Infrared short- to mid-range lighting systems are the target application for the SFH 4713A from Osram Opto Semiconductors. To create its new infrared LED (IRED), Osram transferred the high-performance technology behind the Oslon Black, with its optical output of over 1 watt (W), to the mid-range power classes of about 760 mW, rounding off its portfolio. From now on the IRED is available with a beam angle of 90°.

The new IREDs are the result of advances in chip and package technology – developments which enabled Osram to engineer an Oslon Black with unprecedented electro-optical efficiency less than a year ago. The SFH 4713A now makes these advances available in the mid-range power classes as well. “With this new version of the Oslon Black, our customers can use the same designs they did before for high-end, long-range applications, engineer systems with mid- to short-ranges and cut costs at the same time”, explains Dr. Jörg Heerlein, Senior Manager Product Marketing at Osram Opto Semiconductors.

The high-efficiency IRED offers an optical output of 760 milliwatts at a current of 1 ampere. Two to five IREDs typically are adequate for achieving ranges between 10 and 50 meters. Due in part to the smaller chip size, the new IRED is a lower-cost alternative to the SFH 4715A for systems with mid-range output requirements. From autumn 2015, the SFH 4714A with a beam angle of 150° and an optical output of 720 milliwatts will complement the existing version. Both components close the gap between the extremely small Oslon Compact, with 270 mW at 0.5 A, and the high-output Oslon Black versions with an optical output of over 1,135 mW at 1.5 A. The result is a product portfolio of high-efficiency 850 nm IREDs that serves the entire spectrum of infrared lighting applications and output requirements.