News: LEDs
26 March 2025
Aixtron partners in GraFunkL project on use of graphene in UVC LEDs
Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE in Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany is a partner in the research project GraFunkL (Graphene as a functional layer in UVC LEDs) for the use of novel UVC LEDs, which are to be used, among other things, against multi-resistant hospital pathogens.
Aixtron’s cooperation partners in the project are the University of Duisburg-Essen’s Materials for Electrical Engineering department headed by professor Gerd Bacher, Aachen-based Protemics GmbH (which specializes in terahertz measurement technology) and Regensburg-based lighting and sensor technology firm ams OSRAM International GmbH. The project will be funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with €2.1m over the next three years.
“What is innovative about the project is the direct deposition of graphene on the UVC LED wafer,” says professor Michael Heuken, VP Advanced Technologies at Aixtron. “These new photonic components are suitable for a range of applications, including the decontamination of microbially contaminated indoor air, wastewater or surfaces.”
The use of graphene improves both energy efficiency and light output. A layer of carbon just one atom thick, with high electrical conductivity and high optical transparency, is integrated into the UVC LEDs, increasing the efficiency of the light-emitting diodes.
Another key objective of the GraFunkL project is to develop a platform that makes it possible to apply graphene over a large area, i.e. wafers up to 150mm in diameter. This, in turn, should be integrated into an industrial production line for UVC LEDs. The production of larger quantities, in combination with the improved efficiency of the novel UVC LEDs, forms the basis for greater use and dissemination of this technology – for example in the medical field. In addition, the project will also provide insights into graphene growth on non-metallic substrates.
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