News: LEDs
26 September 2022
ams OSRAM launches 100mW UV-C LED with 5.7% wall-plug efficiency at 265nm
ams OSRAM GmbH of Premstätten, Austria and Munich, Germany has complemented its high-power UV-C LED portfolio for purification applications by launching the OSLON UV 6060, which offers typical optical output power of 100mW from a single die source at 265nm (the emission wavelength that provides the highest germicidal effectiveness) combined with what is claimed to be market-leading wall-plug efficiency (WPE) of on average 5.7% (as per internal tests).
Picture: ams OSRAM's high-power UV-C LED.
The firm says that the OSLON UV 6060 meets the needs of industrial applications delivering sustainable UV-C treatment solutions for a clean and purified environment. “We are accelerating the industrialization of UV-C LEDs in the growing field of purification and sanitization of air, surfaces and water,” says senior product manager Nina Reiser. “The new OSLON UV-C LED is ideal for applications which require maximum germidical effectiveness at high power levels while providing outstanding wall-plug efficiency,” she adds. “There are a variety of benefits compared to traditional lighting technologies such as adaptability, compactness and instant-on functionality. However, UV-C LEDs gained momentum and enable, with its characteristics, on-demand purification in everyday applications.”
The wavelength range of 200-280nm (UV-C radiation from the sun) does not pass through the earth's atmosphere, which is why bacteria and viruses have evolutionary little or no defense mechanisms against it. If germs are irradiated with artificially generated UV-C radiation, it attacks the cell structure of micro-organisms such as viruses or bacteria as it alters the microbial DNA, which disrupts their capability to replicate.
UV-C light has hence already been used for many years for purification applications. Compared with the bulky and wavelength-limited mercury vapor lamps used in the past, the aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN)-based UV-C LED has a robust design. The compact 6mm x 6mm footprint gives the added benefit of flexible design for space-critical applications, allowing the LED to be installed directly at the point of use such as in washing machines or air conditioners. The high-power version of the OSLON UV family achieves on average 100mW of optical power from an injection current of 250mA.
