News

22 December 2006

Nichia develops record 150lm/W white LED

Japan’s Nichia Corp has developed a lamp-type white LED (part no. NSPWR70) with an efficacy of 150lm/W (a luminous flux of 9.4lm) and a color temperature of 4600K at a drive current of 20mA in the lab.

The efficacy is 1.7 times that of a three-wavelength fluorescent lamps (90lm/W), 11.5 times that of an incandescent lamp (13lm/W) and even better than a high-pressure sodium lamp (132lm/W), which is regarded as the best possible efficacy light source in the conventional market.

In March Nichia developed 100lm/W white LEDs (and shipped samples in August). In June rival Cree reported a white LED chip delivering 131lm/W at 20mA, then in November Nichia raised the record to 138lm/W.

Nichia’s 150lm/W LED has been developed sooner than the 2007 timescale targeted on its development roadmap. The product release has not yet been scheduled for commercial release.

* Nichia sues UK retailer Argos over Christmas lights

Nichia has issued patent infringement proceedings in the London High Court against UK high-street retailer Argos Ltd. The proceedings, which include a claim for damages and a permanent injunction from future infringement, were served on Argos earlier in November.

The claim relates to the sale by Argos of white LED Christmas lights including: (i) ‘120 White Multifunction LED Lights’ sold in Autumn Winter 2006 and (ii) ‘144 Multifunction White LED Crab Lights’ sold in Autumn/Winter 2005. Nichia believes that the products infringe at least two of its European Patents.

Nichia says it is currently embarking on a program of enforcing its patent rights against infringers throughout Europe.

See related item:

Nichia loses Korean design patent rights for backlighting side-view white LED

Visit: http://www.nichia.co.jp