Billerica, MA, USA – based Luminus Devices Inc, a maker of PhlatLight (photonic lattice) ‘Big Chip’ LEDs for illumination applications, says that it has tripled the brightness of its semiconductor green LEDs over the last five years, and expects to at least double it again.

Green light is the major primary color that contributes to white light generation in systems with red-green-blue illumination, and the performance of green LEDs is considered by the industry to be the major limiting factor in replacing high-pressure mercury lamps in projection displays. Luminus says that, combined with its thermally enhanced packaging technology, its latest achievements in pure-green LED output allow its projection-optimized RGB chipsets to achieve new performance levels in projection system categories covering portable, home video, video walls and mainstream business and education.

For example, the firm’s latest 5.4mm2 green LED can output up to 3000 lumens at a current density of 3.0A/mm2. This chipset allows system makers to design portable LED projectors with performance in excess of 700 lumens (a 40% improvement over products introduced just a year ago).

“The rapid pace of improvement of our pure-green LEDs is a testimony to the large untapped potential of this technology,” believes VP of engineering Arvind Baliga. “Alternative approaches such as phosphor conversion technologies rely on mature platforms with limited upside potential and also come with a broad spectrum that results in increased optical losses of up to 20%,” he adds. “Our customers recognize that Luminus’ projection chipsets enable the brightest projectors today and, more importantly, place them on a faster trajectory to transition their portfolio to a lamp-free model. Increased investment in R&D and rapid prototyping will dramatically accelerate our progress in reaching brightness targets needed to move into the business and education segments,” he expects.