Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has announced the first devices in its second generation of LETERAS white LEDs fabricated using a gallium nitride-on cilicon (GaN-on-Si) process. The 1W TL1F2 LEDs offer a cost-competitive alternative to current LED packages, allowing manufacturers of general purpose and industrial LED lighting to drive down costs.

Toshiba second generation GaN-on-Si White LEDs begin production in November 2013 (photo courtesy: Toshiba)

High-performance white LEDs have typically been fabricated on expensive sapphire substrate in relatively small 100mm or 150mm wafer sizes. In contrast, Toshiba has developed a process that enables GaN LEDs to be produced using more cost-effective 200mm silicon wafers. This helps to reduce costs by replacing expensive sapphire substrate with more most-competitive silicon substrate while making use of existing silicon fabrication facilities.

Luminous efficacy of the TL1F2 white LEDs has been improved compared with the TL1F1 series by optimizing the package and increasing the optical output power of the GaN-on-Si LED chips. The TL1F2 series offers a full correlated color temperature (CCT) range from 2700K to 6500K, with minimum color rendering index (CRI) values of 80 to 70 respectively. Typical luminous flux of the 1W LEDs ranges from 104 lumens to 135 lumen depending on color temperature and CRI.

The new devices are supplied in a standard 6450 package measuring just 6.4mm by 5.0mm by 1.35mm. Typical driving current is 350mA, with a typical forward voltage of just 2.85V helping designers to reduce system power consumption. An operating temperature range of -40 celcius to 100 celcius makes the TL1F2 series suitable for both indoor and outdoor use in applications such as lamps, ceiling lighting, street lights, and floodlights.

Mass production of the TL1F2 series is schedules for November 2013.