Technology 시작

What is UV LEDs?

Visible LED market makes a giant leaf with expanding its application to BLU, lighting and automotive etc. With the UV LED power increasing(increment), the technology is also used in a wider range of applications.

Discovery of UV

The discovery of UV radiation was associated with the observation that silver salts was darkened when exposed to sunlight. In 1801, the German physicist Johann Wilhelm Ritter made the hallmark observation that invisible rays just beyond the violet end of the visible spectrum darkened silver chloride-soaked paper more quickly than violet light itself.

Origin of the term “UV”

The name means “beyond violet” (from Latin ultra, “beyond”), violet being the color of the shortest wavelengths of visible light. UV lights have shorter wavelengths than violet light.

Features of UV

The benefits of UV LED are many, compared with mercury contained lamp.

LED pulls significantly less energy and in most cases can be plugged into standard wall outlet. In addition, the LED is instant on/off; there is no need to keep the lamps running when not in use. Mercury lamps also emit ozone that needs to be removed. It can lead to respiratory problem for those who work near the UV Lamp units, so it’s important to make sure the UV lamp units are well vented to evacuate ozone from the work area. The cost of displacing large amount of air contributes to higher energy consumption and higher overhead cost. LED does not emit ozone.

Mercury UV Lamp’s usable life is about 2,000 hours. LED have a life in excess of ten years running continuously, with instant on/off and 8 hours of use per day.Small form factor of UV LED is also a strong point. UV LED is much smaller in size than conventional UV lamp, so it gives more flexibilities for designing the UV applications.

The Yole development company is foreseeing in its recent report that the UV LED has started to replace the application products where the mercury lamps are used thanks to the compact size, low maintenance cost and environment-friendliness, the replacement with UV LED will continue and it will pioneer new product market such as portable products.
It is foreseen that the UV LED market will grow by 30 million dollars each year starting at 32.5 million dollars in 2011 and reaching at 150 million dollar in 2016 and the occupancy rate in the existing UV lamp market will rise by 17.7% from 10.4% in 2011 to 28.1%.

UV Light Source Market Size
(**Source : Yole developpment 2015)

Most of the UV Led sold were UVA/B(365-400mm) wavelength range of products, and more than 90% of the products were light firearms, forgery testing machine, medical field and equipment appurtenant products. But, starting from this year, the water/air sterilization/purification system using UV LED of UVC wavelength range will be commercialized.
Also, visible ray LED corporations from Japan, Taiwan and China will enter the UV LED device market and thus the competition will be fierce.

The LED of UV scope is seeing high efficiency and high output and the industrial use is being proliferated. The UV LED has different application family according to the luminous wavelength and the UV A scope(315-400mm) is mainly used for light firearms, forgery testing machine etc, the UV B scope(280-315mm) is used in medical equipment, analyzing machine and vitamin synthesis etc for medical/bio fields and the UV C scope(280-200mm) is used mainly in the environment field like the sterilization/purification/filtration of water etc.

However, although there are many applications and potential markets like this, the current UV LED light source have difficulties in entering the market due to the difficulties in high quality thin film growth due to the use of AIN family material and the low light output of the UV LED element due to the non-development of element production process technology and absence of the UV LED package element. The market will be magnified with the technological overcoming about the above problems.