Cree,San'an,Osram Opto and Vishay focus on mid-power LED lights for vehicles

Cree has announced that it will establish a joint venture with San’an Optoelectronics of China focused on producing mid-power LED lights that specifically meet the requirement of general lighting applications for vehicles. Osram Opto Semiconductors has achieved commercial availability of the five-emitter version of the Oslon Black Flat S LED for adaptive-driving beam (ADB) automotive headlamps. Vishay has announced the space-saving red, super-red, amber, and yellow LEDs for signage and lighting applications.

The Cree and San’an partnership marks at least the fourth strategic move by Cree to stress on the importance of mid-power LEDs in the lighting sector. Cree developed very-small high-power LED lights as alternatives to mid-power devices going back at least to 2013 with the first introduction of the XLamp XQ family of components and similar subsequent developments. In passing, Cree had partnered with and invested in Taiwan-based Lextar in a mid-power led lights deal. And in 2015, Cree signed a cross-licensing agreement with Epistar who brought some mid-power intellectual property (IP) from Cree.

Osram first showed a five-emitter version of the Oslon Black Flat S family back in 2015. The company had previously delivered Black Flat LEDs with multiple emitters, but the Black Flat S added the capability of driving each emitter on an individual basis — a key to ADB designs.

Late in 2016, Osram said it was hot selling a three-emitter version of the Black Flat S, and promised that four- and five-emitter versions would follow in January 2017. Actually the schedule was delayed a bit, but the extra emitters will now provide more flexibility in beam forming and further increase safety.

The Vishay Intertechnology optoelectronics group’s new VLD.1535 colored LEDs are based on an AlInGaP-on-Si (aluminum indium gallium phosphide on silicon) technology with the major part of that statement being the silicon substrate. The Si substrate should help reduce manufacturing costs.

Meanwhile, the LEDs include a main domed optics that shoots at a 22° beam that is much suitable for applications such as illuminated signage, traffic signals and warning signs, and specialty indoor and outdoor lighting products. Maximum performance ranges from 9000 mcd for super-red products to 14,000 mcd for amber and yellow products.