News | October 23, 2007

Cree Achieves Highest Efficacy From A High-Power LED

NIST Verifies Results

Durham, NC — Cree, Inc., a leader in LED lighting components, recently announced it has achieved R&D results of 129 lumens per watt for a cool-white LED and 99 lumens per watt for a warm-white LED. These are the best results reported for packaged, high-power LEDs, and they clearly indicate that Cree is extending its lead in solid-state lighting through its continued investments in LED technology.

The results have been verified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST's tests confirmed that the cool-white (5,813 K) LED produced 135.7 lumens of light output and achieved 129 lumens per watt efficacy. The warm-white (2,950 K) LED produced 104.2 lumens of light output and achieved 99 lumens per watt efficacy. The institute tests LEDs at 350 mA and measures the output after five minutes of operation to ensure thermal stabilization.

In coming years, such investments in core LED technology could lead to products that replace traditional light sources in all commercial applications. Customers may see these technology advancements in commercial products within 12 to 24 months.

"To replace traditional light sources, LEDs need to provide both high light output and high efficacy," comments John Edmond, Cree co-founder and director of advanced optoelectronics. "Cree continues to push the limits of LED performance in order to realize the potential of the LED lighting revolution – energy-efficient, long-lasting LED light."

About Cree, Inc.
Cree is a market-leading innovator and manufacturer of semiconductors and devices that enhance the value of solid-state lighting, power and communications products by significantly increasing their energy performance and efficiency. Key to Cree's market advantage is its world-class materials expertise in silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) for chips and packaged devices that can handle more power in a smaller space while producing less heat than other available technologies, materials and products.

Cree drives its increased performance technology into multiple applications, including exciting alternatives in brighter and more-tunable light for general illumination, backlighting for more-vivid displays, optimized power management for high-current, switch-mode power supplies and variable-speed motors, and more-effective wireless infrastructure for data and voice communications. Cree customers range from innovative lighting-fixture makers to defense-related federal agencies.

Cree's product families include blue and green LED chips, lighting LEDs, LEDs for backlighting, power-switching devices and radio-frequency/wireless devices.

SOURCE: Cree, Inc.