A new red phosphor with excellent luminescence properties is developed by the collaborative teams of researchers from University of Innsbruck, Austria and Osram Opto Semiconductors. The red phosphor is capable of making LED lighting more energy-efficient.
The scientists created the new red phosphor whose light is well perceived by the eye as the human eye is more sensitive to green and less sensitive to blue and red. With the development, the light yield of white LEDs can be improved by around one sixth, helping to improve the energy efficiency of lighting systems.
“Since initially only a few very small particles were available in a very inhomogeneous sample, it was difficult to optimize the synthesis,” said doctoral student Gregor Hoerder. The breakthrough came when the researchers were able to isolate a single-crystal from one of the most promising synthesis products and thus determine the structure of the new material. “The substance is synthesized in such a way that it emits more orange than red. With SALON we have less energy loss, it emits exactly in the red range we can see,” said Hubert Huppertz from the University of Innsbruck, Austria.
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructures of Materials and Systems IMWS in Halle and Dirk Johrendt’s research group at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich were also involved in further characterizing the new material. The development has already been registered for patent.