OSRAM Opto Semiconductors has introduced a new compact, high-power LED light source called OSTAR that produces more than 120 lumens while measuring just 3 by 1 centimeters. Because of OSTAR’s tiny size and ability to emit such bright light, the company is predicting that the product will accelerate miniaturization of many types of projectors and mobile illumination applications.
OSTAR says that OSRAM’s technology is based on a unique chip configuration. The ready-to-install RGB light source consists of one red, one blue and two green thin-film chips, a ceramic carrier for interconnection and thermal management, and supporting passive electronics to provide reliable protection against excessive voltage and overheating. Virtually all of OSTAR’s generated light comes through the top of the chip.
The device’s performance derives from thin-film technology and accurate chip positioning, the company stated. These factors, coupled with a compact design, distribute light evenly over large projected images, making it ideal for use in mini projection units as small as a deck of cards.
In addition, the OSTAR has a fast rise time, thus requiring no warm-up, and its superior thermal management makes it so efficient that it requires no active cooling fan. The LED can produce a wide range of saturated colors, and it complies with both NTSC and the PAL video standards.
OSRAM says the OSTAR’s exacting beam characteristics can be applied in medical applications and also in automotive products such as heads-up displays and headlights.
OSRAM is headquartered in Regensburg, Germany and has facilities in San Jose, CA and Penang, Malaysia. In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 31, the company reported revenues of $499 million. Further information is available at the company’s Web site: www.osram-os.com.