Silicon Valley, California - June 12 - US BOLB Corporation announced a 12.2% external quantum efficiency (EQE) on fully transparent UV light-emitting diodes (UVCs). This breakthrough in key technologies paves the way for UVC LEDs to achieve near-visible LED efficiency in the coming years, and will further expand the application of UVC LED disinfection and sterilization technologies in people's daily lives.
Over the past two decades, researchers have been constrained by the narrow-band hole carrier supply layer to increase the efficiency of deep-UV LED devices. This layer causes strong absorption of light on the side of the P-type semiconductor in the chip structure. Prior to BOLB's achievement of this breakthrough, various attempts to remove the narrow band layer have always brought high operating voltages and significantly degraded LED current-voltage characteristics, and the resulting high heat will result in shorter device lifetime. The new breakthrough made by BOLB Company has realized that the UVC LED's overall structure is completely transparent to the ultraviolet rays in the best bactericidal waveband, and achieves 12.2% external quantum efficiency (EQE) and 9.5% of the electricity on the first-generation products based on this technology. - Light Conversion Efficiency (WPE)
For example, with an epitaxy at 269 nm, only 10 mA of current is required to drive 10-11 mW of UVC light power from a single 0.125 mm2 LED production-type chip while maintaining a forward voltage of 5.8V. This electro-optical conversion efficiency is 3 to 5 times that of other similar products on the market, which greatly increases the price/performance ratio of the product. If you use a multi-die module, or use a large chip to run at higher drive currents, this technology can achieve unprecedented high UV output power. In other words, compared with other similar products, BOLB can achieve the same output power with the smallest number of chips and the lowest current in the band that is more suitable for sterilization. This breakthrough provides a solid foundation for further optimization of subsequent high-power UVC devices and achieves target performance of 50% EQE or higher.
UVC-band LED bactericidal effect far exceeds that of the near-UV (UVA and UVB), and its physical inactivation mechanism is equally effective against newly emerging multidrug-resistant pathogens. At present, this product has entered small-batch production after the strategic cooperation customer trials. BOLB will continue to improve the light efficiency of deep ultraviolet LEDs on the basis of breakthroughs. With the cooperation of partners in related fields, BOLB will expand its wide application in medical, catering, food, pharmaceutical packaging, agricultural and sideline husbandry, and home appliances. Makes the company a leader in the new billion-dollar low-polluting cleantech market .