. That is when the topic of EMI
reduction typically arises, he said. A reduc-
tion in EMI is a benefit to the overall power
bus design of the vehicle.
FIG. 3. Osram provides the multi-chip
LED Ostar headlamp for FMERs adaptive
forward lighting project.
FIG. 2. Texas Instruments targets the TPS92690
driver IC at automotive applications providing
dimmable, multi-topology DC/DC control.
1309leds_46 46 8/21/13 11:57 AM
1309leds_47 47 8/21/13 11:57 AM
applications
|
AUTOMOTIVE
Headlamp affinity and legislation
Highlighting a divide between Europe and
North America and Japan, Adzan, who is
based in Germany, praised LED headlights
for their reactivity. LED headlights will
provide added driver safety by adapting the
beam brightness based on the proximity of
other vehicles. In other words, an oncoming
driver should not be blinded if
your high beams are on. Cars
with this capability will sense
this happening and adjust
the beam angle and intensity
around the oncoming car.
The intelligent dimming of
headlights is hotly contested,
with European car manufac-
turers advocating the bene-
fits for safe driving, whereas
North American, Japanese,
and Korean car manufacturers
remain largely unimpressed.
In the US, it is a legal require-
ment that a vehicles beams have
to be able to switch from high to
low. The introduction of auto-
mated headlights, pioneered
by Audis recently announced
Matrix headlamp (ledsmaga
zine.com/news/10/7/2), could
be stopped in its tracks.
The LED headlamp market
was estimated to be worth $1
billion in 2012 and set to dou-
ble to $2 billion by 2014. Such a
fast-growing market is bound to excite com-
panies, but it seems that a US law has also
agitated many.
Audi, together with fellow German car
manufacturers BMW and Mercedes-Benz
as well as Americas General Motors, is
challenging the 1968 US law mandating that
headlights must switch between high and low
settings. The companies claim
that this does not reflect the
changes in lighting technology
in the last 45 years.
Audi Matrix
Particular urgency is sensed
for Audi with the Matrix
beam planned for its high-
end A8 sedan, unveiled with
the Coupe Concept at the
Paris Motor Show in 2012.
It groups f ive clusters of
five LEDs within a ref lector
(Fig. 4). It uses small cam-
eras to sense other vehi-
cles and a control system to
dim or turn off individual
LED bulbs. It can illuminate
around corners or adjust to
road conditions, with some beams on and
some beams off (Fig. 5).
Legates reasoned that this is a sensible
feature in European cars, which may have to
negotiate curving mountainous roads, but it
is superfluous on Americas straight highways.
Another drawback he mentioned is the
introduction of microcontrollers and cameras
FIG. 4. The Audi Matrix headlamp integrates
five clusters, each comprising five LEDs all
of which can be individually controlled.
FIG. 5. A forward-facing camera allows
the Matrix headlamp to dynamically
adjust its beam, thus eliminating glare
for oncoming drivers.
1309leds_48 48 8/21/13 11:57 AM
applications
|
AUTOMOTIVE
that increase complexity and reduce reliability
by introducing more components and a
software element. It also adds considerable
cost around $2,000 per vehicle.
Despite this, European manufacturers
are undeterred in the pursuit of intelligent
vehicle lighting. Osram Opto Semiconduc-
tors is coordinating an integrated micro-
photonics project, sponsored by the Ger-
man FMER (Federal Ministry of Education
and Research) to create adaptive forward
lighting, or glare-free camera-controlled
headlamps that react to conditions.
The project, which began in 2013 and
is scheduled to run until January 31, 2016,
aims to develop the technical framework
for energy-efficient LED headlamps that
produce a glare-free high beam and a low
beam that adapts to the speed of the vehicle.
In slow-moving city traffic, a wider light can
illuminate the margins of the road to show
pedestrians and potential hazards, whereas
when the vehicle is moving fast, the range of
light is automatically increased.
The future of OLEDs
OLEDs in vehicle lighting are still at the con-
ceptual phase, confirms Shai Dewan, Philips
Lighting. Philips, Audi, and Merck are
working on a project with the University of
Cologne, Germany, where OLED panels can
be used in the curve of the car exterior for
seamless lighting design.
Audi has also shown an OLED concept, the
Swarm, where OLEDs coat the back of a vehi-
cle, acting in a graceful arc as brake lights or
indicators. They can also light up when the car
approaches another in the dark or to illumi-
nate handles and other features in darkness.
Today, OLEDs are commonly used in
phones and tablets but are finding their way
into vehicles in headrest screens or dash-
board consoles. Tesla has used a 17-inch
display as its central console, replacing
dials and knobs with a sleek screen. Vital
for an electric vehicle, this reduces the
energy budget, which is sourced from the
engine battery.
The common goal of car manufacturers is
to reduce weight, energy consumption, and
bill of materials cost, and this has been pre-
served in the pursuit of LEDs used in vehi-
cles. The industry-leading technology will
become economically viable lower down the
range in time, and small improvements, such
as adjustable interior light colors to match a
mood or paintwork, can continue to advance
the driving experience.
LED headlights will provide added driver
safety by adapting the beam brightness
based on the proximity of other vehicles.
1309leds_REV_49 49 9/5/13 11:47 AM
1309leds_50 50 8/21/13 11:57 AM
Thermal design
Melted lens onto LEDs
Chemical process
Damaged LED
Driver design
Damaged LED and driver components
Driver design
Damaged LED
testing
|
SSL QUALITY
T
here is an old philosophical say-
ing that you know quality when you
see it, but at times it can be hard to
describe. When it comes to describing the
performance of a solid-state lighting (SSL)
product, the design elements that impact
quality are generally invisible. The LEDs that
generate light are a small part of the overall
system and only partially responsible for the
quality of the system. It takes a systematic
approach to a complete evaluation of an SSL
product that will accurately project how a
product might perform in the field at instal-
lation, and equally important over the prod-
uct lifetime. Lets consider some examples
of problematic design elements to set SSL
developers on a course for success.
LED technology is rapidly evolving and
many LED luminaire manufacturers in the
marketplace make unsubstantiated claims
regarding the color quality, lumens, efficacy,
durability, and general quality of their SSL
products. Poor quality SSL with inadequate
thermal designs or poor circuit designs can
create electrical over-stress conditions.
These conditions, along with a chemical
compatibility issue in the manufacturing
process, can all result in LED quality degra-
dation or even complete luminaire failure.
Fig. 1 shows a collection of SSL design or pro-
cess issues resulting in degradation or fail-
ure to the luminaires LEDs.
Systematic evaluation
To ensure the quality of an SSL prod-
uct, it is critical to perform a broad spec-
trum of tests on the luminaire system to
accurately determine design margins and
predict long-term reliability for the SSL
product. It is not the LED alone but the
total SSL system that has to be of qual-
ity. Cree has implemented a systematic
testing process of a luminaires Thermal,
Electrical, Mechanical, Photometric, and
Optical (TEMPO) parameters to assess the
quality of an SSL product. The focus for
TEMPO, under the Cree Services program,
is to help remove technical barriers faced
by LED customers. The program can help
product developers rapidly overcome sys-
tem design challenges, save on development
costs, and improve time to market for new
SSL products.
The proper procedure for system
evaluation of a lighting product is a thorough
multi-point testing and analysis process.
Engineering personnel must perform a
battery of thermal, electrical, mechanical,
optical, and photometric tests and provide
a comprehensive report that includes all
relevant data necessary to confirm the
performance of the LED lighting product.
The list in the sidebar on page 52 details
the tests applied in the TEMPO program.
In addition, the measured results from this
testing are applied to the IES (Illuminating
Engineering Society) approved TM-21
standard to project LED lifetime.
Measuring and evaluating an LED lumi-
naire is challenging, particularly to lighting
manufacturers that are new to designing
with LEDs. A solid-state luminaire com-
prises many different subassemblies includ-
ing the LEDs, circuit board, optics, diffuser,
current driver, power supply, heat sink, and
mechanical enclosure. Any of these compo-
nents can affect the performance, quality, or
lifetime of the SSL product.
The luminaires system performance
needs evaluation including mechanical con-
struction and long-term reliability. Addi-
tionally, reports of measured results on the
LED system evaluation
yields quality analysis
SSL product development goes far beyond the LEDs and driver electronics, and RICHIE RICHARDS
explains how to evaluate the detailed design elements such as materials choices, thermal
management, and compatibility issues that can in turn lead to optimal lighting products.
RICHIE RICHARDS is manager of applications
engineering at Cree.
FIG. 1. Compromised quality in SSL products can result from thermal, chemical, or
driver issues.
1309leds_51 51 8/21/13 11:57 AM
Measure T
sp
to determine T
j
Thermal image testing of lamps
testing
|
SSL QUALITY
LED luminaires need to be based on the
LM-79-08 standard. The evaluation should
also offer a comparison of measured results
to regulatory or safety requirements such
as Energy Star, DesignLights Consortium
(DLC), and UL criteria.
Thermal and mechanical testing
The majority of LED failures are temper-
ature related; an LEDs performance and
projected lifetime correlate tightly to ther-
mal management and the resulting junc-
tion temperature of the LED semiconductor
chip. Elevated junction temperatures cause
a reduction in light output and accelerated
LED lifetime degradation. Proper ther-
mal management of an LED luminaire and
mechanical construction are vital for per-
formance. To assess the mechanical con-
struction, an evaluation should include
techniques such as x-ray photographs of
LED soldering. Measuring actual thermal
performance to validate thermal design
assumptions is necessary to ensure qual-
ity and reliability of SSL products.
However, thermal measurements of SSL
can be challenging. Positioning the ther-
mal couple at the wrong point or having
large amounts of photonic energy illumi-
nate the thermal couple will result in an
incorrect temperature measurement. Such
errors could result in design issues that
may compromise LED lifetime for the fin-
ished product.
Proper testing should accurately mea-
sure the LEDs solder-point temperatures
validating the junction temperature
of the LEDs in an SSL fixture. TEMPO
testing, for example, provides a mea-
sured solder point temperature and
an infrared thermal image of the lumi-
naire at steady state, as well as a calcu-
lation of the junction temperature from
these measurements. Temperature mea-
surement tests and gradient infrared
images, as shown in Fig. 2, help to mea-
sure and illustrate the thermal perfor-
mance of LED-based luminaires.
Notice the difference in the ther-
mal performance of the two identical
printed circuit boards (PCBs) in the
infrared photograph at the right of Fig.
2. The PCB on the left is cooler in tem-
perature, shown as a yellow color, while
the PCB on the right is bright red and
the LEDs are white hot, indicating a
thermal interface issue with the PCB
mounted on the right.
The quality of the mechanical inter-
face between the LEDs and the PCB,
which is a major inf luence on the SSL
system thermal performance, is evalu-
ated using x-ray photography. The x-ray
analysis of a PCB is useful to verify the
quality of the soldering process and
can determine whether there is void-
ing or excessive solder present. For the
x-ray images, the camera head posi-
tioned above the LED dome with the
focal plane at the solder pad boundary
provides a clear indication of a quality
solder interface. A large amount of sol-
Summary of test
measurements
Thermal:
Solder point temperature measurement
Thermal imaging with IR camera
Electrical:
Driver efficiency
Transient analysis
Power analysis (PF, THD)
Dimmer compatibility test
Dielectric withstand (hi-pot)
Vf/Current balancing (parallel arrays only)
Mechanical:
Qualitative construction analysis
Chemical compatibility analysis
X-ray of printed circuit board
Photometric and optical:
Luminous flux (lumens)
Radiant flux (watts)
Chromaticity (CRI, CCT, x-y, u-v, u'-v', duv)
Spectral power distribution (visible range)
Illuminance (ft-cd or lux)
Luminous intensity (candela)
Fixture efficacy (lm/W)
Optical efficiency
Component re-binning and color point
evaluation
Visual flicker
TM-21 Lifetime estimate
Review data against Energy Star and DLC
criteria
FIG. 2. Thermal and mechanical testing of an SSL product can spot design or manufacturing flaws.
1309leds_52 52 8/21/13 11:57 AM
2-m integrating sphere
Type C goniophotometer
Dimmer compatibility tests
Driver current
turn-on test
testing
|
SSL QUALITY
der voiding and excessive solder particles
between the pads of the PCB is one exam-
ple of a poorly soldered LED.
Electrical testing
Important electrical parameters to consider
when evaluating SSL design are efficiency,
power factor, driver current transient anal-
ysis, dimmer compatibility, and the overall
luminaire efficacy. Fig. 3 shows examples of
some of this electrical testing.
Driver efficiency, calculated by dividing
the electrical output power supplied to the
LEDs by the measured input power to the
fixture, is a good performance metric of just
the current driver of the SSL system. In this
test, the output power to the LEDs is the
sum of the product of the forward voltage
and current for each LED.
Luminaire efficacy, sometimes referred to
as wall plug efficacy, is a metric of how well
the total fixture converts electrical energy
into photons. The efficacy at steady state is
calculated by dividing the total luminous
flux measured in lumens by the total input
power (lm/W). Efficacy is a good figure of
merit for system performance since it is
influenced by electrical, photometric, opti-
cal, and thermal performance. You can have
a great light engine that produces a high
lm/W output, but the total system may have
an overall low efficacy due to high optical
loss of an external lens or poor power effi-
ciency of the current driver circuit provid-
ing drive current to the LEDs.
Power factor is another electrical metric
for LED driver performance and often a key
parameter for streetlighting due to the large
number of these luminaires connected to
the power grid. Meeting DesignLights Con-
sortium (DLC) requirements for streetlight-
ing requires that luminaires have a power
factor greater than a specified value, typi-
cally 0.9. In general, the closer the value is
to one, the better the performance.
A power factor of one indicates perfor-
FIG. 3. Electrical testing should comprise transient analysis that might lead to
product failure and dimmer compatibility tests that ensure the product will meet
customer expectations.
FIG. 4. A 2-m integrating sphere and Type C goniophotometer are required for
comprehensive photometric testing.
1309leds_53 53 8/21/13 11:57 AM
Strategies in Light Europe has become the most comprehensive event of its kind, offering activities of interest to delegates representing
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delegates have the opportunity to attend workshops, an Investor Forum, high-level plenary and keynote sessions, and parallel market
and technology tracks. In addition they can view a wide variety of product exhibits and listen to informative presentations on the exhibit
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KEYNOTE 1: Peter Laier, Chief Technology Omcer, OSRAM GmbH, Germany
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KEYNOTE 3: Katya Evstratyeva, Analyst, Strategies Unlimited, USA
Klaus Vamberszky, Executive vice President Technology, Zumtobel Group, Austria
Zoltan Koltai, EMEA Technology Director, GE Lighting, Hungary
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GET VALUABLE INSIGHTS FROM LIGHTING MARKET LEADERS
1309leds_54 54 8/21/13 11:58 AM
Elapsed time (minutes)
Luminous fux (lm)
120 100 80 60 40 20 0
35,000
34,000
33,000
32,000
31,000
CCx
CCy
0.43 0.42 0.41 0.40 0.39 0.38
0.42
0.41
0.40
0.39
0.38
0.37
6A1
6A2
6B1
6B2
6A4
6A3
6B4
6B3
7A1
7A2
7B1
7B2
7A4
7D1
7D2
7D4
7A3
7B4
7B3
6D1
6D2
6C1
6C2
6D4
6D3
6C4
6C3
testing
|
SSL QUALITY
mance in which the voltage sourced by the
utilities is in exact phase with the current
consumed. On wide input voltage systems
(as an example, 120 to 277 VAC), the power
factor should be measured at all the nomi-
nal voltages across the input range (in this
example, 120, 220, and 277 VAC). The worst-
case measured power factor, typically at
the highest nominal voltage, would then be
reported in a DLC submittal.
Dimmer compatibility
Compatibility with dimmers can also be
a critical quality factor, and while LEDs
are easily dimmed, the SSL system and
driver arent easily designed
for use with legacy phase-con-
t rol l ed di mmers i ntended
for incandescent loads. Dimmer
compatibi l it y testi ng of ten
involves connecting the SSL prod-
uct to a set of commonly used
dimmers and observing qualita-
tively any of the following charac-
teristics: visible f licker, smooth-
ness, dead travel, pop-on, audible
noise, and dropout.
A recent standards publication
from the National Electrical Man-
ufacturers Association (NEMA)
entitled Phase cut dimming for
solid state lighting: Basic com-
patibility (SSL 7A-201X) defines
dimmer circuits for maximum and mini-
mum on-state conduction angle testing.
The NEMA dimmer testing measurements
include maximum light output (MLO) and
reference minimum light output (RMLO)
with a NEMA specified dimmer circuit.
Examples of dimmer test results generated
from using a NEMA specified dimmer cir-
cuit are summarized in the table.
Transi ent over- current
events are also a significant
degradation mechanism for
LEDs. These transients are
events that subject the LEDs to
current that is higher than the
maximum rated current on the
LED data sheet. These tran-
sient over-current events, typ-
ically occurring for just frac-
tions of a millisecond, result
from hot plugging and turn on
transient response from the
current driver. These events
are often a source of poten-
tial electrical overstress seen
with LED drivers. High-speed,
clamp-on current probes with digital stor-
age oscilloscopes characterize and docu-
ment the transient response. These electri-
cal characteristics all need testing to help
ensure the system quality of an SSL product.
Photometric and optical testing
Photometric testing includes measure-
ments of total radiant f lux, luminous
f lux, chromaticity, correlated color tem-
perature (CCT), and color rendering index
(CRI). Radiant f lux, expressed in watts, is
a measurement of the total power of elec-
tromagnetic radiation (light) emitted
from the luminaire or lamp. Luminous
f lux is a weighted measurement based
FIG. 5. Luminous flux measured over one minute
intervals shows that SSL products require time to
reach a stable state.
FIG. 6. Characterization of LEDs removed
from a luminaire can reveal whether the
components suffer degradation in the SSL system
manufacturing process.
1309leds_55 55 8/21/13 11:58 AM
testing
|
SSL QUALITY
on human visual perception.
Mathematical ly, the mea-
sured radiant flux is convolved
with the filter response of the
human eye and is measured in
units of lumens. Photometric
measurements should be
made at a recurring one-min-
ute interval over a sufficient
period to allow the fixture to
reach thermal equilibrium.
To conduct TEMPO photo-
metric and optical tests, Cree
utilizes a 2-m Labsphere inte-
grating sphere, model CSLMS-
7660, along with a Labsphere-
Otsuka Electronics MC-9801 spectrometer.
Photometric testing protocols should fol-
low IES LM-79-081 and include procedures
such as absorption correction using a NIST
traceable lamp and ensuring the emission
plane of the device under test is co-linear
with the spheres sensor baffle. In Crees lab,
power is applied to the unit being tested
using a Chroma Model 61503 AC/DC power
source, and a Xitron Model 2801 power ana-
lyzer is used to measure power.
Additionally, Cree employs a Type-C
goniophotometer made by ULs Lighting
Sciences business to measure the lumi-
nous intensity of a luminaire. These mea-
surements are scans of the light beam of
the luminaire under test at vertical angles
through each of a series of lateral planes,
i.e., a 3-dimensional beam pattern mea-
sured from various specific angles. Type
C goniophotometers are required for IES
LM-79-08 testing, since the LED luminaire
under test is tested in the same manner as it
would be operated in the field and without
significant air movement to artificially cool
the luminaire. Fig. 4 shows photographs of
this photometric equipment.
As mentioned earlier, radiant f lux is a
measure of the total power of electromag-
netic radiation emitted from the luminaire
or lamp, while luminous f lux is a measure-
ment that is weighted based on human
visual perception. For proper system char-
acterization, luminous flux measurements
should be recorded once per minute over a
sufficient period of time to allow the test
sample to reach stabilization per LM-79-
08. In the case of the example test results
shown in Fig. 5, this luminaire took approx-
imately 1.6 hours to stabilize.
Materials and chemicals
The final steps of a systematic evaluation
must focus on the materials and chemicals
used in a product. Reactions over time and
at elevated temperatures can compromise
the LEDs and the SSL product performance.
To ensure proper components are uti-
lized and there is not any chemical deg-
radation introduced by the manufactur-
ing process, LEDs should be removed from
a finished luminaire and fully character-
ized. Cree typically removes five LEDs from
the luminaire under review and measures
the photometric performance individually
at the binning current of 700 mA. Fig. 6
depicts the results of a sample test plotted
onto a binning chart. The LEDs are from
the T3 f lux bin (220 lm min. 7%) and 6C1,
6D2, 7B4, and 7A3 chromaticity bins. That
binning data can be compared to the LEDs
specified for the SSL product to identify
component degradation.
In summary, speed to market is critical
in the SSL competitive landscape but so
is a quality product. Cree is motivated to
remove technical barriers and deliver the
required measured system data quickly
with its Thermal, Electrical, Mechanical,
Photometric, and Optical (TEMPO) testing.
This helps the SSL industry bring high-
quality products to market in the short-
est time possible. With proper system test-
ing, report generation, and a consultation
phone call to review the measured results
the quality of a SSL product can be defined,
helping ensure a higher-quality SSL prod-
uct for the end consumer.
The Cree Durham Technology Center
(NVLAP lab code 500070-0), located at Crees
headquarters in Durham, North Carolina, is
accredited by The National Voluntary Lab-
oratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP)
to satisfy the requirements of ISO/IEC
17025:2005, IES LM-58-94, and IES LM-79-
08 standards.
Example dimmer test results.
Criteria Without dimmer MLO @ max (138) RMLO @ low (40) Test compliance
Total luminous flux (lm) 834 818 125 IES LM-79-08
Power (W) 9.59 10.23 2.04
Voltage 115.8 115.8 115.8
Power factor 0.972 0.85 0.258
Amps (mA) 106 104 68 IES LM-79-08
Light output (%) 100 98 15 NEMA
Frequency (Hz) 60 60 60
Lumens per watt (lm/W) 87.07 80 61
THDI (%) 15.12 42.23 133.39
THDV (%) 0.06 0.07 0.07
1309leds_56 56 8/21/13 11:58 AM
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1309leds_58 58 8/21/13 11:58 AM
Y
ou can swipe, you can press, you can
pinch, and you can expand touch-
screens are the input media of the
future. Users appreciate the fact that they are
so convenient and easy to use. And industry is
making increasing use of intuitive and robust
touchscreens for various devices and control-
lers. From the small display on a smartphone
to huge screens suitable for several people to
operate, there are many different technolo-
gies involved in this wide range of products.
Up until now, optical-based touch-sensing
solutions have been preferred for large dis-
plays. With the development of high-effi-
ciency infrared (IR) LEDs (sometimes called
IREDs), this technology has become attrac-
tive even for small touch panels, such as those
on notebooks and tablets (Fig. 1).
The launch of Windows 8 in October 2012
gave the already popular touchscreens a fur-
ther boost. The operating system has been
designed specifically for this type of input
and is a driving force behind the develop-
ment of suitably equipped all-in-one com-
puters and notebooks. Initial feedback from
users indicates that they appreciate being
able to use fully featured computer pro-
grams by touching the screen, particularly
when working with photos and graphics.
There are different ways in which the
position of a finger or stylus on the screen
can be detected. Resistive displays have
traditionally been used. Such displays
are equipped with two conductive films
separated by an air gap and coated on a glass
display. Pressing down with your finger
closes the gap between the two layers of film,
allowing current to flow. Electrical resistance
is then used to calculate the point of contact.
Capacitive solutions are also widespread.
These produce an electrical field in a special
surface layer. Contact between this layer and
a conductive object, such as a finger, causes
a change in the electrical field. Optical
touchscreens may be realized by creating a
light grid over the display using IR LEDs, in
which an object touching the display either
casts a shadow or causes light to be reflected,
depending on the design (Fig. 2 and 3).
Optical touchscreens
Optical solutions are now on the march,
particularly for large displays. Their benefit
lies in the excellent image quality because
they do not need any special coatings that
absorb a certain percentage of the backlight-
ing. They can detect any type of pointer or
stylus and even fingers in gloves because
they are not reliant on the conductivity of
these objects. Optical designs are also not
at all sensitive to scratches and, depending
on the power of the emitters, can be used for
any size of screen. In most cases the opti-
cal components are mounted in a frame
around the display, so this technology can
be used to upgrade existing displays without
major difficulty. Optical touchscreens used
to be considered too expensive, too large,
and too sensitive to ambient light. New,
compact, and powerful IR LEDs now pro-
vide the basis for cost-effective, low-profile
Optical touchscreens benefit from
compact, high-power infrared LEDs
Low-profile infrared LEDs combined with sensors can be used in a variety
of configurations to implement touchscreen functionality for tablets,
smartphones, and larger displays, writes HARRY FELTGES.
HARRY FELTGES is marketing manager
of infrared devices at Osram Opto
Semiconductors (www.osram-os.com).
design forum

| IR TOUCHSCREENS
FIG. 1. Low-profile IR LEDs such as the Chipled SFH 4053 enable thin optical
touchscreens and can even serve in smartphones.
1309leds_59 59 8/21/13 11:58 AM
Stylus
Shadow
IRED (emitter)
Detector
I
R
E
D

(
e
m
i
t
t
e
r
)
D
e
t
e
c
t
o
r
Detector signal (photocurrent)
x
Line-scanning sensor
IRED (emitter)
Stylus
Line-scanning sensor
photosignal
Sensor elements
Refection
design forum
|
IR TOUCHSCREENS
touchscreens, thereby countering the first
two of these arguments. The third point,
namely the sensitivity to ambient light, can
be overcome by appropriate display design
techniques that we will cover.
The commonly used technologies for opti-
cal touchscreens are presented here. They
all benefit from highly efficient thin-film
chip technology, which provides the basis
for compact IR LEDs with high optical out-
put. There is a wide range of packages for all
design options from narrow-angle emitters
for light grids to high-power emitters for illu-
minating large displays (Fig. 4). With a wave-
length of 850 nm, IR LEDs perfectly meet the
requirements for touchscreens. Their light is
barely visible to the naked eye but is easily
registered by the detectors. For exceptional
cases in which the residual visible light from
the 850-nm emitter is unwelcome, there are
940-nm chips available.
Light grids
The simplest solution for optical touch-
screens is a light grid created by rows of
infrared emitters and detectors placed
opposite one another (Fig. 2). The compo-
nents are mounted in a low-profile frame
around the screen, just a few millimeters
deep, known as a bezel. A finger or stylus
blocks the light beams, causing the detec-
tor signal to attenuate at the appropriate
point. This design can be used as a multi-
touch version, if the emitters and detectors
are switched sequentially and the signals
are evaluated appropriately.
Important factors for selecting an emit-
ter are the size of the component, its opti-
cal output, and its radiant intensity in
other words, the distribution of the light.
FIG. 2. Pairs of emitters and detectors create a light grid in
an infrared matrix touchscreen. Fingers or a stylus create a
shadow over the detector.
FIG. 3. On camera-based touchscreens the display is flooded
with infrared light from the corners.
1309leds_60 60 8/21/13 11:58 AM
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Multiple stock
dilemmas?
design forum
|
IR TOUCHSCREENS
High radiant intensity is synonymous with an intense narrow-
angle beam. High radiant intensities enable large screen diagonals
to be covered. Narrow beam angles, coupled with narrow detec-
tion angles on the detectors, ensure that even on large displays the
beams from the individual emitters do not hit more than one sensor.
Ideal for grid applications are IR LEDs and phototransistors in
low-profile packages with an angle of 15 such as Osrams 1.6-mm-
high Midled family, allowing bezel depths of around 2.3 mm. Chi-
pled products enable bezel depths less than 2 mm. In some applica-
tions, particularly ones where there is strong halogen lighting, it is
advisable to use daylight filters to reduce the influence of ambient
light on the detectors (Fig. 4).
The design of such a light grid can be easily scaled up to larger
screen diagonals. Compared with non-optical technologies, this
scaling involves less expense because the functional components
are mounted in the frame around the display. The scaling factor
in the case of optical touchscreens is dependent on the circum-
ference; in all other technologies the scaling factor is dependent
on the square of the display. However, remember that light out-
put reduces in proportion to the square of the distance from the
detector. This in turn leads to a poorer signal-to-noise ratio for the
touch signal and it may be necessary to adjust the emitter current
accordingly. Size requirements can thereby impact both compo-
nent selection and the driver circuit.
1309leds_61 61 8/21/13 11:58 AM
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design forum
|
IR TOUCHSCREENS
Light from the corners
An optical design with line-scanning optical
sensors, essentially cameras, needs far fewer
components than the light-grid version. In
this setup, high-power IR LEDs are used to
flood the display with infrared light from
two corners (Fig. 3). There are also detectors
optically separated to prevent crosstalk
that only receive a signal when objects
on the display reflect the infrared beams.
In most cases, the sensors are line scanners,
such as those used for barcode readers or
flat-bed scanners. The precise position and
size of the finger or stylus are calculated by
evaluating both signals using a procedure
similar to triangulation.
Depending on the resolution of the sensor,
the corner-based design has the potential to
produce touchscreens with a much higher
resolution than with other technologies.
This design is also particularly attractive
because it can be scaled up to larger screens
without the need for additional components,
as long as you make sure that the emitters
produce enough light. Displays with a screen
diagonal of 12 inches and larger are mainly
being used at present.
In a slightly modif ied version, light
guides are mounted around the display and
are fed with light by IR LEDs at the corners.
Light exits the light guide at certain inter-
vals along its length, creating a curtain of
light over the display. The line sensors reg-
ister the shadows that are cast by objects
on the display.
Both approaches require IR LEDs with
sufficient optical output to illuminate the
entire screen. However, they must be small
enough for low-profile displays. The lat-
est development for this area of application
is the Chipled SFH 4053. Measuring only
0.510.45 mm, it is one of the slimmest
components of its output class (shown in
Fig. 1). With an 8-mil chip in thin-film tech-
nology, this IR LED produces 40 mW at 70
mA, and up to 260 mW at 700 mA in pulse
mode. That output level can easily illumi-
nate a notebook screen.
While IR LEDs with a wide beam angle
are suitable for illuminating from the cor-
ners, the choice of emitters for the light
guide version depends on the design of the
light guide. Midled types, which have a nar-
row beam angle and a flat surface, are ideal
for injecting light into light guides. Osram
FIG. 4. The small narrow-angle
Chipled [shown with a daylight
filter (a) and without filter (b)]
and the Midled (c) devices are
powerful and cost-effective
solutions for touchscreens based
on light grids.
1309leds_62 62 8/21/13 11:58 AM
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design forum
|
IR TOUCHSCREENS
has published an application note that pro-
vides more information on the design of the
light guide solution. One approach that is cov-
ered frees the touch signal from ambient light
influences by first measuring the light level
without infrared illumination and then mea-
suring with infrared illumination and calcu-
lating the difference between the two signals.
Projection for large displays
Large projection panels present another set
of challenges yet can be implemented with
optical touchscreen technology. A system
can project the infrared light from the rear
just as the image is projected from the rear.
A finger or stylus on the display reflects the
light to one or more IR cameras (Fig. 5).
Such a projection design does emit infra-
red light on the surface. If
the display is recorded by
cameras for example, in
a TV studio the light can
interfere with the camera
signal. One possible solu-
tion is to use 940-nm emit-
ters. Alternatively, a design
in which the infrared light
is injected into the glass
plane of the display can be
used (Fig. 6). The IR LEDs,
for instance, emit light
into the glass so the beams
are totally reflected at the top and bottom
surfaces. Only when an object touches the
surface can the light escape and be scat-
tered, allowing the detectors to capture the
change. The technique is known as frus-
trated total internal reflection (FTIR).
These two versions of optical touch-
screens do not require a bezel and therefore
give designers greater f lexibility. Projec-
tion solutions generally need IR LEDs with
extremely high output, such as the Dragon,
Oslon, or Ostar LEDs from Osram. In FTIR
systems, the design must ensure a high num-
ber of internal reflections. The application
note describes the relevant
requirements and lists appro-
priate emitters. Depending
on the setup, suitable com-
ponents may, for example, be
narrow-angle Midleds that
achieve very high optical out-
put, or Oslon IR LEDs, cur-
rently the smallest IR LEDs in
the 1W class.
In-cell sensors
In-cell technology is a rel-
atively new development.
These touchpanels have a
photo transistor integrated in each pixel of
the LCD. In bright surroundings, a finger
or stylus casts a shadow over the detectors;
in dark surroundings, they reflect the LCD
backlighting. In dark surroundings and with
a dark display, however, the photo transistor
signal is very weak. This is remedied by addi-
tional infrared illumination from the side
for example, with super-small Smartled
components.
In summary, high-power IR LEDs pro-
vide the basis for optical touchscreens with
large image diagonals. The process of trans-
ferring these chip technologies to compact
IR LEDs has also led to cost-effective solu-
tions for small- and medium-size touchpads.
The evolution of low-profile, high-output IR
LEDs enables a variety of design approaches
with minimum bezel heights to meet the
demands of discerning consumers.
FIG. 5. Projection touchscreens are backlit with
infrared light.
FIG. 6. A projection touchscreen can use FTIR
(frustrated total internal reflection) technology in which
an object touching the panel allows light to escape and
reach the camera.
1309leds_64 64 8/21/13 11:58 AM
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