News

10 June 2009

 

SDK’s 660nm red LED chips adopted at Japan’s plant growth facility

Red-light-emitting (660nm-wavelength) aluminum gallium indium phosphide (AlGaInP) LED chips made by Tokyo-based chemical manufacturer Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) have been adopted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) at its fully controlled plant growth facility (which acts as a model for such facilities in Japan). The red 660nm wavelength is considered to be the optimum light for accelerating the growth of plants. SDK began selling samples of the LED chips in early April. 

 

 

 

Picture: SDK's 660nm-wavelength Red AlGaInP LED chips accelerate plant growth.

 

The plant growth facility was installed in the lobby of METI’s annex building in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo in January to raise awareness of the importance of such facilities among consumers, enterprises, local governments, and other involved parties. In its initial stage, a combination of artificial light and sunlight was used. However, on 26 May it was fully renewed, focusing on artificial light (including LED, fluorescent, and sodium lamps) and featuring fully controlled temperature and humidity. The facility's LED lamps contain a total of about 800 red LED chips from SDK.

In recent years, facilities for growing vegetables in an environment of controlled lighting, temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration and nourishments have been attracting attention, because they ensure stable production regardless of season or location, as well as realizing multiple cropping. Furthermore, due the controlled environment, fungicides or insecticides are not needed. 

Under its ‘Passion Extension’ project (which follows its original ‘Passion Project’ of 2006-2008), SDK is expanding its ultra-bright LED chip operation—consisting of AlGaInP red LED chips and indium-gallium-nitride (InGaN) blue/green LED chips—as a ‘next-generation growth-driver’ business. The firm says that it is preferentially allocating resources to these areas in an effort to further increase its corporate value.

See related items:

UV LEDs yield deeper-color antioxidant-rich plants

SDK launches record-output 660nm AlGaInP red LED chips for plant growth

Seoul Semiconductor supplies red and blue LEDs for agricultural lighting project

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Visit: www.sdk.co.jp