LEDs & OLEDs

Technologies | LEDs | Light Generation | Apr 18, 2017

New Cree NX Technology Platform Redefines LED Performance for Next Generation Lighting Systems

Cree announces a major LED breakthrough with the revolutionary NX technology platform that will power the next generation of Cree’s lighting-class LEDs. The NX technology platform enables the new Extreme Density (XD) LED family that delivers up to four times higher lumen density than Cree’s previous generation of high power LEDs. This new technology platform makes possible innovative new designs, eliminating current constraints for a wide spectrum of lighting applications such as color-mixing, directional lighting and industrial lighting. Read more »

Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals - A New Promise for Light Emitting Devices

Perovskites structured materials have attracted scientific and technological interest in the last four years. Recent studies have shown that these materials could deliver high photoluminescence efficiency at any desired wavelength in the visible spectrum. Mirko Prato and Francesco Di Stasio, Technologist and Marie Curie Fellow of the Institute of Photonic Sciences at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia focus on the application in single color LEDs (red, green and blue) and white emitting color-converting layers. They discuss what limits their application in everyday technology like toxicity and limited functional stability. Read more »

Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Norman Bardsley, President of Bardsley Consulting

Professor of Physics, Dr. J. Norman Bardsley, has become an internationally recognized expert in SSL through his activities as an advisor for DoE and ISA. Dr. Bardsley has a profoundly deep knowledge and understanding of OLED technology, which includes the manufacturing thereof, cost structures and research activities. LED professional talked with him about the different aspects of OLED lighting technology and asked for his thoughts on future perspectives. Read more »

From Component to System, Andreas Weisl, CEO at Seoul Semiconductor Europe GmbH

The history of Light-Emitting Diodes (LED) is quite short compared with some other electronic device industries. However, it has changed and revolutionized the entire world of light within a very short period of time. The history of Light-Emitting Diodes (LED) is quite short compared with some other electronic device industries. However, it has changed and revolutionized the entire world of light within a very short period of time. Read more »

Nanowire | Technologies | LEDs | Light Generation | Feb 14, 2017

Nanorod LEDs with Two Functions Could Make Multifunctional Displays

Cellphones and other devices could soon be controlled with touchless gestures and charge themselves using ambient light, thanks to new LED arrays that can both emit and detect light. Made of tiny nanorods arrayed in a thin film, the LEDs could enable new interactive functions and multitasking devices. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Dow Electronic Materials in Marlborough, Massachusetts, report the advance in the Feb. 10 issue of the journal Science. Read more »

Resources | Fundings | LEDs | Feb 09, 2017

International FLINGO Project to Improving the Properties of LEDs Has Started

In view of the growing demands placed on the electrical, optical and thermal functionality of LEDs, more and more attention is being paid to research into new material properties. The purpose of the FLINGO project is therefore to develop new materials (layers in particular) and processes to improve the characteristics of LEDs, such as efficiency and durability. The intention is to maintain and improve market leadership in innovative LED products. As the project coordinator, Osram Opto Semiconductors is working since February 2017 with renowned universities, research institutes and companies. The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research is sponsoring the FLINGO project (Functional Inorganic Layers for Next Generation Optical Devices) as part of the M-ERA.NET EU initiative. Read more »

Thermal Management of an LED Light Source for Microscopes

Thermal management is a challenge for every LED and LASER solution. Microscope lighting solutions have some very critical requirements, especially if they concern medical applications. ESCATEC in Heerbrugg, Switzerland has a lot of experience in that field and covers all relevant technical disciplines. Wolfgang Plank, head of the MOEMS Future Laboratory and cleanroom, and Gerd Harder, Key Account Manager, give insights on the design process, thermal simulation and production of an LED light source for Leica Microsystems’ Ophthalmic Microscope Proveo 8. Read more »

Resources | LpR Article | Tech-Talks Bregenz | Light Conversion | Jan 26, 2017

Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Dr. Rubén D. Costa, Group Leader, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg

Light quality and costs of LED systems remain an important topic even though big improvements have been made. New approaches are always welcome and stir up hope. It was exactly a year ago that LED professional published the article by Dr. Rubén D. Costa, Liebig Group Leader at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, about his amazing new „Bio-Hybrid“ white LED approach. At LpS 2016 his presentation on the latest research results and improvements also won him the LpS 2016 Scientific Award. Consequently, we just had to invite him to a Tech-Talk Bregenz! In the interview below he gives us some interesting background information about why he started the project, how it works and what he expects in the future. He also gives us his views on LEDs and lighting in general. Read more »

Technologies | OLEDs | Light Generation | Jan 24, 2017

CTI Project Results Promise a Bright Future for OLEDs

Developing a low-cost, efficient method of increasing the attractiveness of OLEDs for lighting poses a significant challenge. Thanks to a CTI project, CSEM and Sefar AG have succeeded in designing a promising state-of-the-art way of achieving this aim. This technology opens up new opportunities for applications in residential, architectural, professional lighting segments, as well as consumer electronics. Read more »

Comparing New Dielectric Materials for Chip-on-Board LED Packages

Thermal management is still one of the most challenging issues in solid state lighting. With the increased application of COB LED technology, the portion of the dielectric material on the overall thermal resistance has become an important topic. Different solutions and new materials have been proposed over the last few years. Hui Zhang, Max Wagner, and Prof. Tran Quoc Khanh from the Laboratory of Lighting Technology at the Technische Universität Darmstadt compared different materials and present the results of their extensive research. Read more »

Technologies | LECs | Light Generation | Nov 28, 2016

LECs - The Light of the Future Thanks Nanostructures

In future they are to light up the inside of handbags or make evening joggers stand out in the dark: Light-emitting electrochemical cells, LECs, offer many advantages compared to familiar LEDs, but there's still something lacking – the right light. Until now only yellow light LECs are suitable for realistic use. But at least one other light colour is needed for more neutral light. Researchers in the Center for Nanointegration (CENIDE) of the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) have now been able to selectively change the colour for the first time and at the same time increase the performance of the LECs. Read more »

Technologies | OLEDs | Flexible OLEDs | Sep 09, 2016

Researchers Propose Graphene Anode for Flexible OLEDs

In their research article, Tae-Hee Han, Min-Ho Park, Sung-Joo Kwon, Sang-Hoon Bae, Hong-Kyu Seo, Himchan Cho, Jong-Hyun Ahn and Tae-Woo Lee from the Pohang University of Science and Technology and the Yonsei University in Korea respectively investigated the use of praphene anodes for ultra-flexible OLED devices. The original article, "Approaching Ultimate Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diodes Using a Graphene Anode", is published in NPG Asia Materials (2016) 8, e303; doi:10.1038/am.2016.108 online on September 9, 2016. Read more »

DoE Releases OLED Market Report for 2016

The latest DoE market report for OLEDs sounds much more modest than some older market reports when DoE concludes in the management summary: With rapid advances in these areas, this technology could become the complementary solid-state counterpart to LEDs, a dynamic and softly luminous luminaire element and building material. On the positive side, DoE states that while OLEDs are struggling through a similar set of difficulties like LEDs did in the early years, OLED manufacturers have the advantage of having watched and learned from the LED industry’s working through these problems. Read more »

Technologies | LEDs | Light Generation | Quality | Jul 11, 2016

The Right Light for Fashion Retail, Fresh Food and Restaurants - More than just CCT and CRI

Lumileds recently introduced their Luxeon Stylist Series to support fashion, retail, fresh food sales and restaurants. Lumileds calls their proprietary technology for CoB LEDs CrispWhite Technology, CrispColor Technology™, FreshFocus Technology™ and AtmoSphere Technology™ depending on the focus. In preparation for the product release, Rick Hamburger, Senior Director of Product Management, Eric Senders, Product Line Director CoB, Luis Acena, Senior Manager, Luxeon Stylist Series, Kevin Lucido, Senior Director of Global Marketing Communications discussed the technology and features of the new product series with Arno Grabher-Meyer from LED professional. Read more »

Technologies | LEDs | Light Conversion | Jun 23, 2016

New Phosphor Promises Cheaper and more Efficient Next-Generation LED Lighting

Researchers from KU Leuven (Belgium), the University of Strasbourg, and CNRS have discovered a new phosphor that could make next-generation fluorescent and LED lighting even cheaper and more efficient. The team used highly luminescent clusters of silver atoms and the porous framework of minerals known as zeolites. Read more »

Perovskite Phosphor Provides High Quality White Light and Boosts VLC

Mark Peplow recently reported on the Chemical & Engineering News website about the latest encouraging research results from a research team from CEMSE and KAUST. The researchers found that combination of solution-processed CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) with a conventional red phosphor produces high quality white light when pumped with a blue LED or laser. Furthermore excited-state lifetime is short enough to provide record-breaking high bandwidth for visible light communication (VLC), aka LiFi. Read more »

Technologies | OLEDs | Light Conversion | May 13, 2016

Research on OLEDs with Ultrathin Emissive Layers and a Spacer-Free Structure

Since C.W Tang demonstrated the first organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on a double-layer structure of organic materials in 1987, flat-panel displays and lighting applications based on OLED technology have grown dramatically because of their attractive features such as ultra-thin structure, light-weight and flexibility. To achieve a desirable OLED performance, a host-dopant system is adopted. This not only leads to an increase in material cost and device processing time, but also makes it difficult to control dopant concentration accurately. Therefore, OLEDs with dopant-free and ultrathin emissive layers (UEMLs) have aroused much attention. Shengfan Wu, Sihua Li, Qi Sun, Chenchao Huang & Man-Keung Fung recently published the results of their research on such ultrathin emissive layers (UEMLs) of phosphorescent materials for OLED applications. Read more »

Technologies | LEDs | White LEDs | Feb 25, 2016

Cree Announces Outstanding R&D LED Efficacy Combined with Superior Color Quality

Cree, Inc. records another LED industry first with the demonstration of a single high-power LED delivering nearly 1,600 lumens at 134 lumens-per-watt (LPW) with similar color quality as an incandescent light bulb. With this result, Cree achieved a breakthrough 25 percent increase in lumens per watt (LPW) over production LEDs of similar color quality under operating conditions found in real-world LED lighting applications. This important milestone coupled with Cree’s latest SC5 Technology™ platform will lead to LED systems with increased performance, lower cost and better light. Read more »

EPIC/Photonics 21 Announces EU Support for Photonics PPP Pilot Lines

Three major Pilot Lines, which help SMEs take photonics technologies from lab into market, have been launched today by the Photonics Public Private Partnership (PPP). The Pilot Lines mean that thousands of high tech SMEs in Europe - who often lack access to advanced, cost-intensive infrastructures and expertise needed to manufacture new and innovative products – will be able to take their good ideas, scale-them up and validate them with the first customers for commercial production. Read more »

OLEDs | White Papers | Optics + Opt. Materials | Resources

Manufacturability of OLED Encapsulation and Light Extraction

Applications for OLEDs in lighting are opening unique possibilities for designers; however, the organic materials make OLEDs more fragile than LEDs. A higher-index Luminit Light Shaping Diffuser® developed into a barrier film could be an excellent substrate for OLEDs, encapsulating them while simultaneously supporting them. Read more »

Technologies | LEDs | GaN-on-Si | Jan 18, 2016

Plessey Builds LEDs in Cubic GaN on 3C-SiC/Si To Overcome The Green Gap

Plessey, Anvil Semiconductors and the University of Cambridge announced today that they are working together to fabricate high efficiency LEDs in cubic GaN grown on Anvil's 3C-SiC / Si substrates. Cubic GaN has the potential to overcome the problems caused in conventional LEDs by the strong internal electric fields which impair carrier recombination and contribute to efficiency droop. This is particularly true for green LEDs where the internal electric fields are stronger and are believed to cause a rapid reduction in efficiency at green wavelengths known as "the green gap". The availability of cubic GaN from a readily commercialisable process on large diameter silicon wafers is as a key enabler for increasing the efficiency of green LEDs and reducing the cost of LED lighting. Read more »

Technologies | LEDs | Material Science | Jan 13, 2016

Uncovering Oxygen’s Role in Enhancing Red Eu-Doped GaN LEDs

Oxygen is indispensable to animal and plant life, but its presence in the wrong places can feed a fire and cause iron to rust. In the fabrication of solid state lighting devices, scientists are learning, oxygen also plays a two-edged role. While oxygen can impede the effectiveness of gallium nitride (GaN), an enabling material for LEDs, small amounts of oxygen in some cases are needed to enhance the devices’ optical properties. GaN doped with europium (Eu), which could provide the red color in LEDs and other displays, is one such case. Read more »

Technologies | Light Generation | Jan 12, 2016

Innovation Could Revive Incandescent Lighting, Bring More Efficient Solar Cells

Incandescent lighting could make a comeback with a new type of filter that "recycles" infrared photons and improves efficiency, an innovation that also could enable solar cells to convert heat into electricity more efficiently than conventional photovoltaic technology. Read more »

Latest Research Publications in the Journal of Solid State Lighting

On December 24th and 29th, 2015, three new articles have been published in the SpringerOpen Journal of Solid State Lighting. The three articles are titled "Optical Role of Die Attach Adhesive for White LED Emitters: Light Output Enhancement without Chip-Level Reflectors", "The Importance of Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells and Implications for Lighting Design", and "Towards Perceptual Accuracy in 3D Visualizations of Illuminated Indoor Environments". Read more »

Technologies | Light Conversion | Quantum Dots | Nov 25, 2015

Cadmium-Free Quantum Dot Technology in LED Lighting

Nanoco and its partner Marl International, a pioneer of the LED lighting industry, demonstrated four product lines based on Nanoco’s CFQD® quantum dot film technology last week at LuxLive. The CFQD® Quantum Dot technology as a revolutionary solution for high-end lighting applications in retail and specialty, architecture, and agriculture, where maintaining true-to-life color representations maximizes user experience and value. Read more »

Technologies | LEDs | Light Conversion | Sep 01, 2015

FAU Researchers Create the World's First White LEDs Based on Fluorescent Proteins

LEDs are up to 80 percent more energy-efficient than normal light bulbs and last around five times as long as energy-saving light bulbs. As a result they are being used more and more frequently as a source of light. Nevertheless, white LEDs still have room for improvement, as current manufacturing processes are either very expensive or result in the lifetime of the LEDs being reduced. Researchers at FAU have now developed a new, rather unusual manufacturing method: their LEDs are partly made of fluorescent proteins. Read more »

Research and Markets Announces OLED Lighting Opportunities 2015-2025 Forecast

OLED lighting is an emerging solid-state lighting technology. It potentially provides a route into the large and growing global lighting market. The lighting market is however complex as it is a highly fragmented space thanks to the existence of a broad technology mix and a diversity of customer needs. Read more »