Deep UV LEDs
Nobel Prize-Winning Technology

In 2014 LEWA's parent company, Nikkiso, brought the first deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV LEDs) to the market. Advice was provided by Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano, who had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in December 2014.

This new type of light source covers wavelengths that previously could not be produced using LEDs, as well as output powers of currently 255 to 350 nm. Fields of application include biotechnology, medicine and environmental and industrial engineering. For further information please contact the regional sales office of our sister company NIKKISO Europe GmbH.

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Description

The key technologies currently being developed at Nikkiso find synergies with the practical strengths of the various areas of development at LEWA.

Together we are creating opportunities for the future for our customers. A recent example in the field of photonics is the development and series production of deep ultraviolet LEDs. These had been developed jointly with the Nobel Prize 2014 winners, professors Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano at the University of Nagoya over a period of eight years.

In 2014 Nikkiso and its research group Nikkiso Giken began their own mass production of high-quality AlGaN-based DUV diodes. In parallel to this, work is underway on further development and preliminary application development for a variety of industrial applications.

The first joint developments with LEWA in the field of medicine/life sciences can be seen in LEWA products for the clean process market (e.g. online photometric measurement of protein, DNA and RNA measurement and disinfection/sterilization).

Technology

DUV LEDs have many advantages over conventional UV light sources such as mercury vapor lamps. Since they are a solid-state technology, these LEDs offer a specific, selectable emission wavelength, a long service life and low operating voltages.

They can be switched on and off with instant effect, are resistant to shocks, are easy to integrate (flexibility of design and simple actuation electronics) and are environmentally benign (no hazardous substances such as mercury and no ozone emissions). Moreover the performance of the LEDs has substantially increased in recent years, which is making their potential applications more and more interesting (water treatment, measurement systems, paint curing).

Technical data

Wavelength range 255 – 350 nm
Radiation output over 10 mW/cm2
Service-life of over 10000 h

Advantages of UV LEDs over conventional UV light sources (low-pressure mercury-vapor lamps):

No start delay
Low weight
Long service life
Low power consumption
Compact
Mercury-free
Single light wavelengths

Products

The products (TO-46, SMD) available from Nikkiso are high-performance light-emitting diodes with emissions in the deep ultraviolet range (DUV LED) based on a pnp construction. Products with peak wavelengths of 265nm, 285nm and 300nm and 340nm are currently available.

TO 46

265nm, 285nm, 300nm.

Surface mount devices (SMDs)

3.5 mm² with Zener diode; 265nm up to 42 mW/cm², 285 and 300nm up to 104 mW/cm²

Application examples

Fields of application for DUV LEDs include environmental engineering, medicine and industrial engineering:

Photocatalysis, decomposition of chemical substances, even exhaust air treatment
Phototherapy and immunotherapy
UV printer: Resin curing, adhesives and lithographical exposure
ID/document checking
Sterilization, disinfection, water treatment with inactivation of bacteria and viruses
Biotechnology, medical technology, measurement systems

Many new fields have also been captured for the new Nikkiso products; it is also expected that complete, pre-assembled, specific modules will be made available. Lewa's objective here is to integrate these LED packages and modules into custom-built applications, particularly in the area of fluids.

Process and measurement engineering include many opportunities for combining the LEDs with LEWA applications. An example is to fit them in the LEWA EcoPrime chromatography system for online photometric concentration measurement of DNA/RNA and proteins, and use in sterilization.

Example from an environmental application

Photocatalysis

Download application example | PDF

Examples from Life Sciences

Various analysis procedures

Download application example | PDF

Production Engineering Examples

UV curing

Download application example | PDF

Further Information

Press Release

Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amanowere awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics 2014 for their invention of a new, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly light source.

View press release