• The new IR:6 thin-film infrared LED chip technology is available in 850nm, 940nm and new 920nm wavelength options
• First IR:6-based products are the OSLON® P1616 and OSLON® Black series, giving customers a drop-in replacement that offers higher brightness and efficiency in end products such as security cameras, biometric authentication systems and medical equipment for heat treatment

Premstaetten, Austria and Munich, Germany (October 22, 2024) -- ams OSRAM (SIX: AMS), a global leader in intelligent sensors and emitters, has introduced its new IR:6 infrared (IR) LED chip technology, which increases brightness by up to 35% and efficiency by up to 42% compared to the existing chip technology used in ams OSRAM IR LED emitters.

The new IR:6 thin-film chip technology will enable manufacturers of products such as security cameras and biometric authentication systems in PCs and smart doorbells to achieve better illumination for improved image quality as well as the faster, more accurate recognition of individual biometric markers, while saving power and extending battery run-time between charges.
In medical equipment such as light therapy fixtures for the treatment of tissue damage, the higher optical power output from the IR:6 chip will enable equipment manufacturers to use fewer LEDs while producing the same therapeutic effect, saving space and reducing bill-of-materials cost.
The first ams OSRAM products to take advantage of the new chip are the OSLON® P1616 series of high-power LEDs in a compact 1.6mm x 1.6mm package — and the OSLON® Black family, which offers various viewing angle options, including a new rectangular field of illumination which is perfect for use with IR cameras.
Dominic Bergmann, Product Marketing Manager at ams OSRAM, emphasized: ”The new, improved IR:6 technology is raising IR LEDs from ams OSRAM to the top rank in their market segment for brightness and efficiency. Customers that replace their existing IR LEDs with new IR:6-based LEDs can instantly achieve better performance in their application with lower power consumption.”

IR:6: the next generation of infrared LED technology
The new IR:6 chip technology implements various improvements in materials, structure and design to achieve its superior performance. These improvements include:

• Improvements to the intrinsic chip efficiency
• A new central bond pad for better current spreading and a lower forward voltage
• Better roughening of the chip’s surface for higher decoupling efficiency and higher brightness

In addition, the new IR:6 technology adds the capability to emit light at a 920nm dominant wavelength, as well as the familiar 850nm and 940nm wavelengths. The new 920nm option offers a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than the 940nm option because of photodiodes’ higher sensitivity to shorter wavelengths, and a weaker visible red glow effect than at 850nm. 

At the time of its launch, the IR:6 technology is available in the following ‘B’ designated versions of the existing OSLON® P1616 products, which are aimed at space-constrained applications:

• OSLON® P1616 SFH 4180BS – 920nm/940nm wavelength options, 1485mW radiant flux, 130° viewing angle
• OSLON® P1616 SFH 4181BS – 920nm/940nm wavelength options, 1550mW radiant flux, 70° viewing angle
• OSLON® P1616 SFH 4182BS – 920nm/940nm wavelength options, 1650mW radiant flux, 130° optimized viewing angle

The technology is also available in new versions of existing OSLON® Black emitters:

• OSLON® Black SFH 4713B – 850nm wavelength, 980mW radiant flux, 80° viewing angle
• OSLON® Black SFH 4714B – 850nm wavelength, 940mW radiant flux, 150° viewing angle
• OSLON® Black SFH 47167B – 850nm wavelength, 940mW radiant flux, 110° x 130° rectangular field-of-illumination

The IR:6 chip is manufactured by ams OSRAM at its plant in Regensburg, Germany. The entire supply chain for OSLON® P1616 and OSLON® Black LEDs, from chip to packaging, is fully controlled by ams OSRAM to give customers full confidence in the product’s high-volume availability.

Further information on the IR:6 technology can be found on our homepage.

The IR:6 technology is e.g. used in biometric authentication systems in PCs

The IR:6 technology is also used in Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) applications

About ams OSRAM
The ams OSRAM Group (SIX: AMS) is a global leader in intelligent sensors and emitters. By adding intelligence to light and passion to innovation, we enrich people’s lives.

With over 110 years of combined history, our core is defined by imagination, deep engineering expertise and the ability to provide global industrial capacity in sensor and light technologies. We create exciting innovations that enable our customers in the automotive, industrial, medical and consumer markets to maintain their competitive edge and drive innovation that meaningfully improves the quality of life in terms of health, safety and convenience, while reducing impact on the environment.

Our around 20,000 employees worldwide focus on innovation across sensing, illumination and visualization to make journeys safer, medical diagnosis more accurate and daily moments in communication a richer experience. Our work creates technology for breakthrough applications, which is reflected in over 15,000 patents granted and applied. Headquartered in Premstaetten/Graz (Austria) with a co-headquarters in Munich (Germany), the group achieved EUR 3.6 billion revenues in 2023 and is listed as ams-OSRAM AG on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ISIN: AT0000A18XM4).

Find out more about us on https://ams-osram.com
ams is a registered trademark of ams-OSRAM AG. In addition, many of our products and services are registered or filed trademarks of ams OSRAM Group. All other company or product names mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. 

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