Efficient Hybrid Phosphors for Blue Solid-State LEDs
Investigating Organization
PhosphorTech Corporation
Principal Investigator(s)
Hisham Menkara
Subcontractor
None
Funding Source
Small Business Innovation Research
Award
DOE Share: $99,984
Contract Period
7/1/03 - 4/30/04
PhosphorTech is pursuing the development of high-performance fluorescent materials for next generation lighting application using solid state lamps. The novel phosphor materials and lighting devices will be based on hybrid organic/inorganic systems with superior color rendering and power conversion efficiencies to the current state-of-the-art technology. These materials will be fabricated using controlled synthesis techniques. Existing UV-efficient silicate phosphors will be modified to allow blue light absorption and broadband emission in the yellow-green. The goal of Phase I is a white LED having a luminous efficiency of 30 lm/W (2 times that of incandescent bulbs) and a color rendering index over 80. The goal of Phase II is a white LED having a luminous efficiency > 50 lm/W and a CRI > 90.
The availability of efficient white LEDs will open up a number of exciting new application markets, such as white light sources replacing traditional incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs and efficient low-voltage backlights for portable electronics. The down-converting hybrid phosphor materials could also be used to make pixelated screens for full-color photonically driven displays (using RGB filters), and even in maintenance-free LED-based traffic lights.