Rohm's tiny LEDs chop energy consumption in half
Kyoto-based LED maker Rohm claims that its new line of ultra-compact chips operate at double the efficiency of conventional low-current emitters.
The "PicoLED" range, which is based on AlGaInP structures, features devices measuring just 1 mm x 0.6 mm and only 0.2 mm thick in their packaged form.
According to Rohm, the tiny LEDs were developed in response to demand for chips with a higher brightness but with lower power consumption.
The company says that the PicoLEDs are ideal for use in portable battery-driven devices, where LEDs, while relatively efficient already, still represent one of the major drains on power consumption.
At 1 mA drive current, the yellow-colored PicoLED delivers a brightness of 7.5 mcd. This brightness drops off to 2.1 mcd for yellow-green emitters and 3.5 mcd for red chips operating at 633 nm.
Rohm believes that the PicoLEDs are the smallest, thinnest packages currently available, taking up less than half the area and volume of conventional 1 mA lamps.
"In addition, energy consumption is approximately 50 percent less at the same brightness, and the high-reliability AlGaInP structure prevents brightness degradation, even after long-term, continuous use," said the Japanese firm.
