the chip has been designed in particular for infrared illumination applications

Epistar not only respects others’ IP but also protects its proprietary technologies by filing its own patents or by acquisition to strengthen its patent portfolio. This is a demonstration of Epistar’s engineering efforts and capabilities. It also provides Epistar’s customers and partners freedom and a secured position in LED industry.

The infrared chip prototype has achieved a new record with an efficiency of up to 72 percent. At 930 milliwatts from an operating current of 1 amp, its light output under laboratory conditions is 25 percent higher than that of the chips currently available on the market, which means that future infrared LEDs can be made even more energy-efficient. The efficiency was measured at room temperature and at a dc current up to 1 amp. With a wavelength of 850 nanometers the chip has been designed in particular for infrared illumination applications.

The results from the R&D laboratory in Regensburg have created a new milestone. The prototype of a 1 mm2 chip in infrared thin-film chip technology has achieved an efficiency of 72 percent from an operating current of 100 milliamps. This efficiency, known as wall plug efficiency (WPE), indicates the ration of the radiated power to the electrical input power.

The external quantum efficiency (EQE), in other words the probability of creating a photon and its emission from the LED chip per electron, is as high as 67 percent and remains above 64 percent up to an operating current of 1 amp.