19 September 2018

Osram launches compact broadband infrared LED for integrating spectroscopy into smartphones

© Semiconductor Today Magazine / Juno PublishiPicture: Disco’s DAL7440 KABRA laser saw.

Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH of Regensburg, Germany has added the compact Synios SFH 4776 LED to its product portfolio for spectroscopy applications

Due to the development of broadband infrared LEDs (IREDs) that emit in a wide wavelength range, consumers will soon be able to use their smartphones to check how fresh supermarket food is, measure the calories in canteen meals, and verify whether the tablet in their hand really is a painkiller. Osram Opto says that its Oslon Black Flat SFH 4735 (launched at the end of 2016) opened up the consumer sector to this technology. To date, the firm is the only one to offer such IREDs, it is claimed. With the compact SFH 4776, spectroscopy applications can be integrated into smartphones.

Near-infrared spectroscopy enables things such as the water, fat, sugar and protein content of food to be measured using the characteristic absorption behavior of certain molecular compounds. If a defined light spectrum is directed at a sample, it is possible to determine the presence and quantity of certain ingredients from the wavelength distribution of the reflected light. An IRED such as the SFH 4776 acts as a compact light source for the spectrometer.

Picture: Osram Opto Semiconductors’ new Synios SFH 4776 infrared LED.

The Synios package of the SFH 4776 is only 0.6mm high and has a particularly space-saving footprint of 2.75mm x 2.0mm, making it suitable for use in smartphones. With the development of SFH 4776 Osram Opto is therefore addressing the latest trends such as technology-based fitness monitoring and the gradual spread of electronic aids in the health sector.

Like the SFH 4735, SFH 4776 is based on a highly efficient, blue-emitting ThinGaN chip in UX:3 technology. A phosphor converter specially developed for spectroscopy converts blue light into infrared light with a broad wavelength range of 650-1050nm. By making improvements to the phosphor material, Osram Opto has increased the intensity of the light from thr SFH 4776 by 60% compared with its predecessor, yielding improved signal-to-noise ratio and hence simpler analysis of food and medicines.

See related items:

Osram presents first broadband infrared LED, paving way for smartphone-based food analytics by consumers

Tags: Osram IR LED

Visit: www.osram-os.com