•  The new IR:6 thin-film infrared LED chip technology is available in 850 nm, 940 nm and new 920 nm wavelength options.
•  First IR:6-based products are the OSLON® P1616 and OSLON® Black series, giving customers a drop-in replacement that offers higher brightness and efficiency in end products such as security cameras, biometric authentication systems and medical equipment for heat treatment.

ams OSRAM (SIX: AMS), a global leader in intelligent sensors and emitters, has introduced its new IR:6 infrared (IR) LED chip technology, which increases brightness by up to 35 % and efficiency by up to 42 % compared to the existing chip technology used in ams OSRAM IR LED emitters.

The new IR:6 thin-film chip technology will enable manufacturers of products such as security cameras and biometric authentication systems in PCs and smart doorbells to achieve better illumination for improved image quality as well as the faster, more accurate recognition of individual biometric markers, while saving power and extending battery run-time between charges.

In medical equipment such as light therapy fixtures for the treatment of tissue damage, the higher optical power output from the IR:6 chip will enable equipment manufacturers to use fewer LEDs while producing the same therapeutic effect, saving space and reducing bill-of-materials cost.

The first ams OSRAM products to take advantage of the new chip are the OSLON® P1616 series of high-power LEDs in a compact 1.6 mm x 1.6 mm package — and the OSLON® Black family, which offers various viewing angle options, including a new rectangular field of illumination which is perfect for use with IR cameras.

Dominic Bergmann, Product Marketing Manager at ams OSRAM, emphasized: ”The new, improved IR:6 technology is raising IR LEDs from ams OSRAM to the top rank in their market segment for brightness and efficiency. Customers that replace their existing IR LEDs with new IR:6-based LEDs can instantly achieve better performance in their application with lower power consumption.”

IR:6: the next generation of infrared LED technology

The new IR:6 chip technology implements various improvements in materials, structure and design to achieve its superior performance. These improvements include:

•  Improvements to the intrinsic chip efficiency
•  A new central bond pad for better current spreading and a lower forward voltage
•  Better roughening of the chip’s surface for higher decoupling efficiency and higher brightness

In addition, the new IR:6 technology adds the capability to emit light at a 920 nm dominant wavelength, as well as the familiar 850 nm and 940 nm wavelengths. The new 920 nm option offers a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than the 940 nm option because of photodiodes’ higher sensitivity to shorter wavelengths, and a weaker visible red glow effect than at 850 nm.

At the time of its launch, the IR:6 technology is available in the following ‘B’ designated versions of the existing OSLON® P1616 products, which are aimed at space-constrained applications:

•  OSLON® P1616 SFH 4180BS – 920 nm/940 nm wavelength options, 1485 mW radiant flux, 130° viewing angle
•  OSLON® P1616 SFH 4181BS – 920 nm/940 nm wavelength options, 1550 mW radiant flux, 70° viewing angle
•  OSLON® P1616 SFH 4182BS – 920 nm/940 nm wavelength options, 1650 mW radiant flux, 130° optimized viewing angle

The technology is also available in new versions of existing OSLON® Black emitters:

•  OSLON® Black SFH 4713B – 850 nm wavelength, 980 mW radiant flux, 80° viewing angle
•  OSLON® Black SFH 4714B – 850 nm wavelength, 940 mW radiant flux, 150° viewing angle
•  OSLON® Black SFH 47167B – 850 nm wavelength, 940 mW radiant flux, 110° x 130° rectangular field-of-illumination

The IR:6 chip is manufactured by ams OSRAM at its plant in Regensburg, Germany. The entire supply chain for OSLON® P1616 and OSLON® Black LEDs, from chip to packaging, is fully controlled by ams OSRAM to give customers full confidence in the product’s high-volume availability.

Further information on the IR:6 technology can be found on our homepage.

Product picture: OSLON® Black SFH 4713B Image rights: ams OSRAM

Product picture: OSLON® P1616 SFH 4181BS Image rights: ams OSRAM