Fox Group adds weight to ultraviolet LED push
US firm The Fox Group has released a new series of products based on 350 nm LEDs.
The products are available in several forms, including 2-inch diameter epiwafers, 320x320 µm die, a "power-pack" of 60 die, and as packaged lamps.
The Deer Park, NY, company, which also sells AlN crystals (see related story), says that the hydride VPE deposition process that it uses to manufacture the devices ensures that the LED emission wavelength remains very stable, regardless of changes in the drive current applied.
The average output power of the LEDs is rated at 200µW for a drive current of 20 mA and a forward voltage of 4.5 V, rising to 500 µW at 50 mA.
Applications in the biomedical field include analysis of blood serum, while the devices could also be used in detector systems to induce fluorescence in samples.
Ultraviolet LEDs are becoming increasingly deployed in a range of applications, while AlGaN epiwafer manufacturer Sensor Electronic Technology (SET) recently signed a volume manufacturing and packaging deal regarding shorter-wavelength emitters with the Korean company Seoul Optodevice (see related story).
Becasue of their shorter wavelength, SET's "deep-UV" LEDs can also be used to sterilize air, water or contaminated surfaces.
These emerging markets are expected to realize sales of several million ultraviolet LEDs per year within the near future.
