Soraa was able to leverage funding from the US Department of Energy (DOE), and now the company has been appointed by the DOE to lead a commission currently in progress focused on developing a low-cost GaN substrate, since it is a leader in this technology.

Its new products, denoted as SORAA VIVID 2 and PREMIUM 2 lamps, utilising this GaN-on-GaN LED technology are claimed to leverage the 1000 times lower crystal defect density advantage of the native substrate, in order to significantly boost the light output and lead to better performance at higher temperatures.

The incorporation of less LEDs per fixture enables simpler lamp design that uses a single LED light source and a simple heat sink, while producing 65W to 75W halogen equivalent light output and certified to operate at lamp temperatures of up to 120°C.

Even though sapphire wafers offer cost-savings benefits over GaN, LEDs on sapphire and SiC have crystal defects such as dislocations that cap the amount of light harnessed, while often requiring lower operating temperatures to meet reliability and performance ratings.

These limitations are accentuated when these LEDs are used in a small form factor fixture such as an MR16 lamp, which is installed in enclosed fixtures, while still requiring high light output, as in a halogen lamp to light-up a room.

Soraa is selling its LED products mainly through very high-volume bulk orders to offer more competitive pricing.

The lack of a supply chain centred around GaN substrates, as in the case of sapphire and silicon, and the benefit of the respective economies of scale will be an impediment for Soraa in gaining serious market share.

However, if it becomes more vertically integrated and ramps up its fixture production, it can help create demand for its own products and possibly begin selling GaN wafers also for additional revenue.

Soraa showcased a second generation of lamps that generate 40 percent more light recently at the Lightfair 2013 trade show in Philadelphia.

Soraa’s new lamps are designed to replace 65-watt and 75-watt bulbs associated with MR16 products such as halogen-based lamps.

Besides generating higher output, Soraa says its GaN-on-GaN LEDs reduce power consumption by over 80 percent versus halogen equivalents. Soraa, which started with 50-watt equivalent lamps is also be enhancing its filters to change the shape and colour of light generated for different environments and applications.