Nichia, the world’s largest LED manufacturer and inventor of the high-brightness blue and white LED, started mass production of a new deep UV LED (Part No. NCSU434D) in December 2024, with a peak wavelength of 280nm.
The NCSU434D has achieved the industry’s highest wall-plug efficiency of 7.4% (input current: 350mA, radiant flux: 135mW) as a deep UV LED (Based on Nichia’s survey). This wall-plug efficiency is based on Nichia’s performance improvement roadmap, showing steady progress with 3.1% in 2021, 5.4% in 2022, and now 7.4%1 with the NCSU434D, realizing almost 2.5x the efficiency in three years. This allows for a higher output of UV radiation at the same input power, or similar output of UV at reduced input power, significantly contributing to energy savings.
Furthermore, by optimizing the method of UV radiation while leveraging the advantages of LEDs, including compact size and radiation distribution characteristics, it can enhance the efficiency of UV utilization. This progress enables the replacement of conventional mercury lamps, which are common UV radiation sources, in applications such as water and air disinfection and paint curing, thereby contributing to the realization of a mercury-free society. Read More