Cree EZBright power LED chip doubles output (update)

Measured as a bare die, the new blue EZBright1000 power chip has a power output of up to 370 mW at 350 mA drive current, and 800 mW at 1 A of drive current.

Cree EZBright1000 power chip Cree says its EZBright1000 power chip is designed for general lighting applications, such as home and office lighting, auto headlamps, streetlights, and garage and warehouse low bay lighting, as well as consumer applications including flashlights, camera flash and projection displays.

Chuck Swoboda, Cree chairman and CEO, claimed that the announcement marks an important milestone for power LEDs. "For the first time, these chips should enable solid-state lamp makers to challenge the efficacy of not only incandescent, but also fluorescent, lamps," he said. "The EZBright1000 LED power chip is one of several advancements we are working on to help drive LEDs into more mainstream lighting applications."

Scott Schwab, Cree VP and general manager of optoelectronics, said that the new products "should enable our customers to reach new levels of power output and efficiency from a single chip and redefine what is possible with power LEDs."

Schwab told LEDs Magazine that Cree believes its customers will be able to double their lumen output using the new EZ Bright power chips, as compared to using the current XBright power chips.

The new chips will also enable improvements to Cree's product line of XLamp packaged LEDs. "We are beginning shipments of EZ Bright power chips to all of Cree's chip customers including our XLamp business," says Schwab. "We do expect all of our customers will realize performance gains from the use of these chips."

Cree XB900 The structure of the new chip is different from Cree's current XBright power chip (XB900), which has a base edge of 900 micron and provides a radiant flux of 165 mW for the topmost bin, at 350 mA. The XB900 has beveled sides to improve light extraction and is 250 micron thick.

In contrast, the EZBright1000 is a square chip with an edge of 980 micron. Most significantly, in terms of light extraction, it is only 100 micron thick.

The EZBright1000 power chip is the third product released based on the Cree EZBright platform (see Related Stories), which features a proprietary optical design that delivers an optimal Lambertian radiation pattern.

Schwab says that Cree can not disclose the details of the design, but one difference these chips have compared to Cree's other chips is the textured surface that helps guide the light. "In addition, we have created a structure that has very low levels of optical losses, allowing us increased efficiency," he adds.

The EZBright1000 power chip incorporates technology that was in part developed with support provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Advanced Technology Program.

Cree says that EZBright1000 LEDs are now available in commercial quantities, and that additional EZBright products are targeted for release over the next several months.