Thanks to research and development, new wavelength ranges in LED technology have been opened up and are now ready for mass production

Our partners Luminus and Lextar have launched new LEDs emitting radiation in a wavelengthrange of 270nm-290nm. This wavelength range is referred to as UVC radiation. It is not visible and with an even shorter wavelength than UVA and UVB radiation. The special feature of this wavelength range is that DNA structures are broken up and destroyed by the radiation. Simple unicellular organisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi can no longer reproduce and eventually die. This UVC light is mainly used in disinfection. Even multi-resistant germs can be reliably killed.

So far UVC radiation has been generated by mercury vapor lamps. However, these are highly toxic and pollute the environment. UV LEDs offer a variety of advantages. They emit a narrow-band spectrum and can be tuned to emit the most efficient wavelength. As a result unwanted ozone production can be suppressed. There are also advantages in the small size and robustness of the UV LEDs compared to mercury vapor lamps. Their lifespan is tens of thousands of hours. They are less prone to vibration and their compact size means they can also be used in very small applications. In addition low DC voltages are sufficient for their operation, which makes battery operation possible and simplifies their electrical control. Annoying warm-up times are also eliminated and pulse operation of the LED is possible.

UVC-LED technology is particularly interesting for hospitals, water disinfection, surface sterilization, odor removal, as well as disinfection in air conditioners and food packaging.